Recorded in the Summer of 1993 and released a year later, Flowermouth was the album that almost brought No-Man’s career to its knees, while simultaneously giving us the courage to carry on.
Although we’d liked many of the songs, we felt the previous year’s Loveblows And Lovecries had been slightly compromised by a number of external and internal pressures, so this time we were determined to make an album that totally reflected our idea of what No-Man was.
A key moment in shaping the spirit of the album (and maybe even our subsequent career) came when, during the making of Loveblows & Lovecries, we were asked to release a single we didn’t want to and told that we’d soon be doing whatever we could to write hits and make money, because that’s what everybody else did. We disagreed.
Declining offers of big studios and outside producers, we spent the recording advance on a then state of the art digital studio and on musicians who we felt could help us more fully realise the new music we’d written.
Much to our amazement we heard, via our publishers Hit And Run, that Robert Fripp had said he liked our debut album. He had added that it would have been even better had he been on it. We agreed.
Plans were immediately put in motion to get the legendary Crimson King into Nomansland. After hearing a sample of Mel Collins that we’d used on the Teardrop Fall demo (from the track, Lady Of The Dancing Water), Robert suggested Mel‘s involvement in the project. With the memory of his excellent Miles Davis biography and his haunting solo on Nico’s Camera Obscura fresh in our minds, we luckily managed to track down the late, great Ian Carr – without the aid of a private detective. Steve Jansen and Richard Barbieri had previously worked with No-Man on tour and in the studio, and it was a delight to us that they were willing to come back for more.
All the musicians involved in making Flowermouth brought vital contributions to the music, proving that quality and pain needn’t necessarily go hand in hand. Ben Coleman‘s distorted violin solo at the end of Things Change (commonly mistaken for a guitar part) remains a No-Man highlight for me, and the effortless musicality of Fripp and Collins throughout the sessions was incredible to witness in the here and now. Robert’s eerie Soundscapes coda to Simple was thrilling to hear in real time and the small room that was Nomansland seemed to reverberate with the graceful intensity of his playing long after he’d packed his guitar away.
Lyrically, the album partly documented the alienation I’d felt moving to and living in London (after spending all my life in the North of England, that there South still felt mighty strange), and partly echoed situations I’d either observed or experienced firsthand. Regardless, as with the debut album, disillusioned romantic impulses were high on the agenda!
After the predominantly electronic and beat-driven adventures of Loveblows & Lovecries, Flowermouth felt like a more languid and introspective affair by comparison.
Watching Over Me and Teardrop Fall started life as straightforward songs that I’d written on acoustic guitar. Put through the Wilson production mangle, they became something different and altogether more exotic.
The process of making the album had been a joy, but what followed was less pleasurable by far. On the day of the album’s release, we were told that the promotional budget had been scrapped and that the proposed single and Michael Bennion directed video (for Watching Over Me) weren’t going to happen.
What we’d hoped would be our brightest moment turned out instead to be No-Man’s darkest hour (or darkest five years, if truth be told).
The reviews for Flowermouth were mostly very positive. In Italy, the album garnered Album Of The Month accolades in its big magazines, and in the UK, the great Fred Dellar commented that Angel Gets Caught In the Beauty Trap sounded like Nick Drake gently crooning over a Chill Out rendition of Tubular Bells. Better still, he didn’t mean it as an insult.
Some good word of mouth meant that sales were a marked improvement on our previous releases. Sadly, not enough of an improvement to keep the interest of Hit & Run, Epic/Sony (US) or our manager. For our industry supporters, what had started out as a proto-Trip Hop/Indie Dance band with ‘crossover potential’, had mutated into a purely studio-based Art Pop/Art Rock extravagance; not the smartest recipe for success in the age of Brit Pop.
One Little Indian were willing to keep the band on, but for obvious reasons, the levels of support we’d known, would no longer be forthcoming. Four years of favoured treatment gave way to a rather longer period of self-management and creative reassessment.
For me, in the light of No-Man’s subsequent work, Flowermouth seems somewhat self-conscious and over-produced. However, the musical climaxes to Simple, Shell Of A Fighter and Watching Over Me, and the emotional nature of Things Change, Angel and Animal Ghost, sound as genuine to me now as they did when we recorded them.
Inevitably, there are things I’d do differently now, but as a statement of integrity that provided an idealistic starting point for what was to come, Flowermouth is an album I’ll always be glad I had a part in making.
Listen to Angel Gets Caught In the Beauty Trap from Flowermouth © no-man
Buy Flowermouth from The Burning Shed no-man store
Visit the no-man last.fm page – and the Flowermouth page
Dear Tim,
I follow No-Man since the days of Lovesighs.
I discovered No-Man (and I am very happy) thanks to the names of Steve Jansen and Richard Barbieri on the credits of the album.
I was (and I’m still) a fan of JAPAN.
I loved your music instantly!
Flowermouth is an amazing album. A kind of turning point in your sound, more elegant and refined.
Obviously I was so crazy about this album that I introduced No-Man to many of my friends, each of them bought Flowermouth.
(my small contribution of your fame in Italy?)
I tried to find the vinyl at the time of its publication, but it was really hard to find in Italy…
It is still the album on vinyl that I’m desperately looking for!
I hope a reissue will be available on vinyl soon.
I’m grateful for every single note.
Schoolyard Ghosts is your masterpiece, and Wherever There Is Light touches my heart everytime.
Ciao
Roberto
PS: Sorry for my not good english.
@Roberto:
I read your brief story and it seems mine! I love no-man since 1992 and I knew them in the same way, reading the back notes of the first cd I bought. I am a great Sylvian/Japan & Jansen/Barbieri fan too, obviously!
Thanks to my perseverance and passion, I bring to my friends the music of Tim and Steven and They love it, like a love at first sight.
I’m very pleased to hear that we have very similar tastes. The albums I love most are Flowermouth and Returning Jesus, but to be sincere, is very difficult to exclude the other ones!
I’m still hoping for an italian live date…maybe one day.
What do you think about, Tim?
In Italy there are many no-man fans, more than you think!
I remember my journey in UK, about ten years ago, asking no-man material in every record shop, but shamefully nobody knew about your band. Paradoxically was easier to find something here in Italy…what the heck!
Last week I watched to mixtaped dvd, is a great show!
Congratulations, it’s an amazing piece of work. Thanks
Ciao
Paolo
Oh, sorry Tim, I forgot an important question:
What about your new solo album? I loved “My hotel year” and I can’t wait for your new work!
Tell me something! ^^
Thanks
Paolo
A message from Tim…
Hi Paolo and Roberto,
Thanks for your reflections on No-Man and Flowermouth.
I’ve played in Rome, Milan and Foligno previously and hopefully there will be more dates in Italy in the near future.
As for whether there’ll be another solo album, there are no plans at the moment.
The next albums I’m involved in are a collaboration with Italian musician Giancarlo Erra, called Memories Of Machines, and a new album with Samuel Smiles.
No-Man are intending to record together again in 2011, although we may be doing some ‘archive’ work in 2010.
There is a possibility that an album including all my home demos from the last decade could be released as a download.
Regards,
Tim
I sail a similar boat to Roberto and Paolo, however, you forgot my truly fab review from All Music Gudie in which I call Flowermouth a masterpiece beyond comprehension. As with the record, it still holds true…
I remember Tess – didn’t it involve a teapot and a pineapple at some point?? – glad you are doing well, and stayed true to your dreams – ultimately masterpieces……did you ever record “innocence lost”?
I echo the above comments.Flowermouth was my first exposure to No Man,and I have been a devoted fan exer since.
Around the time of its release,I used to help a friend who owned a record store by hanging out there a lot and assisting with customer service duties.We sold a bunch of copies of it,just by playing it a lot at the store,and recomending it to customers.
After many years,I was able to locate a vinyl copy.Unfortunately,it skips at the begining of one of the sides.I would welcome someone like Tonefloat doing a vinyl re-issue of this masterpiece,which i consider one of the finest releases of the 1990’s.
BTW,how about coming over the Atlantic for a couple of gigs.Those show in Toronto were incredible!
Angel Get’s Caught In The Beauty Trap reminds me of the Sylvian/Fripp First Day slower songs. It’s in my opinion No-man’s best song
I hope that Flowermouth and Returning Jesus get a new release in 5.1 mix and packed as the new Wild Opera digibook release.
Still waiting also for California Norfolk as digibook.
Thank you Tim for a great memorable moment in my life, the Tonefloat evening was a perfect concert.
Still my favourite No-Man album. Every time.
Flowermouth’s my favorite album, a close finish. I also like Speak very much because it’s different/ progressive/ strange but beautiful.
Flowermouth’s such an influence to me and my long time friend that we’ve chosen this as our bandname! check it out at http://www.flowermouth.com
or flowermouth on myspace. Tim has written us a comment and we’ve posted our debut album to him just recently wich will hopefully results in a review on ‘axioma’.
I really like this album . This was my 1st No man purchase , back in late 2001 .
The lack of information on this band at that time – I live in South America in Chile – made it almost a gamble to buy something from them . But , for me , the S Wilson name was the only ( at the time ] reference at the time …
I have never quit listening to the great album Tim B described , only the way its progenitor could . I have never found , save for few real good artists compositions as close to Angel , Watching over me , Simple and literally the whole thing start to finish .
It is a treat to know that that’s how R Fripp came to work with NM . He heard their first album and said ‘ If i’d been in it , it’d been better … ‘
Whatever roller coaster ups and downs they have gone through in their superb career , it’s good to say that your product ; regardless of the obstacles the music industry puts directly and indireclty in front of you . The impeccably crafted Together we’re stranger , Returning Jesus and others . Are proof that when all senses are working . Great , qualitative and very worthy things are the outcome .
POSTSCRIPT . Although the intimate setting is the perfect place for them to perform ; as they did in summer 2012 and in 2008 . It’d be great to see them in front of a large crowd in a festival . Many festivals to be percise … Cheers
I totally agree with everything you say. Well Fripp is a little narcistic, but a great performer and guitarist. He’s blogging he’s proud to have said no on Bowie’s question to have a part involving in Bowie’s new album…
Dennis Ramler (from band ‘flowermouth’! / www,soundcloud.com/flowermouth)
I’d been listening to this album not long ago , and thought of the challenge that artists , and musicians in this case have to sound current , and at the same time a mix of that and fresh / innovative etc .
Listening to this album , towards the end , Watching over me . The string sequence , what sounds like 8 or 10 violins at the same time ; made me think for a good amount of time the great idea it was of them to include that there . It’s the same sequence Heard 7 or 8 years later on Returning Jesus …
This whole album being the powerful work that it is , is almost 20 years of age …
The idea of string arrangements came to mind when hearing this , as classical or baroque period string instruments have an incredible sound , depending how we view them …
Hearing that sequence in Watching over me , i couldn’t help to think of how strong Henry Purcell’s Funeral music for Queen Mary ( from 1695 ] is …
I think No-Man could really benefit from reflecting upon including string arrangements in a future work … I think it could fine tune somewhat what their future prespective of their music could be . I think they could belt out much more work . Cheers Tim , Steve and Co …
J G
Arica , Chile
Gosh I am also an avid fan of No-Man, what a band if one can call them that.
They are just great. I got to know them through a friend, who was a music student at the University of Copenhagen. This guy introduced me to King Crimson and it goes on from there. He had new music for me every time we
met.
I found out he was subscribing to The Wire. From then on I opened a subscription too.I have 7 brothers and we all love music and No-Man. Flowermouth is an evergreen, it’s like growing up with the first two albums
on cd. So they bring up a lot of memories. I would appreciate it if they can re-release these albums in a boxset or something. They go for thousands on the internet. These albums can be introduced to new comers hunting for vinyles as the music is so good. It would open up a whole new world for them, if they see who is performing on the albums.
I will always cherish the music of No-Man as I am writing this I can hear the violin in my head playing, great stuff. There is so much love and grief in the songs completing the album as a work of art. I think Picaso painted to it.
My appreciation to them for bringing such good music to us. Love you guys.
Derrick.