Acclaimed British alt-rocker Karl Wallinger will release the first-ever box set for his long-running project, World Party, next month.
Arkeology collates 70 unreleased tracks, featuring B-sides, live cuts, demos, outtakes and other ephemera across five discs. The set will be uniquely packaged with a 142--page "Any Year Diary," featuring liner notes, rare photos and memorabilia from Wallinger's archives as well as a day calendar for fans to use however they please. “The reason it’s all inside an any-year diary is because I just got so sick of the CD packaging," Wallinger said in a statement. "I’m glad the whole CD format is dying, but I really didn’t want to put something out that was only digital.”
In two years with Mike Scott's band The Waterboys, Wallinger made a name for himself as a unique guitarist and arranger. After leaving The Waterboys, Wallinger's World Party cut their first record, 1986's Private Revolution in his home. While Wallinger is the only official member of the group, those early albums saw him collaborate with other members of The Waterboys (minus Scott) as well as a then-unknown Irish vocalist named Sinead O'Connor. World Party have enjoyed moderate but sustained chart success in the U.S., including the Top 40 hit "Ship of Fools" and the modern rock hits "Put the Message in the Box" and "Way Down Now." Wallinger's 1997 song "She's the One" was later covered by British pop icon Robbie Williams, whose version hit No. 1 in the U.K. and won several major British music awards.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHh0V7UjVXI]
The box will be released April 10 (Super Deluxe Edition reports the box is likely to be delayed in the U.K.) and can be ordered now. The as-yet un-annotated track list follows below.
World Party, Arkeology (Seaview, 2012)
Disc 1
- Waiting Such a Long Time
- Nothing Lasts Forever
- Everybody’s Falling in Love
- Where Are You Going When You Go
- Photograph
- Everybody Dance Now
- Closer Still
- I Want to Be Free
- I’m Only Dozing
- No More Crying
- Interview/Sweet Soul Dream (Live Radio)
Disc 2
- Lucille
- The Good Old Human Race
- Put the Message in the Box (Live)
- Trouble Down Here
- Basically
- Silly Song
- Man We Was Lonely
- She’s the One (Live)
- Ship of Fools
- Mystery Girl
- This is Your World Speaking
- All the Love That’s Wasted
- Lost in Infinity
- New Light
Disc 3
- Words
- Dear Prudence
- Call Me Up (Live Radio)
- Like a Rolling Stone
- Sooner or Later
- Love Street
- Time on My Hands
- Who Are You
- Sweetheart Like You
- Another World
- You’re Beautiful, But Get Out of My Life
- Living Like the Animals
- Stand (Live)
- Thank You World (Original Jam)
Disc 4
- Break Me Again
- Baby (Demo)
- Ship of Fools
- Put the Message in the Box
- When Did You Leave Heaven
- Nature Girl
- It’s a Pity You Don’t Let Go
- My Pretty One
- De Ho De Hay
- We Are the Ones
- World Groove/Mind Guerilla
- Happiness is a Warm Gun
- Kuwait City
- Do What I Want
- All We Need is Everything
- Outro
Disc 5
- Mystery Girl (Early Version)
- What is Love All About (Outtake)
- I Hope It All Works Out for You
- And God Said (Live)
- It Ain’t Gonna Work
- Another One
- I Am Me
- It’s Gonna Be Alright
- In Another World
- Thank You World
- Cry Baby Cry
- Temple of Love
- Fixing a Hole
- Way Down Now (Live)
- Change the World
pete says
Can't wait for this - while I liked Best in Show as a nice compilation, I was hoping for either a new record or an unearthing of the archives such as this as Wallinger recovered his health. The man is a rare talent, laying out an expert song and production craft that has a message but doesn't preach to the listener. This will ease the pain of missing out on the Beach Boys reunion tour.
William says
I couldn't agree more. I love this guy, and wish he would tour near me and soon.