Burning Blue Soul

Burning Blue Soul
Original 1981 cover
Studio album by Matt Johnson
Released	7 September 1981
Recorded	Spring–summer 1981
Genre	Post-punk
Length	44:16
Label	Warner Bros., 4AD
Producer	Matt Johnson, Ivo Watts-Russell, Pete Maben, BC Gilbert & G Lewis
Matt Johnson chronology
Spirits (1979) Burning Blue Soul (1981) Soul Mining (1983)
Alternative cover
1983 reissue cover
Alternative cover
1993 The The reissue cover

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Mojo

Burning Blue Soul is the debut studio album released by Matt Johnson in 1981. The album is commonly regarded as an accomplished debut, with a mix of guitar riffs, tape loops, experimental electronics and heavily filtered vocals.

The album was re-released in 1993 under Johnson's band's name, The The. Johnson requested that 4AD do this so that all his albums would be racked together in record stores.

Despite rumours to the contrary, all releases of Burning Blue Soul contain the same mix.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Matt Johnson

1. "Red Cinders in the Sand" – 5:42
2. "Song Without an Ending" – 4:35
3. "Time (Again) for the Golden Sunset" – 3:51
4. "Icing Up" – 7:36
5. "(Like a) Sun Rising Through My Garden" – 5:01
6. "Out of Control" – 2:01
7. "Bugle Boy" – 2:27
8. "Delirious" – 3:33
9. "The River Flows East in Spring" – 3:33
10. "Another Boy Drowning" – 5:53

Personnel

• Matt Johnson – vocals, producer, instrumentation
• Ivo Watts-Russell – producer (tracks 2, 4–8, 10)
• B.C. Gilbert & G. Lewis – producers (tracks 3 & 9)
• B.C. Gilbert – guitar (track 9)
• Graham Lewis – "karate chop" piano (track 9)
• Pete Maben – producer (track 1)
• Andy Johnson – artwork, illustrations
• Neville Brody – original artwork
• Fiona Skinner – design & layout, typography. Bespoke typeface – hand cut in lino. Hand tinted photo. Inner sleeve & back cover design
• Darren Laws – original 1981 (psychedelic eye) cover photography;
• AJ Barrett – photography, portrait photography (1983 issue)
• Ian Pye – liner notes (1993 issue)
• Howie Weinberg – digital remastering (CD issue)

External links

• Retrospective review for reissue