Straitjacket Fits To Reissue Classic Album 'Hail'

Well-deserved winner of the General Non-Fiction category at the New Zealand Book Awards for his refreshingly candid, must-read memoir Dead People I Have Known, Shayne Carter's legendary group Straitjacket Fits are at long last reissuing their 1988 album Hail on vinyl LP and CD. Showcasing the songwriting dynamic of Carter and Andrew Brough (Bike, The Blue Meanies, The Orange), who sadly passed away in February this year, alongside John Collie (drums) and David Wood (bass), Hail was the band's debut long-player following 1987's breakout Life in One Chord EP, both of which were originally released via Flying Nun Records. Excitingly, the fresh reissue of Hail is "a combination of both those records as it was originally released in the UK by Rough Trade," featuring such indisputable classics as the Carter-fronted title track, 'She Speeds', 'Dialling A Prayer' and their cover of Leonard Cohen's 'So Long Marianne', alongside Brough's 'Sparkle That Shines' and 'Fabulous Things'. Last seen gracing local stages as recently as late 2018, here's hoping Hail's return heralds more live appearances from Straitjacket Fits in the near future.

Flying Nun founder Roger Shepherd reminisced about Hail's original release: “In 1987, we wondered how the Life in One Chord material like ‘Dialling a Prayer’ and ‘She Speeds’ along with the Andrew Brough contribution ‘Sparkle that Shines’ could be bettered. Where could the band go after producing material like that?

An indication soon came during their increasingly incendiary live shows. ‘Hail’ and ‘Grate’ suggested a monolithic guitar monster future and while that is part of what can be found on Hail there is a remarkable diversity of song and sound on show. The oft-described Shayne Carter/Andrew Brough duality of sour/hard and sweet/soft is a simplified observation of what is a much deeper and richer stew of ideas and sounds.”

Watch the vintage clip for the title track to Hail...

Hail (Reissue) Tracklisting:

1. Dialling a Prayer / 2. All That Brings / 3. Hail / 4. Sparkle That Shines / 5. She Speeds / 6. So Long, Marianne / 7. Grate / 8. Fabulous Things / 9. Life In One Chord / 10. This Taste Delight

'Hail (Reissue)' is out on Friday 24th July on vinyl LP and CD via Flying Nun Records.