Clark Kent (Deluxe Edition)

Clark Kent

Clark Kent (Deluxe Edition)

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08 January 2024
Web Exclusive

By Matthew Berliand

Back in the late 70s, legend has it that Police founder (and initially their main songwriter before Sting quickly took over that position) and drummer extraordinaire, Stewart Copeland, bet his bandmate Sting that he would he could write and record an album by himself. himself and go by a pseudonym, and it would still be a hit. Amazingly, his prediction came true. Well, sort of, when his second single, “Don't Care”, reached the lower reaches of the UK Top 50, peaking at #48 and earning him an invitation to perform at Top of the Pops. However, it was obvious and an open secret to those paying attention at the time that “Klark Kent” was really Copeland, especially if they had heard his lead vocals on the song “On Any Other Day” (from The Police's second album, 1979 Regatta de Blanc).

Regardless, following a 1995 CD release of the entire Klark Kent discography (plus a few later compositions thrown in for good measure) as Collectable Workswe FINALLY have a vinyl reissue nearly 30 years later that does this incredible music justice and even tacks on a few extra tracks that weren't available before.

Following up on RSD's reissue of the 1980 10″ EP of the same name (this time on 12″ LP) earlier in 2023, we have this double LP that could probably fit on one LP, but that way we have better sound quality, so there aren't complaints. Everything there was Collectable Works are also here, but the real draw for those who are already fans will be the two bonus cuts (snippets from later '80s recordings in a similar fashion to songs like “Love Lessons” and “Strange Things Happen” that were also included on Collectable Works) as well as a full disc of demos on the CD and digital versions. While the demos are nice to hear, whether they're more developed like the “Don't Care” demo or others that are more like sketches than full compositions, they probably won't play much beyond the first few listens. Either way, this is a must for fans of early Police, the quirkier side of New Wave, or Copeland's solo career. (www.stewartcopeland.net)

Author Rating: 8.5/10