We have some great news for the fans of Parade Ground: German label VUZ Records has released a new compilation of old material from the Belgian pioneers. For those of us who have already bought two compilations from Dark Entries, this new release is even more interesting as it features three previously unreleased tracks and six demos of well-known songs, all from the band’s early period. It is available on blue vinyl, black vinyl, CD, and digital download.
While we love all phases of Parade Ground, we believe their musical beginnings are unbeatable. In those years, the brothers created music whose power and freshness remain intact over forty years later. Heaven With Care is a great reminder of that. The compilation opens with a surprising track, “A Message to Europa (for the dreamers),” one of the unreleased songs from 1981, which showcases a more coldwave sound. In this track and the next, we can hear the band’s early studio work. “I Shut My Eyes” appeared on a compilation titled Nationale Rockmeeting, part of a Belgian band contest. It is the least electronic composition in the compilation, featuring a chilling performance by Jean-Marc. The next unreleased track is a demo of “Man With The Gun,” a 100% Parade Ground song that, without any doubt, deserved an earlier release. Next is “Snake,” a track from the maxi Dual Perspective, which stands as one of the duo’s great songs, full of tension and with a beautiful melody.
Heaven With Care continues with some demos from the legendary Cut Up: it’s really interesting to hear these versions as they have a rawer sound and sound more spontaneous. Here we can find two of their classics: “Strange World” and “Gold Rush,” the latter being a demo of a longer version that was never released. “Turn to Me,” on the other hand, is a demo of an unreleased track with great potential. Next is a demo of “Hollywood,” where the keyboards are more prominent. The compilation concludes with a studio outtake from Dual Perspective, the 12″ produced by Colin Newman and Patrick Codenys, entitled “A While,” which already justifies the purchase of the compilation.
