Albums Revisited: Daniel Ash’s ‘Coming Down’ at 25: A look back at the 1991 solo album from musician of Love and Rockets/Bauhaus/Tones On Tail fame.
So “This Love” has been in regular rotation at one of the local clubs and everyone around me is loving it as they assume it’s a new Love and Rockets single, but lo, upon finding a copy it’s just Daniel Ash out on his own. This was something unusual, did it mean all the rumors about my favorite trio were true? Had they packed it in? The letdown friends of mine felt still hasn’t left me but they sucked it up enough to buy the album when it emerged some months later; I remember arguing with a Musicland (anyone? anyone?) employee as they had copies but wouldn’t sell me one until it was Tuesday. You know, new release Tuesday?
I’ve hated it ever since.
‘Coming Down’ didn’t deliver what had been expected out of Daniel, I’ll just say that right now. He dabbled with all sorts of styles on this dark little beauty: you had a duet with the mambo king himself Tito Puente on “Walk This Way” and the cracked splendor of “Closer to You” to send you on your way.
That he chose to open with a heavily treated, almost unrecognizable version of “Blue Moon” should have been an indicator that “So Alive MK II” was not going to be waiting in the wings. If it had been I think this record would not hold up the way that it has. You can haggle over lists of which songs of his have been the most important in your life but in the context of a complete piece of work this little solo album that could stands at the top of the pile.
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Ash’s songs resonated with me, particularly as I was spending a lot of time downtown with a group of friends dropping acid after which we’d wander all over the city until the sun came up. This cassette rarely left my Walkman, it was about the only thing that kept me from getting lost completely. The street signs, the lights, the rising hum of commuters, perpetually lit cigarettes and that unforgettable feeling of being a million years old as you came down… those are the memories this one brings back.
He’d make other albums on his own but there’s just something so seductive and dangerously out of control about what is on here; he hasn’t gone back into these waters since and the press done for ‘Coming Down’ was minuscule at best. Then again, this wasn’t the easiest bunch of tunes to get into. The poetics of Murphy and the insightful reveries of J were not to be found here. What few articles I read seemed focused on the other bands he’d been in and completely glossed over what a fine collection of songwriting he’d accomplished on his own; side two contains my favorites: “Candy Darling”, “Sweet Little Liar” and “Not so Fast”.
“Sweet Little Liar” in particular cuts right to the bone, if you wanted bete noire out of Ash then this was it. Plenty of young ladies got this on mix tapes I made at the time; I used to wonder if they still listened but with age I realize they just threw them in the trash upon receipt. With good reason I might add, this isn’t the sort of song you make if life is going well.
“And you can earn all that money/and you can earn all that gold/but you won’t get me back/no, not with that/you’ve been told… and what you’re going through/there’s nothing I can do/and what you’re going through/there’s nothing I wanna do/for you/cuz you’re a liar/a sweet little liar”
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Did he tour for this? I never heard squat and even if I had I’m pretty sure he played 21+ venues; no love for this angry 17-year-old. Ash has stated that he made this record while going through a very unpleasant time in his life and that definitely comes across in the songs. The artwork was a murky palette comprised of smoky grey, shiny black obsidian and washed out blue. My parents took one look and rather than confiscating it just walked out of the room. I suppose at some point people just give up trying to have control over those around them which is what I’ve always suspected Daniel was getting at underneath the slick production and glossy imagery.
Behind the smirking facade and carefully composed photographs was a very exhausted, drained man with his guitar. Thankfully, he didn’t make it obvious nor did he drown his sorrows in self-indulgent musical excess. If you hear this album and come away from it feeling hollowed out and spent you’re in good company; there is a very simple ethos to ‘Coming Down’: Sometimes you just have to let go and move on because there’s nothing left to say. Or as he put it himself rather bluntly:
“Well it’s 6 in the morning/and I’m feeling so good/ain’t got no clever words no more/so I won’t be misunderstood”