by Peter Sjöblom

The original Soundmind discography is dated to March 1997 (see elsewhere on this website). Since then, several new releases related to Chris & Carla and the Walkabouts have appeared. In this update, I have also added information to some old entries. There's also a small section of Walkabouts promo videos at the end and a few words on promo records. If anyone would like to add anything, correct me or whatever - please contact me at soundmind@hotmail.com.

22 DISASTERS (12" EP, Necessity EP 001, US 1985)

When putting together the original discography, I hadn't yet heard the band's debut. Both Carla and Chris tried to convince me that it isn't very good, rather bad actually, but I just couldn't believe it could be that way. Well, after finally hearing it I can just confirm what they told me. I really wish that I could say this is the first of a seemingly endless stream of masterpieces, but it isn't. It's terrible. It truly is. Promise! The vocals are so over the top; the songs are so confused and confusing with all their time signature changes; the production is weak... I admit that some ideas on it are good - the thing is that there are too many of them in each song. Considering the context in which it appears, the title track is pretty good, but the general qualities of this recording are... Well, don't make me say it. (But I still want a vinyl copy of it... Yeah, I'm crazy.)

Listed in the original Soundmind discography as an unreleased MP, but Great Schoolhouse Fire was actually the original title for Rag + Bone - rather obvious when you know it and see the front cover artwork for Rag + Bone. Sub Pop turned down the title by dismissing it as "too folksy".

NIGHTTOWN (CD, Virgin LC3098 7243 844280 2 0, GER 1997)

The first time I heard this album, I listened to it professionally as I was to review it for a music magazine over here in Sweden. Well, if you define professionalism as keeping a nice distance to the subject, all professionalism went out right through the door less than halfway through the album. There I was in the middle of the night, comfortably lying on the couch, earphones on and with tears rolling gently down my cheek. OK, so I am a romantic kind of guy, I know. I guess I'll never learn to handle too much beauty coming at once. So when Unwind came flooding out of the earphones, as did the tears out of my eyes. It was just... too much. Too serene. Too beautiful. I was overwhelmed and heartbroken.

That night I decided that Chris Eckman is the best songwriter alive in this world. And I could stand on anyone's breakfast table in whatever footwear and say that. Repeatedly.

I found out a few other things that night as well. For example, I realised that, with the exception of Nick Drake, there has never been any singer that has touched me deeper in my soul than Carla Torgerson.

Devil's Road may still be my favourite Walkabouts album, but it was while listening to Nighttown for the very first time that strange night, that I fully realised that the music of the Walkabouts speaks not only in my own personal emotional language, but also in the same dialect. It might seem silly or strange, but that's exactly how it feels.

And in case anyone wonders: I gave Nighttown the highest possible rating to go along with my review which was slightly more restrained than what I've just written. But only slightly.

MYSTERY MOUNTAIN CHRONICLES (CD, Clevelandesque Records, no number, US? 1997)

Now, what have we here... A marvellous collection of live recordings, made in only 500 copies and obtained only by people who looked in the right places at the right time. It comes in a hand-printed card sleeve displaying two Tony Kroes woodcuts, one on the front and one on the back. A simple insert card clarifies that it was recorded at various places in Europe between 1994 and 1996. The sound is terrific all through and most of the performances show the Walkabouts at their very best. (I have to admit though that I have some problems getting along with that Old Crow...) Winded, recorded in Hannover in 1996, is utterly brilliant - far better than the rather restrained studio version on the Light Will Stay On single. Death at Low Water, recorded in Holland 1996, features the whole band performing the Chris & Carla song - the cello work is just so gorgeous! If you're lucky enough to have a copy of this offered to you, it's your duty to buy it!

WHERE THE AIR IS COOL AND DARK - MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE (CD, Glitterhouse GRCD 426. GER 1997)

Very much what you could expect a soundtrack album to be like, really. There are some real songs on it, but the lion's share is instrumental incidental music, based on the Precursor/The Cool and the Dark theme on Life Full of Holes. There's plenty of Carla's cello and a fair share of guitar and various keyboards.

River People, Bordertown and Firetrap are merely somewhat edited versions of the common Walkabouts songs, while On the Beach is not the Neil Young cover but a short keyboard piece by Pete Gerrald.

Two tracks deserve to be mentioned in particular, though; the Theme which is an otherwise unavailable absolutely splendid Walkabouts song, and Train to Mercy, performed by Terry Lee Hale on vocals and acoustic guitar. It might very well be my favourite version of the song. I think it's about time for Mr. Hale to receive general recognition. He's truly one fine songwriter and a singer of rare qualities. There aren't too many of his kind around, unfortunately.

Although overall rather pleasant, Where the Air is Cool and Dark is not my first-hand choice when I want to hear an album, or buy one for that matter. (But it's a great hangover album, I assure you!) It's available only via Glitterhouse mailorder and at Chris & Carla gigs.

SWINGER 500 (LP, Glitterhouse GRLP 432, GER 1998)

And so it finally appeared, the second studio album from Chris & Carla. We get old time technology living along with loads of acoustic instruments. They give and take from each other and the result is a highly imaginative record, a great work in a small format. At a first glance it would be very easy to compare it to Life Full of Holes, but that's not a very useful comparison. Musically and in terms of sound and production, this album goes in a different direction. Of course still present, the acoustic guitars have left room for trumpet, bass clarinet and organs. As with the previous studio album, however, friends and relatives of the Walkabouts stop by to add what they've got. Current members Baker, Glenn and Terri all play on various tracks; as do tour member Christine Gunn, cello player par excellence, on three of the songs. Well-known names out of the past are Michael Wells, Grant Eckman, Bruce Wirth and Dave Immergluck.

I'd also like to point out that not only looks the LP sleeve better in both colour reproduction and size, but the vinyl also sounds way, way better than the CD. (Yep, I'm really up on the barricades for vinyl!) I heard the CD version first and I sensed a terrific piece work in Swinger 500, but it wasn't until I got the vinyl that the record revealed itself fully as a masterwork. The 180 gram vinyl give the sound depth and soul that isn't obvious to the same extent on the CD. Hearing the LP was almost like hearing the musicians in my own living room. Swinger 500 proves that a properly done vinyl album blows the CD sound to pieces, no matter what some people want you to believe. Pity though that the LP version leaves out Chris and Carla's CD booklet Polaroids. Seems that you can't have it all. Vinyl rules anyway. Period.

Lift Your Burdens Up (shaped single, Virgin/Cube, cat. no. unk., 1997)

This cello shaped single features the Burdens track only and was sold during the Strings tour of summer 1997 only. It's now unavailable.

Lift Your Burdens Up - Come Along - Cover of Darkness - Sanitorium Blues (CD Virgin 7234 894285 2 0, EU 1997)

This was scheduled for commercial release, but never made it to the shops. Instead, it was used as a media promo, meaning that the three bonus tracks remain unheard to most people. A great shame as they are incredibly captivating. Come Along is slow, brooding, eerie with haunting piano (by Chris?) and chilling vocals from Carla. When she gets to the lines "There's a time of night when you should just stay away/When I wanna give up the whole shebang", I just look over my shoulder to make sure that I'm still alone in my home and humbly hope that my front door is safely locked... The fluent Cover of Darkness - sung by Chris - travels down a dark path as well, although it's slightly lighter in mood than Come Along. I imagine that it could be great for inclusion in their live shows. Sanitorium Blues features one of the last lyrics ever written by Townes van Zandt and is recited by Gary Heffern to the Walkabouts' semi-funky backing. If Virgin's to blame, I certainly hope that they have R-E-A-L-L-Y good reasons for not releasing this gem to the public.

Immaculate - Cover of Darkness - Come Along - Sanitorium Blues (CD, Virgin 7243 894502 2 4, GER 1997)

And so Virgin got a chance to make up for their initial mistake by using the three bonus tracks from Lift Your Burdens Up for this single. But guess what - this one didn't get to the people either, but was forced into the promo record limbo! Why is anybody's guess. I mean, why bother making TWO singles of the more or less same content when none of them gets a proper release? For just how long will these magnificent songs remain a secret of the few?

This is Fort Apache (LP, MCA 11179, US 1995)

The original Soundmind discography lists this only as a seven song NME free tape, but a twelve track LP was actually released by MCA (of all labels). The sleeve has a nice, handmade feel. Also on CD.

Fingerprints Vol. 2 - Recorded Live at Arge Kulturgelände Nonntal, Salzburg (CD, Kulturgelände Nonntal C061188, 1997)

Three songs recorded May 28, 1994 at the Arge Nonntal festival with the regular line-up expanded to include Larry Barrett and Lisa King, both on guitar. Judging by these three tracks (and a few more on the Mystery Mountain Chronicles), this show must have been totally mind-blowing. What a pleasure it would be to hear the entire show. Amusing talk between tracks. Don't let the terrible sleeve design scare you!

Bite Back (CD, PopLlama PPL 2200, US 1997)

Recorded at the Crocodile Cafe in Seattle. Bordertown is together with Loom of the Land the song that has appeared officially most often in live versions, three times each. This is a good version, though, but then again it must be hard not to succeed with a song as good as this. I once claimed that Bordertown is the worthiest follow-up to Cortez the Killer, and I haven't changed my mind about that.

4x4 (7" EP, Sound Affects SAE 022, free with Sound Affects #38, SWE 1998)

This is a good reason to be from Sweden. This four song vinyl EP was released by the Swedish music magazine Sound Affects to celebrate their 10th anniversary in April 1998. It was supposed to be given away exclusively to subscribers to the mag, but I've actually seen it together with the magazine in shops. This demo version of the Devil's Road track was recorded as early as in 1994 and has a lot rougher edges than the finished version. Oddly enough, it seems to have been faded two or so minutes before the end (even before Carla's finished with the lyrics!), making it only 4 minutes long (the finished album version is around 6 minutes). But these minutes are sheer magic, making me want to hear the rest of the demos for my #1 favourite rock album. (The only album I've heard that has reached further is Nick Drake's Five Leaves Left and I doubt that there will ever be an album to give it a serious competition. But Devil's Road gets very close.)

I'm afraid that this item - which also features one song each by The Flatmates, The Handmedowns and Cheepskates - might be hard to get for foreign fans, but you can always try to e-mail Sound Affects (red@sound-affects.se) for information.

Out of the Blue Volume 4 (CD, Glitterhouse GRCD 415, 1997)

Anyone who have browsed through Glitterhouse's mailorder catalogue should have noticed the compilation CD series Out of the Blue. The fourth volume in this series features this exclusive Chris & Carla track. It's hypnotic beat and atmospheric feel makes this one a real nugget. The first time I played the CD (also includes tracks by amongst others Terry Lee Hale, Sackville and the angelic Hazeldine) I was busy doing other things. All of a sudden, Made to Burn came as second to last track and I dropped everything I was doing at the moment to just listen. I was totally mesmerised, I played it over and over again and then once more. By then, I knew that Swinger 500 just had to be something very special.

Wake Me When I'm Under (7", Dahlia DHL0020, US 1997)

This track can also be found on the Glitterhouse CD compilation Have One. But as you know by now, I'm into vinyl, so I go for this lovely little 7" that comes in a very nice silk-screen cover. The single features two tracks, the Chris & Carla one, and one by the Willard Grant Conspiracy, Archie's Lullabye. (Dahlia Records have also put out WGC's wonderful debut CD, 3 am Sunday at Fortune Otto's, visit Dahlia at: dahlia@world.std.com. The Conspiracy also have a second one out on Slow River/RykoDisc, Flying Low, which is BRILLIANT!) Runaround was recorded in Chris and Carla's living room and is a kind of a sad-yet-hopeful lullaby which in that regard places itself somewhere between Richard Thompson's End of the Rainbow and Peter Hammill's Wilhelmina. And oh, it's pressed on blood red vinyl so it's just as pleasant to look at as it is to hear.

Despite the fact that the Walkabouts have existed for fourteen years and have released a fair share of singles, only six promo videos by the band exist. They are as follows (album from where song is taken within brackets).

Ahead of the Storm (Cataract 1989, not released as a single)

Where the Deep Water Goes (Scavenger 1991, also on 12")

Your Hope Shines (New West Motel 1993, also on CD5)

Good Luck Morning (Setting the Woods on Fire 1994, also on CD5)

The Light Will Stay On (Devil's Road 1996, also on CD5)

Lift Your Burdens Up (Nighttown 1997, also on unreleased/withdrawn CD5)

There's also a video for the Tindersticks' Travelling Light, but although Carla's being heard on the track, she's not seen in the video. Chris and Carla also appear briefly in the Hype! documentary on the Sub Pop scene.

As you might have noticed, I have decided not to feature releases originally intended for promotional use only neither in this discography nor in the original one. To me, promos are totally pointless unless they contain material not available anywhere else - or are obtained cheaply, which they most often aren't. (I haven't listed any compilations featuring songs already on the band's original releases for the same reasons). To my knowledge, there's only one real promo CD with exclusive material, and it's entitled The Black Sessions, released by Virgin France in 1996. It features songs from a French radio show probably recorded February 27, 1996. I have never seen an actual copy of it, although I once saw an ad in the British Record Collector magazine where someone had it for sale. If you want to get rich (well, a bit richer, anyway), sell me a copy of this elusive item!

As an example of something that could have been interesting but isn't, I mention Details - Summer 96 The Festival Sampler which was released by Virgin Sweden in, yes you guessed it, 1996. At a first glance, it appears rather attractive as it apart from the album version of The Stopping-Off place has a CD-ROM track by the Walkabouts. However, that track turns out to be only about one third of the Light Will Stay On video! Needless to say, this release is completely redundant to anyone but the die-hard completist.

Back to the Discography