I would love to read his autobiography I bet it would be as good as Etta James(Great read) Rick James (I've heard, never read it yet).

JoeBala said:

I would love to read his autobiography I bet it would be as good as Etta James(Great read) Rick James (I've heard, never read it yet).

I need to read it as well!

I found this one to be interesting. I loved This side of Love and To Know Someone. There were other good tracks, Billy Don't Fall but the rest was very much him (I think) trying to leap into 'artsy' territory where Prince was really flourishing at the time.

Symphony or Damn - AWESOME. It is better than many Prince albums.

Vibrator was very good and Wild Card was super. I don[t know much beyond that though.

It is interesting to note none of the songs charted, he released a few with promotional singles but only 1 ''To know someone deeply'' charted in at 55 in the UK.

Terence had only 3 hits in the U.S Dance Little Sister, Wishing Well & Sign Your Name

And If You Let Me Stay went to number 68 U.S

Terence had 4 top 20 hits from Symphony Or Damn in the UK & one top 20 off Vibrator.

Not that i care about what charts and doesn't

Just thought it was interesting he feel off so quick in the U.S but had a pretty big following in the UK

How about some videos

Wow never seen this before

This song was so ahead of it's time

His live voice is killer

Maybe my favourite of the album

[Edited 8/8/11 2:27am]

Gunsnhalen said:

It is interesting to note none of the songs charted, he released a few with promotional singles but only 1 ''To know someone deeply'' charted in at 55 in the UK.

Terence had only 3 hits in the U.S Dance Little Sister, Wishing Well & Sign Your Name

And If You Let Me Stay went to number 68 U.S

Terence had 4 top 20 hits from Symphony Or Damn in the UK & one top 20 off Vibrator.

Not that i care about what charts and doesn't

Just thought it was interesting he feel off so quick in the U.S but had a pretty big following in the UK

Javi said:

Gunsnhalen said:

It is interesting to note none of the songs charted, he released a few with promotional singles but only 1 ''To know someone deeply'' charted in at 55 in the UK.

Terence had only 3 hits in the U.S Dance Little Sister, Wishing Well & Sign Your Name

And If You Let Me Stay went to number 68 U.S

Terence had 4 top 20 hits from Symphony Or Damn in the UK & one top 20 off Vibrator.

Not that i care about what charts and doesn't

Just thought it was interesting he feel off so quick in the U.S but had a pretty big following in the UK

Terence blames the record company for not promoting correctly this record, but I think it wasn't going to sell anyway. That said, I think the single choices weren't the right ones. I mean: I'll Be Allright was clearly the most radio friendly tune off the record, and it wasn't even a single. But it's a masterpiece anyway. This record compares favourably with some Prince records of the 80's, not to mention the 90's and the 00's.

Well, even I'll Be Alright iosn't incredibly mainstream. The album doesn't seem a single happy cd haha

Javi said:

Gunsnhalen said:

It is interesting to note none of the songs charted, he released a few with promotional singles but only 1 ''To know someone deeply'' charted in at 55 in the UK.

Terence had only 3 hits in the U.S Dance Little Sister, Wishing Well & Sign Your Name

And If You Let Me Stay went to number 68 U.S

Terence had 4 top 20 hits from Symphony Or Damn in the UK & one top 20 off Vibrator.

Not that i care about what charts and doesn't

Just thought it was interesting he feel off so quick in the U.S but had a pretty big following in the UK

Terence blames the record company for not promoting correctly this record, but I think it wasn't going to sell anyway. That said, I think the single choices weren't the right ones. I mean: I'll Be Allright was clearly the most radio friendly tune off the record, and it wasn't even a single. But it's a masterpiece anyway. This record compares favourably with some Prince records of the 80's, not to mention the 90's and the 00's.

I was watching BBC's I Love 1988 and they spoke about TTD's first album and how his ego, especially his comment about Hardline being better than Sgt. Pepper was what began the backlash, also how he wanted to court attention from the media and it backfired

There's a clip from a game show from 1988 called Jukebox Jury and the panelists all don't like the new song and wanted him to go back to the sound he was doing on Hardline

I like Neither Fish Nor Flesh, although it has some songs that you can't digest immediately on the first listen

mynameisnotsusan said:

How about some videos

Wow never seen this before

This song was so ahead of it's time

His live voice is killer

Maybe my favourite of the album

[Edited 8/8/11 2:27am]

His musicianship & voclas are top notch

bboy87 said:

Javi said:

Terence blames the record company for not promoting correctly this record, but I think it wasn't going to sell anyway. That said, I think the single choices weren't the right ones. I mean: I'll Be Allright was clearly the most radio friendly tune off the record, and it wasn't even a single. But it's a masterpiece anyway. This record compares favourably with some Prince records of the 80's, not to mention the 90's and the 00's.

I was watching BBC's I Love 1988 and they spoke about TTD's first album and how his ego, especially his comment about Hardline being better than Sgt. Pepper was what began the backlash, also how he wanted to court attention from the media and it backfired

There's a clip from a game show from 1988 called Jukebox Jury and the panelists all don't like the new song and wanted him to go back to the sound he was doing on Hardline

I like Neither Fish Nor Flesh, although it has some songs that you can't digest immediately on the first listen

I don't know if the song you mention is The Birth Of Maudie, which was a single between Introducing... and Neither Fish Nor Flesh. That song is not Terence's, but it actually signalled a change of direction, which was confirmed with the second album.

I like Symphony Or Damn a lot, but I think he tried to be commercial again, he tried to produce hits and maybe worried too much about it. Delicate is a lovely ballad, but, wasn't it an attempt to rewrite Sign Your Name? That's why I love Neither Fish Nor Flesh, and why I love Around The World In A Day or The Rainbow Children. All truly inspired works (almost) without giving a fuck about sales and charts.

With all this talk I had to watch the Hardline Live VHS(never released on DVD?!). What a great show! It's a Documentery, so alot of interuptions between songs, but still great! I think it's on Youtube, but not sure.

Javi said:

I like Symphony Or Damn a lot, but I think he tried to be commercial again, he tried to produce hits and maybe worried too much about it. Delicate is a lovely ballad, but, wasn't it an attempt to rewrite Sign Your Name? That's why I love Neither Fish Nor Flesh, and why I love Around The World In A Day or The Rainbow Children. All truly inspired works (almost) without giving a fuck about sales and charts.

OTOH, one could look at NFNF and ATWIAD as blatant attempts to be artsy and move away from commercialism in an effort to avoid being pigeonholed.

Personally, I think Symphony or Damn strikes the right balance and that's why it's his best IMO. It has some readily accessible tracks, sure, but an album that starts with "Welcome to My Monasteryo" can't be considered overly commercial.

[Edited 8/9/11 6:11am]

JoeBala said:

With all this talk I had to watch the Hardline Live VHS(never released on DVD?!). What a great show! It's a Documentery, so alot of interuptions between songs, but still great! I think it's on Youtube, but not sure.

I have that on Laserdisk. Great show.

AlexdeParis said:

Javi said:

I like Symphony Or Damn a lot, but I think he tried to be commercial again, he tried to produce hits and maybe worried too much about it. Delicate is a lovely ballad, but, wasn't it an attempt to rewrite Sign Your Name? That's why I love Neither Fish Nor Flesh, and why I love Around The World In A Day or The Rainbow Children. All truly inspired works (almost) without giving a fuck about sales and charts.

OTOH, one could look at NFNF and ATWIAD as blatant attempts to be artsy and move away from commercialism in an effort to avoid being pigeonholed.

Personally, I think Symphony or Damn strikes the right balance and that's why it's his best IMO. It has some readily accessible tracks, sure, but an album that starts with "Welcome to My Monasteryo" can't be considered overly commercial.

[Edited 8/9/11 6:11am]

My only problem with Symphony Or Damn is its duration: seems a bit long to me. It may be due to the arrival of the CD; I notice the same problem in Prince records of the early 90's, for example. Three or four songs less and it would be perfect for me.

Javi said:

AlexdeParis said:

OTOH, one could look at NFNF and ATWIAD as blatant attempts to be artsy and move away from commercialism in an effort to avoid being pigeonholed.

Personally, I think Symphony or Damn strikes the right balance and that's why it's his best IMO. It has some readily accessible tracks, sure, but an album that starts with "Welcome to My Monasteryo" can't be considered overly commercial.

[Edited 8/9/11 6:11am]

My only problem with Symphony Or Damn is its duration: seems a bit long to me. It may be due to the arrival of the CD; I notice the same problem in Prince records of the early 90's, for example. Three or four songs less and it would be perfect for me.

It's definitely long in duration, but you can cut a song from that album over my dead body. I'm almost scared to ask, but which ones would you consider cutting?

AlexdeParis said:

Javi said:

My only problem with Symphony Or Damn is its duration: seems a bit long to me. It may be due to the arrival of the CD; I notice the same problem in Prince records of the early 90's, for example. Three or four songs less and it would be perfect for me.

It's definitely long in duration, but you can cut a song from that album over my dead body. I'm almost scared to ask, but which ones would you consider cutting?

OK, I'll say it and then I'll hide where you cannot find me. Baby Let Me Share My Love, Succumb To Me and Seasons. I'm also not a big fan of She Kissed Me, but I reckon it's a good track to open the album.

AlexdeParis said:

Javi said:

My only problem with Symphony Or Damn is its duration: seems a bit long to me. It may be due to the arrival of the CD; I notice the same problem in Prince records of the early 90's, for example. Three or four songs less and it would be perfect for me.

It's definitely long in duration, but you can cut a song from that album over my dead body. I'm almost scared to ask, but which ones would you consider cutting?

Javi said:

AlexdeParis said:

It's definitely long in duration, but you can cut a song from that album over my dead body. I'm almost scared to ask, but which ones would you consider cutting?

OK, I'll say it and then I'll hide where you cannot find me. Baby Let Me Share My Love, Succumb To Me and Seasons. I'm also not a big fan of She Kissed Me, but I reckon it's a good track to open the album.

Funnily enough, if I were forced to pick my least favorite songs, I'd probably go with "Baby Let Me Share My Love" and "Succumb to Me." That being said, I think they serve important roles in the flow of the album. "Seasons" is pure perfection. I remember originally thinking it wasn't the best sequencing to end with it and "Let Her Down Easy" back to back, but I got over that quickly and love it now. Not a fan of "She Kissed Me"? Say it ain't so!

My ratings:

Hardline - 9

Neither Fish - 8.5

Symphony or Damn - 10

Vibrator - 9.5

AlexdeParis said:

Javi said:

OK, I'll say it and then I'll hide where you cannot find me. Baby Let Me Share My Love, Succumb To Me and Seasons. I'm also not a big fan of She Kissed Me, but I reckon it's a good track to open the album.

Funnily enough, if I were forced to pick my least favorite songs, I'd probably go with "Baby Let Me Share My Love" and "Succumb to Me." That being said, I think they serve important roles in the flow of the album. "Seasons" is pure perfection. I remember originally thinking it wasn't the best sequencing to end with it and "Let Her Down Easy" back to back, but I got over that quickly and love it now. Not a fan of "She Kissed Me"? Say it ain't so!

My ratings:

Hardline - 9

Neither Fish - 8.5

Symphony or Damn - 10

Vibrator - 9.5

Javi said:

AlexdeParis said:

Funnily enough, if I were forced to pick my least favorite songs, I'd probably go with "Baby Let Me Share My Love" and "Succumb to Me." That being said, I think they serve important roles in the flow of the album. "Seasons" is pure perfection. I remember originally thinking it wasn't the best sequencing to end with it and "Let Her Down Easy" back to back, but I got over that quickly and love it now. Not a fan of "She Kissed Me"? Say it ain't so!

My ratings:

Hardline - 9

Neither Fish - 8.5

Symphony or Damn - 10

Vibrator - 9.5

Clearly, our main point of discrepance is Vibrator. I'd rate it with a 7 and that's it. Read My Lips, CYFMLAY and Undeniably are supreme, others are very good, but the whole of the album... I don't like it as much as the three previous ones. Have you heard Wild Card? I haven't, and I may be missing something...

Yeah, we definitely disagree about Vibrator. "CYFMLAY" may be my least favorite song on the album.

I own Wild Card and I like songs on it, but I've never really given it the attention it needs because I just go to the familiar 4 when I want to hear TTD. Maybe I'll spin it again soon.

Besides his 2nd albuim being my favorite a close tie is Wild Card. I have the be honest and say I was not digging his 2nd CD when I first heard it, but I played it over and over and grew to love it as my favorite same with Wild Card a couple of listening sessions and I was hooked! The great thing about him is he touched on so many styles of music and made it his own. You can get it on amazon used for cheaps. Get the import one.

[Edited 8/10/11 8:53am]

JoeBala said:

Besides his 2nd albuim being my favorite a close tie is Wild Card. I have the be honest and say I was not digging his 2nd CD when I first heard it, but I played it over and over and grew to love it as my favorite same with Wild Card a couple of listening sessions and I was hooked! The great thing about him is he touched on so many styles of music and made it his own. You can get it on amazon used for cheaps. Get the import one.

[Edited 8/10/11 8:53am]

Javi said:

I'm positively surprised that a thread dedicated to such an unpopular album has awakened the interest of so many people: it has even become flamed. I'll be glad to continue discussing it...

Javi, "WildCard" is awesome! If you liked "Symphony or Damn," you definitely should get "WildCard."

Keep in mind there are two versions of the physical cd with a few different songs on each... For me, they are both worth getting but if you only get one I would recommend "The Joker's Edition" which I think is the easiest one to find. But that album is 10 out of 10 stars for me. In fact, if I wanted to introduce someone to Sananda's work, I would personally start with "Wildcard" because I think it's the most accessible/likable to people of different tastes. I know a lot of people might say "Hardline" but as good as that album is, I think it also sounds "dated".... Very 80's... still awesome, just sounds like something from the 80's.

emilio319 said:

Javi said:

I'm positively surprised that a thread dedicated to such an unpopular album has awakened the interest of so many people: it has even become flamed. I'll be glad to continue discussing it...

Javi, "WildCard" is awesome! If you liked "Symphony or Damn," you definitely should get "WildCard."

Keep in mind there are two versions of the physical cd with a few different songs on each... For me, they are both worth getting but if you only get one I would recommend "The Joker's Edition" which I think is the easiest one to find. But that album is 10 out of 10 stars for me. In fact, if I wanted to introduce someone to Sananda's work, I would personally start with "Wildcard" because I think it's the most accessible/likable to people of different tastes. I know a lot of people might say "Hardline" but as good as that album is, I think it also sounds "dated".... Very 80's... still awesome, just sounds like something from the 80's.

Thank you! I'll definitely buy it. The thing is, I was a little disappointed with Vibrator in the mid-90's, and I forgot about Terence. Also, Wild Card didn't get much promotion, did it? I remember seeing it in a record store without much interest and finally not buying it. But I think now's the time!

Javi said:

I'm positively surprised that a thread dedicated to such an unpopular album has awakened the interest of so many people: it has even become flamed. I'll be glad to continue discussing it...

Like I said it did need several plays, but it will hook you. I think I was cleaning my Apt. at the time it came out and had it on repeat. I love Harline, but the others have so much different styles going on. I might agree some of it is a dated on Hardline, but not all of it. SRR-636, Sayin' About You, Designated Fool, Ev'rthang, Testify, Sweetness, Reflecting & Love Can You Hear Me? (only on the Import version) etc. are some of my favorites from Wildcard. Like emilio319 said I would get both CD versions. On The plus side the Japan Import version has the lyrics and cool pictures, while the US version does not have the lyrics. Hmmm I smell a Wildcard thread coming...

Here are the cheapest prices:

http://www.amazon.com/Wildcard-Terence-Trent-DArby/dp/B00005QTRF/ref=sr_1_33?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1312999063&sr=1-33

The track listing is wrong on amazon. This is the right one:

http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Card-Terence-Trent-DArby/dp/B00009NH5W/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1312999244&sr=1-2

Correct track info.

[Edited 8/10/11 11:06am]

Graycap23 said:

Love all of TTD's work....

Sananda....not so much.

I have to agree with Gray. I love TTD's work, but some of the Sananda stuff is too out there for me. He has a great voice regardless, but I prefer the TTD work.

JoeBala said:

Javi said:

I'm positively surprised that a thread dedicated to such an unpopular album has awakened the interest of so many people: it has even become flamed. I'll be glad to continue discussing it...

Like I said it did need several plays, but it will hook you. I think I was cleaning my Apt. at the time it came out and had it on repeat. I love Harline, but the others have so much different styles going on. I might agree some of it is a dated on Hardline, but not all of it. SRR-636, Sayin' About You, Designated Fool, Ev'rthang, Testify, Sweetness, Reflecting & Love Can You Hear Me? (only on the Import version) etc. are some of my favorites from Wildcard. Like emilio319 said I would get both CD versions. On The plus side the Japan Import version has the lyrics and cool pictures, while the US version does not have the lyrics. Hmmm I smell a Wildcard thread coming...

Here are the cheapest prices:

http://www.amazon.com/Wildcard-Terence-Trent-DArby/dp/B00005QTRF/ref=sr_1_33?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1312999063&sr=1-33

The track listing is wrong on amazon. This is the right one:

1. O Divina

2. Designated Fool

3. My Dark Places

4. The Inner Scream

5. SRR-636

6. Drivin Me Crazy

7. Suga Free

8. Shalom

9. Evrythang

10. Love Can You Hear Me

11. Sweetness

12. Reflecting

13. Be Willing

14. Goodbye Diane

15. And They Will Never Know

16. Sayin About You

17. Shadows

18. Benediction-Sugar Ray

19. Testify (Bonus Track)

http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Card-Terence-Trent-DArby/dp/B00009NH5W/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1312999244&sr=1-2

Correct track info.

[Edited 8/10/11 11:06am]

Yeah I agree, the booklet that comes with the NON-joker's edition of wildcard (the one with the white background on the cover) is maybe the best cd booklet I've ever seen... Really nice material and nice graphics and cool photos of Sananda along with the lyrics.