The Loft: Up The Hill And Down The Slope

Creation 1985.  CRE015T

Discogs

The Loft were Peter Astor’s first band, and this, their second and final single was a highlight of Creation’s early years.  Actually, strictly speaking it wasn’t their last single, because oddly they released another one in 2006 on Static Caravan.  The title track has actually appeared here before on the Creation Flowers In The Sky compilation, but the remaining three tracks haven’t.  The last track is something of a surprise – it’s a Richard Hell and the Voidoids cover which works better than you’d think.

Astor went on to form the Weather Prophets after the on-stage demise of The Loft, who have also appeared here several times, and he also recorded for Creation as a solo artist.

I’ve never been able to see much distinction between this band and the Weather Prophets, other than the line-up of course.  Both produced some of the best indiepop of the 80s, and this single regularly makes it onto those tedious journo “best of” lists.

Unusually for Creation, this single sounds pretty good.  It’s well recorded and pressed.  I guess Alan McGee was less wasted this early in the label’s history.