LONG PLAY
edited by Johnny Dee
photo by Martyn Goodacre
transcribed by Vu
sent in by Peter Stanley

S*M*A*S*H
Another Love
(Hi-Rise/All formats)

For R*E*H*A*S*H get S*M*A*S*H

NOT MANY albums find a reason to begin with the words, "I have seen the Starship Enterprise". But when you realize this is actually no less than S*M*A*S*H's third LP in less than a year, you have to wonder whether Klingons have taken over the Hi-Rise A&R department.

This was originally intended as a rare burst of sanity in the Welwyn whirlwinds' ludicrously intensive campaign: A SINGLE! TAKEN FROM THEIR 'PROPER' DEBUT ALBUM! CALL THE SELL-OUT POLICE!! But no. Somewhere along the line, a simple promotional device has mutated into a seven-track mini-LP in its own right.

True, it's at mid-priced. And true, it's much more fun for the fans this way. But will the non-committed shell out for one re-recording, two new tracks, three live versions and a remix?

Well, it would be nice if they did, actually. For 'Another Love' actually does a great job of reminding you what a great band S*M*A*S*H are. Indeed, the slick re-recording of 'Another Love' (originally to be found red-raw and raging on their debut single) is not just one of the best things they've done, but also so far as to point out a way.