Love And Rockets – Sweet F.A. (Vinyl 2LP)

Gatefold Vinyl 2LP Reissue with Remastered Audio and Four Bonus Tracks

Love And Rockets is the seminal, groundbreaking trio of Daniel Ash (vocals and guitar), David J (vocals and bass) and Kevin Haskins (drums). They formed in 1985 after the first split of their band Bauhaus. Love and Rockets provided a clean slate and an opportunity to plumb the depths of imagination and influences. June 2023 sees the Beggars Arkive reissue series continue with the expanded vinyl edition of Hot Trip To Heaven and Sweet F.A. Vinyl reissues of Seventh Dream Of Teenage Heaven and Express came out in January and Earth, Sun, Moon and Love and Rockets (self-titled) come out on April.

Rick Rubin guided Love and Rockets to a return to more guitar-based songs for 1996’s Sweet F.A. While the band were living and working at Rubin’s studio mansion, a fire broke out, which resulted in the band losing all of their gear, some of their demo recordings, and nearly their lives as well. A burnt guitar plucked from the debris is on the album’s cover. The resulting album was inspired by some of their earliest influences – The Velvet Underground, The Stooges, Can. It spins tales of passion and loss, carried on a fluid, moody throb. Undulating, hypnotic rhythms twine around melancholy lyrics which examine life at a primal level, as ethereal electronic effects play counterpoint to earthquake reverberating guitars.

This gatefold double vinyl LP reissue – which puts the album on stand-alone vinyl for the first time – boasts remastered audio by Sean McGee at Abbey Road Studios and is expanded with four bonus tracks.