005. The Sisters of Mercy - Alice (1993)

Re-releases are a depressing fact of music. Especially prevalent in the world of electronica, artists frequently feel obliged to ‘update’ a classic song with fancy new remixes. The results are usually unfit for human consumption, going so far as to ruin any appreciation you may have had for the original and simply go to highlight the commercial nature of the music industry. Only one man in the history of music has ever successfully pulled this off: Andrew Eldritch. What beggars belief is the fact that this was done not only once, but twice. Metaphors about lightning and bottles aside, Alice (1993) is a banging tune.

While the black clad purists will no doubt bemoan the fact that 1993’s offering isn’t a patch on the 1982 original, the 1993 release does add something new, different and worthwhile into the mix; dropping the electro feel of the 80s for a more industrial synth and guitar driven sound. Still, no matter how hard one might try, the influence of Doctor Avalanche (the drum machine) means you just can’t escape the electronica factor with a Von record. When you consider the use of repetitive arpeggio guitar rifts, many of which could be given adequate justice recreated on a 303, and the heavy use of synths on both The Gift and Floodland, the Sisters’ sound frequently ventures into the esoteric electronic worlds of drum, synth and DJ than the purists would care to admit.

For example, watch the 1985 Wake concert and ask yourslef what we have here: a bunch of people, probably on all kinds of drugs, dancing like muppets to a repetitive drum beat, accompanied by strobe lighting, smoke machines and lasers. Sound much like many a rave I’ve been to. However, having never had the pleasure, perhaps I’m not in a position to comment. Conceivably there is some deeply metaphysical, culturally significant difference between wearing black and dancing to a drum machine and wearing colours and dancing to a drum machine. In truth though, speaking as someone who is looking at things retrospectively and stopping short of suggesting Eldritch is a frustrated Crasher Kid, I don’t think there is.

The Sisters of Mercy - Alice (1993)
[Merciful : MR 059 T]
(1993)