Compare And Contrast: Tindersticks vs Asphalt Ribbons
Tindersticks begin their first North American tour since 2003 tonight in Philadelphia. I saw them during their last traipse across this continent – a lovely evening at the Opera House in Toronto. They’ll be playing there again on March 11. I’ll be stuck in Nashville.
Dang.
Before Tindersticks came into being, singer Stuart Staples was in a band called Asphalt Ribbons. Formed in 1987, the band evolved over a couple years to include all the members of the Tindersticks’ original 6-piece lineup. After releasing a couple EP’s, Asphalt Ribbons became Tindersticks at the end of 1991.
The song below is the only one that was recorded by both Asphalt Ribbons and Tindersticks. “The Big Silence” was released on Asphalt Ribbon’s Passion Coolness Indifference EP from 1991. Two years later, the tempo was slowed down, the accordion was replaced with a (gorgous) piano melody, and it was given the name “Raindrops”. It can be found on Tindersticks’ first self-titled album. An absolutely beautiful version of this song, with full orchestral backing, can be found on their Bloomsbury Theatre live album.
Asphalt Ribbons – The Big Silence
I once spent an evening in 2005 at a dive bar in Nashville, drinking heavily with Stuart, Neil, and David (they were in town to record Stuart’s second solo album). It’s still my favorite moment since I moved to Nashville.
Photo from Flickr user nachobsola
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