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Nick Mason, drummer and founding member of Pink Floyd, is the only member of that band to have performed on every one of their albums and all of their live concerts. But he’s still found time over the years to release a handful of solo projects. On August 31, his three solo albums – Nick Mason’s Fictitious Sports, Profiles, and White of the Eye – will be reissued in both CD and vinyl boxed sets through Warner Music Group as Unattended Luggage. These limited edition boxes will arrive just before Mason takes to European stages with his new band Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets.
Unattended Luggage kicks off with 1981’s Nick Mason’s Fictitious Sports, a collaboration with Carla Bley. The avant garde jazz pianist-composer-leader wrote every track on the album and co-produced it with Mason, while Robert Wyatt provided the vocals for all but one track. Fictitious Sports was followed four years later, in 1985, by Profiles. Originally released under the name of “Mason + Fenn,” it was a joint effort with 10cc guitarist Rick Fenn. A mainly instrumental album, it featured “Lie for a Lie” with vocals from Maggie Reilly and Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour; and “Israel,” sung by Danny Peyronel of UFO. 1987’s White of the Eye, the soundtrack to the British film of the same name, was another collaboration with Fenn. This release is the first time the album has been available in over two decades, and its first release on CD.
Mason comments in the press release, “These recordings hold a very special place for me in my musical life. Fictitious Sports developed initially from working with Mike Mantler, Carla Bley, and Robert Wyatt on a couple of their projects, and benefited enormously from a whole crew of great musicians that I was introduced to by them at Grog Kill Studios in Woodstock. Profiles and White Of The Eye were an extension of working with Rick Fenn on some advertising and short documentary film soundtracks, which then developed into something more.” He adds, “Listening back after 30 odd years, I’m delighted they are getting the reissue treatment. I’m rather hoping that sales will be sufficient to damage the market in the original rare vinyl versions!”
Unattended Luggage will be available from Warner Music on August 31 in both 3-CD and 3-LP boxed sets, and the individual albums Nick Mason’s Fictitious Sports, Profiles, and White Of The Eye will all be available as a download and through streaming platforms. In addition, Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets will be touring through Europe in September. Tickets are on sale now here! You’ll find Amazon U.K. links below, with U.S. and Canada to follow shortly!
Nick Mason, Unattended Luggage (Warner Music, 2018)
CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Includes:
Nick Mason’s Fictitious Sports (1981)
Profiles (1985)
White of the Eye (1987)
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Fictitious Sports is, to me, fascinating even now (although suffering from the production norms of that era) for both the personnel and the unusual song structures. Robert Wyatt’s own work has often been collaborative, so this could have easily been released under his own name, and likewise could be the case for Carla Bley, who probably saw better exposure for her work here than for most of her own (largely brilliant) releases. I’ve had the feeling that Nick was simply helping to shine a light on artists he respected and wanted to work with. This is probably the least Floyd-like release of any of the Floyd solo projects, and all the better for it. I’ve listened to this more than some of the Floyd LPs, for sure.
Not being released in the U.S.?
This is receiving a domestic release, but the U.S. order links at Amazon aren’t active yet. They should be available soon!