{"product_id":"the-damn-rest","title":"The Damn Rest","description":"\u003cp\u003eNothing compares to Lewis Taylor and nobody crafts a \"B-Side\" quite like him.\nIndeed, his long deleted B-Sides are the stuff of legend. So, gathered together for\nthe first time on one slice of wax, Be With present \u003ci\u003eThe Damn Rest\u003c\/i\u003e: an album's worth of B-\nSides from the era of the 1996 Lewis Taylor (\u003ci\u003eDamn\u003c\/i\u003e) album. More off-the-wall and\nabstract than the album proper, these rare, underheard tracks burst with Lewis's\nuncompromising genius. A lot more experimental, the music is still drop dead\nbeautiful. The Damn Rest is the essential bridge between \u003ci\u003eLewis Taylor\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eLewis II.\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLewis Taylor's self-titled masterpiece from 1996 was to be originally called \u003ci\u003eDamn\u003c\/i\u003e.\nYou can see the word right there on the from cover. However, concerns over\ndistribution in the US scuppered this desired title. When thinking about what to call\nthis collection of essential B-Sides from the era of that first album, Be With thought \u003ci\u003eThe\nDamn Rest\u003c\/i\u003e would be appropriate. But these tracks aren't simply throwaways or\nouttakes, as Lewis himself states: \"each little group were recorded specifically for the\nrelease of each 'single'.\" These B-Sides were simply the next thing to happen after\nself-titled, and before Lewis II. In other words, you need this!\n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe collection opens with \"Asleep When You Come\", the A2 on the original \"Lucky\"\n12\". It's a slow-mo string-drenched soul offering, cast in cinematic soft-focus with a\nvocal performance from the heavens set against wonky, shuffling drums and delicate\ninstrumental flourishes. Beautiful. Also from the \"Lucky\" single, \"You Got Me\nThinking\" may actually be Lewis' funkiest moment and is definitely one of our\nfavourites, a great, gently psychedelic funky club track, that's for sure. Next, the\ngorgeous, meandering \"I Dream The Better Dream\" is just sheer, metronomic bliss,\nwith shades of Stevie Wonder. Just ask D’Angelo, who included the track on his\nFeverish Phantasmagoria show for Sonos. Not only a celebrity-fan-favourite, it's\nLewis's, too: \"My favourite has always been this track. In my fantasy it’s what early\nSoft Machine would’ve sounded like if Marvin Gaye was their lead singer.\"\n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs we move to the B-sides from the \"Whoever\" single, the first to feature is \"Pie In\nThe Electric Sky \/ If I Lay Down\". It's a brilliantly sprawling classic. A head-nod funk\nworkout in two parts; part psychedelic heavy soul jam, part breezy Marvin-esque\nnear-instrumental of the deeply lush variety. It needs to be heard to be believed.\nAstonishing! Flip over for \"Waves\", a shimmering, dramatic, sweeping string-led fan\nfavourite. The climax of the song is just too stunning for words. It's followed by the\ndeep wyrd-soul of \"Trip So Heavy\" the final, dizzying track from the \"Whoever\" single\nand another celestial funk delight featuring strings, organ, twisted bass and heavy\ndrums. From the \"Bittersweet\" 12\", \"A Little Bit Tasty\" is a building, schizophrenic\nsoul-jazz epic that starts out with Lewis performing a call and (distant) response with\nhimself over a gentle mid-90s drum loop before snatches of heavy, crunching metal\nguitars blast apart the otherwise neat song structure. Ultimately, it's unarguable that\nThe Damn Rest is worth it for the inclusion of the jaw-dropping \"Lewis III\" alone. A\ndazzlingly lush and stunningly sophisticated prog\/soul hybrid that owes as much to\n\"Pet Sounds\" as \"What's Going On\" with arrangements that grow and unfold in\nlayers. Just sparkling.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA compilation like this feels like one of those promo-only rarities they used to give\nout to a select few back in the good old days, so when it came to the artwork it only\nmade sense to follow what Cally Callomon (head of Island’s art department) had\ndone for the singles and promos back in the 90s. He even did us some fresh\nscribbles of \u003ci\u003eThe Damn Rest\u003c\/i\u003e to match his handwriting that’s all over the first album\nand its singles. We hope you like it as much as the music contained within. Simon\nFrancis’s vinyl mastering ensures these classic recordings sound as great as they\ndeserve to. The record has been cut by Cicely Balston at Air Studios and pressed at\nRecord Industry. We've lost Prince. We still have Lewis.\n\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Be With Records","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50487022977355,"sku":"2021825","price":25.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/BEWITH130LP_64b5f544_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727619366","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/products\/the-damn-rest","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}