Worth Waiting For: Iconoclassic is 'Glad to Be Alive' with Gene Loves Jezebel Live Album Expansion

Worth Waiting For: Iconoclassic is ‘Glad to Be Alive’ with Gene Loves Jezebel Live Album Expansion

A vintage set from U.K. goth rockers Gene Loves Jezebel will be remastered and expanded by Iconoclassic Records on October 3.

Glad to Be Alive: Live in Nottingham 1986 (The Complete Concert) finds the group on stage just ahead of the release of Discover, their breakthrough third album. Eight of these tracks debuted on limited double vinyl and cassette pressings of that LP; this presentation not only bows those cuts on CD but adds another nine from the set – all freshly remastered from the original source tapes by Andy Pearce.

The Nottingham show took place in the wake of the band’s third album, Discover, which earned them their highest placing on the U.K. Albums Chart (No. 32) and their first appearance in the U.S. on the Billboard 200. Discover additionally yielded U.K. chart singles including “Sweetest Thing,” “Heartache,” and “Desire (Come and Get It),” all of which are heard in live versions on Iconoclassic’s upcoming release. The band was originally formed by twin brothers Michael and Jay Aston who grew up in Wales and relocated to London in 1981; a revolving door of musicians supported them on studio albums (1983’s Promise, 1985’s Immigrant) and live appearances. Discover opened new doors for the group as their American popularity grew on college campuses and such crucial radio stations as Los Angeles’ KROQ; they would notch their first U.S. hit single with “The Motion of Love” from 1987’s The House of Dolls.

Glad to Be Alive: Live in Nottingham 1986 features the Aston brothers joined by James Stevenson on guitar, Pete Rizzo on bass, and Marcus Gilvear on drums, all of whom had played on Discover. The show encompassed the more melodic, pop-oriented songs of that album alongside the moody goth material drawn from Promise and Immigrant. Eight songs from the concert were originally released as a bonus album on initial U.K. vinyl and cassette pressings of Discover, but a CD release had eluded Glad to Be Alive…until now. This expanded edition presents the full concert, for a total of seventeen songs. The band members have contributed to the new liner notes.

Gene Loves Jezebel splintered long ago and have remained so for decades, with Michael and Jay each fronting their own versions of the band. (Stevenson appeared on the Jay group’s 2023 album Love Death Sorrow.) Glad to Be Alive: Live in Nottingham 1986 (The Complete Concert) captures a (somewhat!) more harmonious time when the brothers teamed up to create enduring music. Look for it on October 3 from Iconoclassic. You’ll find the track listing and pre-order links below. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Glad to Be Alive: Live in Nottingham 1986 (The Complete Concert) (Iconoclassic ICON 1091, 2025) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Upstairs
Heartache *
Shame *
Over the Rooftops
The Rhino Plasty
Stephen *
Shower Me with Brittle Punches
The Immigrant
Cow
Worth Waiting For
Bruises *
Desire *
Always a Flame *
Pop Tarantula
Psycho 2 *
Sweetest Thing *
Punch Drunk *

All tracks recorded live at Rock City, Nottingham, England – 3/17/1986
Tracks 1, 4-5, 7-10 and 14 released on Beggars Banquet GLJ 1, 1986 – included with copies of Discover (Beggars Banquet BEGA/BEGC 73 (U.K.), 1986)

Joe Marchese

JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. In 2015, Joe formed the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song and beyond, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with labels including Real Gone Music and Cherry Red Records, has released newly-curated collections produced and annotated by Joe from iconic artists such as Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross and The Supremes, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, The Spinners, Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Meat Loaf, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Liza Minnelli, Darlene Love, Al Stewart, Michael Nesmith, and many others.

Joe has written liner notes, produced, or contributed to over 200 reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them America, JD Souther, Nat "King" Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, BJ Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, Petula Clark, Robert Goulet, and Andy Williams.

Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and in 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray.

Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.

2 thoughts on “Worth Waiting For: Iconoclassic is ‘Glad to Be Alive’ with Gene Loves Jezebel Live Album Expansion”

Iconoclassic Records
September 25, 2025 at 2:21 pm

Thank you for featuring ‘Glad to Be Alive.’ No matter which GLJ era is your favorite, there is something to enjoy here because the album captures them at a unique midpoint. The experimental, improvisational beginnings meet the more structured future, often within the same song. Listen to the album on headphones to really get an appreciation for what each Aston twin brought to the band. You’ll hear Michael start a line that Jay finishes, and vice versa. Songs that were sung by one brother on record sung by both in concert. Lyric lines that you know from one song sung in a different song. An utterly unique band. No unnecessary compression was added in mastering to ensure that the individuality of their voices, and between the guitars, can be clearly heard and enjoyed.

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1. Paula Coots
  October 4, 2025 at 12:35 pm
  
  Excellent surprise! I always enjoyed their daring mix of playfulness and darker experimentation. I’m ordering today.
  
  Reply