The Ghost of Cain
Encyclopedia
The Ghost of Cain is the third studio album
of British
rock
band New Model Army
. Released in 1986, The Ghost of Cain propelled the band to the forefront of the alternative rock scene in the 1980s. Not least thanks to the widely acclaimed underground hit song, "51st State"
, which is the only song by the band to date to feature lyrics not written by the band themselves; the lyrics were written by Ashley Cartwright of The Shakes.
It was the first album to feature new bassist
, Jason 'Moose' Harris
. It also features former Nine Below Zero member Mark Feltham
as a guest musician on harmonica
on songs "Poison Street" and "Ballad".
Brazil
ian thrash metal
band Sepultura
covered
the song "The Hunt" on their 1993 album, Chaos A.D.. UK folk metal
band Skyclad
covered the song "Master Race" on their Oui Avant-Garde á Chance
album in 1996.
" and "Poison Street".
An EP
was also released in the U.S.
, featuring the tracks "Lights Go Out" (extended mix), "Poison Street" (extended mix), "Poison Street" (single mix), "Courage" and "Lights Go Out" (dub mix).
and cassette
in September 1986 with 10 tracks. The album was soon after released on CD
in April 1987.
A remaster
ed version with a bonus disc containing rarities, B-sides
and live tracks was released in May 2005.
album.) UK anarcho-punk Band Conflict
modified this slogan to give title to their 1986 live-LP 'Only stupid bastards help EMI' released on the meaningful "New Army Records" label. This was an attack against the band and its relationship to their record company.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
of British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band New Model Army
New Model Army (band)
New Model Army are an English rock band, who were formed in Bradford, West Yorkshire in 1980. They have been variously classified by Allmusic as post-punk and alternative rock.-Overview:...
. Released in 1986, The Ghost of Cain propelled the band to the forefront of the alternative rock scene in the 1980s. Not least thanks to the widely acclaimed underground hit song, "51st State"
51st State (song)
"51st State" is a song performed by New Model Army, which appeared on their 1986 album The Ghost Of Cain. It protests against what it claimed was the obedience of the United Kingdom under Margaret Thatcher to United States interests...
, which is the only song by the band to date to feature lyrics not written by the band themselves; the lyrics were written by Ashley Cartwright of The Shakes.
It was the first album to feature new bassist
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, Jason 'Moose' Harris
Moose Harris
Moose Harris , is a British bass guitarist, who was known as Jason James Harris until June 2001, when he legally changed his name to reflect his former nickname and adopted professional alias of "Moose". At the age of seventeen, he was recruited by New Model Army to replace original bass player...
. It also features former Nine Below Zero member Mark Feltham
Mark Feltham (musician)
Mark Feltham is an English musician best known for his harmonica playing. Feltham is a long term member of the British rhythm and blues band, Nine Below Zero, and Rory Gallagher's band; and is often utilised as a session musician.-Albums:*Nine Below Zero: Live at the Marquee ; Don't Point Your...
as a guest musician on harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
on songs "Poison Street" and "Ballad".
Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
band Sepultura
Sepultura
Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and ultimately groove metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments melding nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial.Sepultura...
covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
the song "The Hunt" on their 1993 album, Chaos A.D.. UK folk metal
Folk metal
Folk metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. As the name suggests, the genre is a fusion of heavy metal with traditional folk music...
band Skyclad
Skyclad (band)
Skyclad are a British heavy metal band with heavy folk influences in their music. They are considered one of the pioneers of folk metal. The etymology behind the term "skyclad" comes from a pagan/wiccan term for ritual nudity, in which rituals are performed with the participants metaphorically clad...
covered the song "Master Race" on their Oui Avant-Garde á Chance
Oui Avant-Garde a Chance
Oui Avant-Garde á Chance is the seventh full-length album British folk metal band, Skyclad. It contains 8 original tracks, 2 remixes and 2 covers: "Come On Eileen" and "Master Race" ....
album in 1996.
Singles and EPs
The tracks which have featured on the album which and have been released as singles are 51st State51st State (song)
"51st State" is a song performed by New Model Army, which appeared on their 1986 album The Ghost Of Cain. It protests against what it claimed was the obedience of the United Kingdom under Margaret Thatcher to United States interests...
" and "Poison Street".
An EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
was also released in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, featuring the tracks "Lights Go Out" (extended mix), "Poison Street" (extended mix), "Poison Street" (single mix), "Courage" and "Lights Go Out" (dub mix).
Versions
The album was originally released as an LPLP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
and cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
in September 1986 with 10 tracks. The album was soon after released on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
in April 1987.
A remaster
Remaster
Remaster is a word marketed mostly in the digital audio age, although the remastering process has existed since recording began...
ed version with a bonus disc containing rarities, B-sides
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
and live tracks was released in May 2005.
Original album
- "The Hunt" (Justin SullivanJustin SullivanJustin Sullivan is an English singer and songwriter. He is also the frontman and lyricist of the British rock band New Model Army, which he formed in 1980 together with drummer Robert Heaton and bassist Stuart Morrow in their hometown of Bradford, Yorkshire...
, Robert HeatonRobert HeatonRobert Charles Heaton was the drummer in the English rock band New Model Army. With Justin Sullivan, Heaton was the core of the Bradford based band, originally alongside Stuart Morrow on bass and then later with Jason 'Moose' Harris. He wrote many of NMA's best known compositions, which are still...
) – 4:11 - "Lights Go Out" (Sullivan, Heaton) – 3:55
- "51st State51st State (song)"51st State" is a song performed by New Model Army, which appeared on their 1986 album The Ghost Of Cain. It protests against what it claimed was the obedience of the United Kingdom under Margaret Thatcher to United States interests...
" (Ashley Cartwright, New Model ArmyNew Model Army (band)New Model Army are an English rock band, who were formed in Bradford, West Yorkshire in 1980. They have been variously classified by Allmusic as post-punk and alternative rock.-Overview:...
) – 2:32 - "All of This" (Sullivan, Heaton) – 3:32
- "Poison Street" (Sullivan, Heaton) – 3:04
- "Western Dream" (Sullivan, Heaton) – 3:53
- "Lovesongs" (Sullivan, Heaton) – 3:00
- "Heroes" (Sullivan) – 4:04
- "Ballad" (Sullivan) – 3:53
- "Master Race" (Sullivan) – 2:59
2005 CD bonus tracks
- "Brave New World" (Sullivan, Heaton, Jason HarrisMoose HarrisMoose Harris , is a British bass guitarist, who was known as Jason James Harris until June 2001, when he legally changed his name to reflect his former nickname and adopted professional alias of "Moose". At the age of seventeen, he was recruited by New Model Army to replace original bass player...
, Joolz DenbyJoolz DenbyJoolz Denby is a poet, novelist and artist based in Bradford, UK.-Biography:...
) – 3:27 - "Brave New World 2" (Sullivan, Heaton, Harris, Denby) – 3:26
- "R.I.P" (Sullivan, Heaton) – 4:11
- "Ten Commandments" (Sullivan) – 3:43
- "Courage" (Sullivan, Heaton) – 3:18
- "Poison Street" (12" Version) (Sullivan, Heaton) – 4:05
- "Lights Go Out" (US mix) (Sullivan, Heaton) – 6:31
- "The Hunt" (live) (Sullivan, Heaton) – 4:21
- "All of This" (live) (Sullivan, Heaton) – 3:50
- "Lovesongs" (live) (Sullivan, Heaton) – 4:00
- "51st State51st State (song)"51st State" is a song performed by New Model Army, which appeared on their 1986 album The Ghost Of Cain. It protests against what it claimed was the obedience of the United Kingdom under Margaret Thatcher to United States interests...
" (live) (Cartwright, New Model Army) – 2:35
Production
- Glyn JohnsGlyn JohnsGlyn Johns is a musician, recording engineer and record producer.-Career:He has worked with such artists as Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Easybeats, The Band, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Eagles, Eric Clapton, The Clash, The Steve Miller Band, Small Faces, Spooky Tooth, The Ozark...
– producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including... - Stuart Stawman – engineer
- Ethan Johns - additional engineering
- Joolz DenbyJoolz DenbyJoolz Denby is a poet, novelist and artist based in Bradford, UK.-Biography:...
– cover designCover artCover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e... - Francesca Sullivan – cover photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
Musicians
- Justin SullivanJustin SullivanJustin Sullivan is an English singer and songwriter. He is also the frontman and lyricist of the British rock band New Model Army, which he formed in 1980 together with drummer Robert Heaton and bassist Stuart Morrow in their hometown of Bradford, Yorkshire...
– vocals, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Robert HeatonRobert HeatonRobert Charles Heaton was the drummer in the English rock band New Model Army. With Justin Sullivan, Heaton was the core of the Bradford based band, originally alongside Stuart Morrow on bass and then later with Jason 'Moose' Harris. He wrote many of NMA's best known compositions, which are still...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Jason 'Moose' HarrisMoose HarrisMoose Harris , is a British bass guitarist, who was known as Jason James Harris until June 2001, when he legally changed his name to reflect his former nickname and adopted professional alias of "Moose". At the age of seventeen, he was recruited by New Model Army to replace original bass player...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Mark FelthamMark Feltham (musician)Mark Feltham is an English musician best known for his harmonica playing. Feltham is a long term member of the British rhythm and blues band, Nine Below Zero, and Rory Gallagher's band; and is often utilised as a session musician.-Albums:*Nine Below Zero: Live at the Marquee ; Don't Point Your...
– harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
on "Poison Street" and "Ballad"
Trivia
The slogan "Only stupid bastards use heroin" can be read on top of the jacket shown on the front-cover, although some parts are hidden by the belt. This slogan was used by the band in the early days to fight the then fashionable drug. (See also liner-notes for 'Heroin' on the B-Sides and Abandoned TracksB-Sides and Abandoned Tracks
B-Sides and Abandoned Tracks was released in 1994 and is a compilation album of British rock band New Model Army of tracks which were previously only available on other singles and EPs.-Track listing:...
album.) UK anarcho-punk Band Conflict
Conflict (band)
Conflict is an English anarcho-punk band originally based around Eltham in South London. Formed in 1981, the band's original line up consisted of: Colin Jerwood , Francisco 'Paco' Carreno , Big John , Steve , Pauline , Paul aka 'Nihilistic Nobody' . Their first release was the EP "The House That...
modified this slogan to give title to their 1986 live-LP 'Only stupid bastards help EMI' released on the meaningful "New Army Records" label. This was an attack against the band and its relationship to their record company.