Rupert Hine: The Wildest Wish To Fly (1983)

"The lush production, intelligent lyrics, and precise songcrafting qualities of Hine still make it an enjoyable record, but the weird sounds, bleak atmospheres, and daring artistic choices found on the 1981 Immunity are now history." [Allmusic]

The above is probably an accurate description, especially if you are listening to the original pressing and not the bastardized pressing that was released in Canada. The Canadian pressing (and others) was mangled, with a different track listing, and it includes I Hang On To My Vertigo from Immunity. I hate it when the record company people mess around with records. Someday, I shall have to locate an original first pressing as it was intended. On this topic, Allmusic, again, notes:

"The album's release history is confusing and deserves to be straightened out. It first appeared worldwide, excluding North America, in May 1983. A different version, with one extra song ("Blue Flame") and two missing ("Victim of Wanderlust" and "The Saturation of the Video Rat") replaced by tracks from Immunity, was released in the U.S. and Canada in March 1984. A third version was released in the U.K. in February 1985 with "Blue Flame" taking the place of "Living in Sin." Other tracks had also been remixed, re-edited, and even partly re-recorded."

This is insane. In any case, I like this record, but I wish the record company had adhered to the original track listing.

Rupert Hine: Waving Not Drowning (1982)

Waving Not Drowning was the first Rupert Hine record I ever heard from end-to-end. I have to thank Pete, my residence-mate, who always supplied me with a constant stream of interesting music. It's a really fabulous record, and I recall being immediately captivated by track one on side one. Hine's music is filled with all sorts of bizarre moments and odd production, topped with what I can only describe as an enigmatic voice.

Sadly, I cannot find a youtube video of Eleven Faces, the track that I like best from this record.

Rupert Hine: Immunity (1981)

Hine's three records from the 1980s are easy to find and bizarrely cheap. I routinely see them in bins for $2 or $3. It pains me to see them languishing in bins while so many people flip past them. I have never understood why they have no value and why Hine doesn't have more fans. It's perplexing, especially considering his success as a producer.

This record was released after Quantum Jump, Hine's previous band, disbanded. Immunity is a great record, commencing with the fabulous I Hang on to My Vertigo. If you see this record, you should buy it.

Rupert Hine: Unfinished Picture (1973)

This is a great record. It's a little strange, like most of Hine's music, but there is something very captivating about it. The best thing is that I paid absolutely nothing or this record, and it is not an LP one sees very often. In fact, I have never seen it in the wilds. The LP was released in Germany (where my copy comes from), France, and the UK. It was also released on CD in Germany and Japan.