Track Listing

1. I've Been Waiting For Tomorrow (All Of My Life)
2. This Is The Day
3. Sinking Feeling
4. Uncertain Smile
5. Twilight Hour
6. Soul Mining
7. Giant

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #45420 in Music
• Released on: 1990-03-01
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Centred around singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Matt Johnson, The The created one of the most critically acclaimed albums of 1983 with Soul Mining. Before Johnson's dystopian vision ate him up in later albums like Infected and Mind Bomb, this debut was the perfect balance of transcendent, widescreen pop and darker, more experimental percussive beats. An articulate lyricist, Johnson writes with naked honesty about love, ambivalence and independence. Stand-out tracks include "Uncertain Smile", with its shimmering charm and intense jazz boogie piano break (courtesy of Jools Holland); the sensual glory of "This Is The Day"; and the noir-ish "The Twilight Hour", an exploration of desire and longing that builds to the climactic line: "You're scared of losing her/And facing yourself". This should be a staple of every collection. --Lucy O'Brien

CD Description
Three years after his debut album (BURNING BLUE SOUL released in 1981), Matt Johnson resurrected the name The The, under which he had recorded an early single called "Controversial Subject", and unleashed SOUL MINING on the world. This wasa far more polished affair than its predecessor, and also amore powerful statement of purpose.
Johnson's mission isto explore the seedier underbelly of his own psyche, which is "crippled by guilt and blinded by sense" (according to the album's opening track). Elsewhere, he addresses everythingthat is wrong with society, from consumerism to easy morality, but never repetitively and always with a slinky hook (often provided by the bass guitar). Highlights include "Uncertain Smile", featuring a subtle string section and a prominent, barreling piano, the album's title track, with an eerie guitar line and pulsing xylophone, and all nine-and-a-half minutes of the disturbingly funky "Giant". The best track, however, is "This Is the Day", a deceptively cheerful sounding song, complete with accordion, that takes a lyric like "thisis the day your life will surely change" and makes the listener aware that these changes are unlikely to be good ones.

Customer Reviews

Jaw dropping
I can't remember how this album came into my collection, but I do remember the first time I listened to it. There are just a few albums that have had a similar jaw dropping effect on me (Stop Making Sense, Definitely Maybe (can't quite believe it now) and Hunky Dory to name a few. Although the songs are often melancholy, for me they are also oddly uplifting. Thanks Matt.

mining a rich vein
This is without question one of the best jazz/pop cross albums of all time. Intelligent lyrics and catchy melodies with a darkside that allows repeated listening without fatigue. I there is a stand-out track then it would be Uncertain Smile with Jools Holland tinkling the ivories. The remastering is excellent although the drums seem slightly more prominent than I remember although the lyrics are certainly clearer. If you are able to hunt out a cassette version there is a contemporary one with 6 extra tracks which I recall are of the same standard.

A good but flawed reissue....
As The The, Mat Johnson has released many fine albums. Soul Mining was the first one to be released under that monicker (Burning Blue Soul was originally credited to Matt Johnson). It is a fine album of good, strong and affecting songs, ranging from the thunderous I've Been Waiting for Tomorrow to the electo pop of This is the Day, taking in the despair of The Twilight Hour and the anthemic Giant on the way.
The remastered sound is good, even though the drums are a bit overdone. The original CD had a warmer feel.
It also contained eight songs, rather than the new issue's seven. Where has Perfect gone? It made an excellent finale to the album and is one of MJ's finest songs. Apparently it has been sacrificed because it wasn't on the original vynil issue. But then Matt Johnson isn't exactly famous for giving value to his fans.
If you have the original CD then I wouldn't bother upgrading unless you have a desperate need for the remastered sound.
If on the other hand you are replacing a vynil copy, then you might be better off searching for copies of the original CD, they turn up on Amazon reasonably frequently.
In conclusion this is yet another flawed reissue but a good album.