Boy, Man & Soldier: Skids 1978-1981

With their breakthrough hit ‘Into The Valley’ in 1979, Dunfermline, Scotland’s premier export Skids quickly rose to become one of the most respected and popular bands to emerge from the UK punk and new wave era. Founding members Richard Jobson (vocals) and Stuart Adamson (guitars) were a dynamic combination up front (Adamson went on to even greater commercial success when he later founded Big Country) while the band’s tight, taut sound was grounded by the William Simpson on bass and first Tom Kellichan and later Mike Baillie on drums.

‘Into The Valley’ had actually come on the heels of a trio of cult-appeal early singles – ‘Charles’, ‘Sweet Suburbia’, and ‘The Saints Are Coming’, all considered classics today, while its success saw chart follow ups with the likes of ‘Animation’, ‘Masquerade’, ‘Working For The Yankee Dollar’, ‘Circus Games’ and ‘Goodbye Civilian’. Always considered up there with the greatest among their peers – The Jam, Siouxsie And The Banshees, and The Stranglers, for example – both singles and albums showcased an intelligence and literate sensibility as well as musical innovation and awesome power. On stage they were simply dynamite.

The 5-disc ‘Boy, Man & Soldier: Skids 1978 - 1981’ collection brings together the vast majority of the Skids’ recorded output from the glory years 1978 – 1981. It includes the albums ‘Scared To Dance’, both the original mix of ‘Days In Europa’ and its 1980 remix version, ‘The Absolute Game’ and ‘Joy’ plus all of the band’s non-album singles, in their edited single forms, along with B-sides and single and 12” edits..

Beautifully presented in 7”X7” Super Deluxe packaging, ‘Boy, Man and Soldier’ comes fully illustrated with original sleeve art from the era married to a new design by Phillip Marshall and original cover shot by Virginia Turbett.

Tracklist

CD1: Scared To Dance
1. Into The Valley (3:19)
2. Scared To Dance (3:17)
3. Of One Skin (2:24)
4. Dossier (of Fallibility) (3:31)
5. Melancholy Soldiers (3:02)
6. Hope And Glory (3:17)
7. The Saints Are Coming (2:38)
8. Six Times (2:10)
9. Calling The Tune (4:03)
10. Integral Plot (2:39)
11. Charles (Re-Recorded Version) (2:48)
12. Scale (4:43)
13. Charles (Original 1978 Version) (2:35)
14. Reasons (2:08)
15. Test Tube Babies (2:04)
16. Sweet Suburbia (2:32)
17. Open Sound (1:53)
18. Night And Day (2:39)
19. Contusion (2:43)
20. TV Stars (Live At The Marquee Club) (2:08)

CD2: Days In Europa (1979 Mix)
1. Animation (4.50)
2. Charade (4.02)
3. Dulce et Decorum Est (Pro Patria Mori) (4.07)
4. Pros And Cons (3.20)
5. Home Of The Saved (5.07)
6. Working For The Yankee Dollar (4.55)
7. The Olympian (3.31)
8. Thanatos (4.07)
9. A Day In Europa (3.03)
10. Peaceful Times (5.05)
11. Masquerade (2.47)
12. Out Of Town (4.09)
13. Another Emotion (3.01)
14. Aftermath Dub (2:59)
15. Grey Parade (4:38)

CD3: Days In Europa (1980 Mix)
1. Animation (Remix) (4:32)
2. Charade (4:02)
3. Dulce et Decorum Est (Pro Patria Mori) (Remix) (4:41)
4. The Olympian (Remix) (3:28)
5. Home Of The Saved (Remix) (4.43)
6. Working For The Yankee Dollar (Remix) (3:39)
7. Thanatos (Remix) (4:00)
8. Masquerade (Remix) (2:45)
9. A Day In Europa (Remix) (2:58)
10. Peaceful Times (Remix) (5:04)
11. Vanguard’s Crusade (4:39)
12. Working For The Yankee Dollar (Live From The Hammersmith Odeon) (5.00)
13. Monkey McGuire Meets Speccy Potter Behind Lochore Institute (2:53)

CD4: The Absolute Game
1. Circus Games (3:52)
2. Out Of Town (4:09)
3. Goodbye Civilian (4:18)
4. The Children Saw The Shame (3:42)
5. A Woman In Winter ( 5.55)
6. Hurry On Boys (3:43)
7. Happy To Be With You (3:37)
8. The Devils Decade (5:33)
9. One Decree (3:26)
10. Arena (5:29)
11. Goodbye Civilian (Single Version) (3:30)
12. A Woman In Winter (Single Version) (4:04)
13. Strength Through Joy
14. An Incident In Algiers (3:24)
15. Grievance (3:23)
16. Strength Through Joy (1:50)
17. Filming In Africa (3:42)
18. A Man For All Seasons (1:50)
19. Snakes And Ladders (3:59)
20. Surgical Triumph (2:04)
21. The Bell Jar (2:53)

CD5: Joy
1. Blood And Soil (4:01)
2. A Challenge (The Wanderer) (6:12)
3. Men Of Mercy (1:12)
4. A Memory (5:17)
5. Iona (6:54)
6. In Fear Of Fire (0:43)
7. Brothers (3:14)
8. And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda (5:32)
9. The Men Of The Fall (6:15)
10. The Sound Of Retreat (3:08)
11. Fields (4:32)
12. Iona (7” Mix) (5:07)
13. Blood And Soil (7” Mix) (3:12)
14. Brave Man (7” Mix) (3:38)
15. Fields (7” Mix) (3.32)
16. Brave Man (12” Mix) (6:43)