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It might've been the last thing anyone expected to hear on the radio in 2003: a swaggering rock tune with faux-operatic vocals and a guitar tone reminiscent of Queen's Brian May. Was it some lost outtake from the '70s? No: it was the seriously fun "I Believe in a Thing Called Love," which heralded one of the country's most unique bands: The Darkness. Now, 20 years on, the group is revisiting their first recordings with an all-out box set edition of their debut album Permission to Land.
Permission to Land...Again includes the original album - a U.K. chart-topper for four straight weeks - a dozen rare single versions and B-sides, four unreleased demos (one of which you can hear below), material from three live concerts recorded in 2003 and 2004 across England and a treasure trove of videos, performance footage and more on DVD. A 2CD deluxe edition will include the first two discs of the box, while a 5LP edition will feature everything except the DVD and the live set from Wembley Arena that makes up the box's fourth CD. Standalone vinyl editions of the original album will also be pressed.
Formed in the coastal town of Lowestoft in Suffolk, The Darkness was a loving tribute to the likes of Queen and AC/DC, done so over-the-top that it was almost hard to tell what was real and what was a joke. Brothers Justin and Dan Hawkins were a formidable dual guitar team, and Justin's multi-octave range and flamboyant, spandex-sporting stage presence was a delightful contrast to his seemingly mild-mannered day job as a jingle writer. Augmented by bassist Frankie Poullain and drummer Ed Graham, Permission to Land was packed with muscular cuts like "Growing on Me," "Get Your Hands Off My Woman," "Love is Only a Feeling," and of course "I Believe in a Thing Called Love," the group's first of five U.K. Top 10s and a common karaoke classic in America (where it placed in the Top 10 of Billboard's alt-rock chart and garnered strong video airplay). With a formidable live show to match that confounded some tour members (an opening slot for hardcore band Disturbed lived in infamy for decades) but meshed delightfully with others like Metallica and Guns N' Roses, it's not hard to see what made audiences in Europe and the world fall in love with their style and sound, eventually clinching three BRIT Awards for Best British Group, Best British Rock Act and Best British Album.
The Darkness endured some line-up changes throughout the years - including a stint in rehab for Justin Hawkins - but continue to record and tour. Their latest album was 2021's Motorheart, and they'll support this new box with a world tour that will include a full performance of Permission to Land. The reissue is in stores October 6 and can be pre-ordered below.
Permission to Land...Again (Atlantic/Rhino, 2023)
4CD/DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
5LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
CD 1: Original album (released as Atlantic/Must... Destroy!! 60817, 2003) and bonus tracks (previously unreleased)
- Black Shuck
- Get Your Hands Off My Woman
- Growing on Me
- I Believe in a Thing Called Love
- Love is Only a Feeling
- Givin' Up
- Stuck in a Rut
- Friday Night
- Love on the Rocks with No Ice
- Holding My Own
- Black Shuck (Demo)
- I Believe in a Thing Called Love (Demo)
- Out of My Hands (Demo)
- Live 'Til I Die (Demo)
CD 2: Singles, B-Sides and Non-Album Tracks
- Believe in a Thing Called Love (2002 Version)
- Love on the Rocks with No Ice (2002 Version)
- Love is Only a Feeling (2002 Version)
- Get Your Hands Off My Woman (2003 Clean Version)
- The Best of Me
- I Believe in a Thing Called Love (Single Version)
- Out of My Hands
- Makin' Out
- Physical Sex
- How Dare You Call This Love
- Bareback
- Planning Permission
Tracks 1-3 released as Must... Destroy!! U.K. EP DUSTY001CD, 2002
Tracks 4-5 released on "Get Your Hands Off My Woman" U.K. CD single - Must... Destroy!! DUSTY006CD, 2003
Tracks 6 and 8-9 released as Atlantic/Must... Destroy!! U.K. CD single DARK01CD, 2003
Track 7 released on Atlantic/Must... Destroy!! U.K. DVD single DARK01DVD, 2003
Tracks 10-11 released on "Growing on Me" U.K. CD single - Atlantic/Must... Destroy!! DUSTY010CD, 2003
Track 12 released on "Love is Only a Feeling" U.K. CD single - Atlantic/Must... Destroy!! DARK03CD, 2004
CD 3: Live (previously unreleased except where noted)
- Growing on Me
- The Best of Me
- Makin' Out
- Get Your Hands Off My Woman
- Stuck in a Rut
- I Believe in a Thing Called Love
- Love on the Rocks with No Ice
- Black Shuck
- Love is Only a Feeling
- Get Your Hands Off My Woman
- Friday Night
- I Believe in a Thing Called Love
- Buffet
Tracks 1-7 recorded live at Knebworth House, Knebworth, England - 8/1-3/2003
- Track 6 released on "Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)" European CD single - Atlantic/Must... Destroy!! 5050467674721, 2003
Tracks 8-13 recorded live at The Astoria, London, England - 11/11/2003
- Track 10 (with video) released on "Love is Only a Feeling" U.K. DVD single - Atlantic/Must... Destroy!! DARK03DVD, 2004
CD 4: Live At Wembley (previously unreleased)
- Grief Hammer
- Givin' Up
- Stuck in a Rut
- Dinner Lady Arms
- Growing on Me
- Makin' Out
- Physical Sex
- Love is Only a Feeling
- Seemed Like a Good Idea At the Time
- Buffet
- Black Shuck
- Friday Night
- I Believe in a Thing Called Love
- Get Your Hands Off My Woman
- Love on the Rocks with No Ice
- Do They Know It's Christmas?
- Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)
Recorded live at Wembley Arena, London, England - 12/10-12/2004
DVD
Promo videos
- I Believe in a Thing Called Love (2002 Version)
- Get Your Hands Off My Woman
- Growing on Me
- I Believe in a Thing Called Love
- Love is Only a Feeling
- Friday Night
- Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)
Live at Knebworth House, Knebworth, England - 8/1-3/2003
- Growing on Me
- The Best of Me
- Makin' Out
- Get Your Hands Off My Woman
- Stuck in a Rut
- I Believe in a Thing Called Love
- Love on the Rocks with No Ice
Live at The Astoria, London, England - 11/11/2003
- Black Shuck
- Growing on Me
- Love is Only a Feeling
- Get Your Hands Off My Woman
- Friday Night
- I Believe in a Thing Called Love
- Buffet
- Giving Up
- Love on the Rocks with No Ice
Extras
- History of The Darkness (U.K. EPK)
- Growing on Me (Outtakes)
- Love is Only a Feeling (Behind the Scenes)
- Out of My Hands (audio only)
- I Believe in a Thing Called Love (Behind the Scenes)
Release Round-Up: Week of October 6
I have to wonder if in reviewing this set we may have cleverly, though perhaps unconsciously, slipped into the spirit of the original release, which was a genre-spanning throwback. Discussing "I Believe in a Thing Called Love," the review points out that it "heralded one of the country's most unique bands: The Darkness". Uniqueness is absolute, never more nor less, not comparative. Indeed, that can define greatness. Certainly it describes The Darkness...
does any one even remember these guys? more hype and image than music. to old to late. 5 cds AGGGGGGGHHHHHHH
I bought in when it was first released/have the CD. I don't listen to it much (can't recall the last time even) and, as such, this expanded reissue really isn't for me.