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Australian rockers Icehouse are celebrating four decades with two new catalogue pieces on CD and vinyl, out this month.
Led by singer Iva Davies, Icehouse racked up 18 Top 40 hits in their native land, including "Love in Motion," "Great Southern Land," "Hey Little Girl" and "Crazy." Their sole chart-topper in Australia was also their only Top 10 hit in the United States: the stellar pop single "Electric Blue," written by Davies with Icehouse fan John Oates. Davies still leads the group on stage; a double live album, In Concert, was issued in 2015 and the group has dates in Australia and New Zealand planned through the summer.
As part of their 40-year celebration, a new box set, The Complete Collection, is due for release this Friday, February 17. This 12CD/3DVD set collects all eight expanded Icehouse reissues put out on CD in 2011 and 2012, all loaded with bonus tracks and packed in digipaks. Additionally, 2014's reggae experiment DubHOUSE and In Concert will be included in the box.
For vinyl collectors, the band's debut album Flowers (initially called Icehouse, when the band was named Flowers) is also available as a 180-gram vinyl pressing featuring meticulously recreated original packaging--its first release on vinyl since the original. Digital enthusiasts take note, too: the press release promises the Icehouse catalogue is now on streaming services in Australia, with additional markets forthcoming.
Check out the full specs for The Complete Collection and Amazon links below!
The Complete Collection (Universal Music Australia Pty, 2017)
Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. (TBD)
Flowers: 30th Anniversary Edition (2CD/DVD; originally released as Regular Records L 37436, 1980 - reissued dIVA/Universal DIVAU100130, 2011) (also available on 180-gram vinyl - Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. (TBD))
Primitive Man: 30th Anniversary Edition (CD/DVD; originally released as Regular Records RRLP 1204, 1982 - reissued dIVA/Universal DIVAU100230, 2012)
Sidewalk: Expanded Edition (originally released as Regular Records RRLP 1206, 1983 - reissued dIVA/Universal DIVAU1003, 2012)
Measure for Measure: Expanded Edition (originally released as Regular Records RML 53180, 1986 - reissued dIVA/Universal DIVAU1004, 2012)
Man of Colours: 25th Anniversary Edition (CD/DVD; originally released as Regular Records RML 53239, 1987 - reissued dIVA/Universal DIVAU100525, 2012)
Code Blue: Expanded Edition (originally released as Regular Records RML 53330, 1990 - reissued dIVA/Universal DIVAU1006, 2012)
Big Wheel: Expanded Edition (originally released as Massive Records 8277512, 1993 - reissued dIVA/Universal DIVAU1007, 2012)
The Berlin Tapes: Expanded Edition (originally released as Roadshow Music/Massive Records 17476-2, 1995 - reissued dIVA/Universal DIVAU1008, 2012)
DubHOUSE (dIVA Records DIVAUMA100131, 2014)
In Concert (2CD; dIVA Records DIVAU1010, 2015)
The box is pleasing to look at but the collection is far from complete. The contents of the "Full Circle", "Meltdown" and the majority of both volumes of "12" Versions and Remixes" are not contained herein, not to mention a few Iva Davies tracks aside. If this were complete I might not have been able to resist it despite owning multiple copies of all relevant Icehouse/Davies recordings. I continue to be affronted by claims of a thing being called "complete". Seems there is a shortage worldwide of knowledgeable, sensible and caring folks inside these record labels to curate the catalogues and to oversee these projects. And yes, often the artist deserves reprimand as well. Are we never to see so very much music released on optical disc? Sad sad sad.
Haha, some of these collections are the "'complete' number of tracks we can be bothered to find for this week."
It's a pity they didn't include the unreleased Bi Polar Poems album tracks as part of this set. They (about 6) were put out as low quality mp3s via the website a long time ago and were really good....would love to see this officially released.
A great and valid example. I've a mind that many of these tracks, if worth sharing online and certainly in less flattering quality are worth more on optical disc, vinyl and even cassette. Do these artists not understand that for many of us who PREFER TO BUY PHYSICAL PRODUCT, these online only "offerings" serve only to frustrate, taunt and disenfranchise. I use dial-up for Pete's sake!
Just a thought would these anniversary editions be exactly the same as the 2012 remaster
If these are the 2012 remasters, I'll stick with my WEA remasters from 2001 (or was it 2002?).
2012 reissues/remasters, Dave as i am in Australia i have just seen the above box set and checked out the catalogue numbers and they are the same, i remember last year or the year before Van Halen did exactly the same thing, released anniversary editions on a single basis then put them in a box set, or it could have been the other way round, very sneaky or good marketing.
I am curious on the 2017 release on vinyl? I heard so many bad things on the 2011-2012 "bricked" reissue. Ppl said it was to the point of not being able to listen. I can't find any reviews of the 2017 in white. I hate the remastered Loudness Wars versions of LP's. Anyone have the latest release of the Flowers LP?