Kevin Coyne – Burning Head / Tough And Sweet – 2CD

Two "Coyne classics" from the early 90s reissued as a double album. Kevin Coyne is back in top form in his new home Nuremberg/Germany after many low blows (divorce, nervous breakdown, alcohol problems)

Things were going really well for Kevin Coyne! His alcohol addiction was conquered, he had solid ground under his feet - thanks to Helmi, whom he married in 1986 - and a real desire for music, painting and writing again - His creativity seemed unbroken in the early 1990s - In 1992 he achieved the next big coup: "Burning Head"! The album was an extraordinary project: For each CD Kevin Coyne drew and signed his own cover - The album as a complete work of art appeared in an edition of 1000 copies and cost 350 DM - The project was so unique that even the "heute-journal" (a news channel on German television) ran a report on it.

Today, the CDs with the original drawings are coveted collector's items. In a review of the music magazine "Zounds" it says: "Coyne has written some of his most intense and catchy songs for this CD, his longtime friend Hans Pukke accompanies him on guitar and keyboards, on two tracks Kevin's son Robert Coyne plays along. In between, the multi-talented artist reads three poems".

In addition to the CD, Kevin Coyne also published the poetry collection "Paradise" in 1992, which has so far only been published in German, and he received the Great Culture Prize of the City of Nuremberg in November. Kevin was finally recognized as an important part of the cultural scene in his new hometown.

The next project "Tough And Sweet" (1993) followed. This time the two sons Robert and Eugene were on board.

A CD review praises especially the concise singing in the rocky blues numbers: "Here the Englishman presents himself in his best and most conventional form. His singing is more spoken than sung, his lyrics are critical and by no means strike into the notch of any cliches. Worth listening to!" The following year Kevin played on the "Tough & Sweet" tour from April to May 1994 in England. The 20 dates - including three "Burning Head exhibitions" - took him from London to his hometown of Derby as well as Manchester, Edinburgh, Leeds and Brighton. The year started well and more creative years were to follow...

Track Listing:

CD1: Burning Head
1. Burning Head - 2:52   2. Sugar Daddy - 5:14   3. Emperor's New Clothes - 2:45   4. Beautiful City - 4:58   5. Skinhead In Heaven - 0:38   6. Wrong Song - 2:27   7. Hope The Devil Don't Come - 3:15   8. It's Amazing - 4:37   9. Hardhearted - 2:13   10. Redlight - 0:47   11. Totally Naked - 3:13   12. Hey, Supremo - 5:01   13. Disappointed - 0:21   

CD2: Tough And Sweet
1. Little Miss Dynamite - 2:40   2. Precious Love - 3:45   3. Burning Head (pt. 2) - 2:53   4. Really In Love - 5:11   5. Pony Tail Song - 3:12   6. Elvis Is Dead - 3:47   7. Totally Naked (pt. 2) - 2:52   8. Walls Have Ears - 3:01   9. Baby Blue - 3:25   10. Talking Money - 3:16   11. Slow Burner - 3:31   12. All The Loving - 3:25   13. No Lullabies - 2:27   14. It's Amazing (pt. 2) - 4:28   15. Tell Me Tony - 2:50   16. Now's The Time - 3:09   17. Getting Old - 2:37   18. Some Day - 2:36   19. Love And Money - 3:47   20. Let's Get Romantic - 2:59   21. The Creeper - 2:19

Personnel:

On CD1: Burning Head
Kevin Coyne (vocals, acoustic guitar) , Hans Pukke (guitars, keyboards) , Robet Coyne (guitar on 1)

On CD2: Tough And Sweet
Kevin Coyne (vocals, acoustic guitar) , Henry Beck (keyboards, special effects, samples, backing vocals, drums, bass) , Robert Coyne (guitars, keyboards, drums, bass) , Eugene Coyne ( backing vocals) , Hans Pukke (guitars on 3,14), keyboards on 14)