Albums: Jimmy Somerville - Read My Lips (deluxe Edition)

Jimmy Somerville - Read My Lips (deluxe edition)

CD1: Comment Te Dire Adieu; You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real); Perfect Day; Heaven Here On Earth (With Your Love); Don’t Know What To Do (Without You); Adieu! (Madame Tata Mix); Read My Lips (Enough Is Enough); My Heart Is In Your Hands; Control; And You Never Thought This Could Happen To You; Rain; Not So God Almighty; From This Moment On (from ‘Red Hot + Blue’); I Believe in Love (from ‘Merge’); Tell The World; Stranger

CD 2: Read My Lips (Enough Is Enough)(AMYL Remix); You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) (Gerd Janson Remix); Comment Te Dire Adieu (Commercial Mix); Rain (Pascal Gabriel Mix); You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) (Arpeggius Club Vocal); Run From Love (ft. Claudia Brücken) (12” Remix); Until I Get Over You (Demo); I Won’t Let You See Me Cry (Demo); And You Never Thought This Could Happen To You (Demo); Read My Lips (Enough Is Enough) (Demo); You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) (William Orbit Remix)

Back in 1983, Jimmy Somerville hit mainstream awareness as a member of the epic Bronski Beat. Having reached #3 in the charts with the still-awesome Smalltown Boy, Somerville left the group and established The Communards in 1985 with Richard Coles. Having enjoyed a string of hits (who can resist their cover of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' Don't Leave Me This Way?), Somerville began his solo career in 1989. Having charted at #14 with the album's lead single, Comment te dire adieu, he reached #29 in the UK album charts with his disco-driven debut album, Read My Lips.

Now, 24 years later, Somerville re-releases his debut album in a deluxe double edition that celebrates not only the gold status of the original release but also throws in a series of B-sides, rarities, and remixes to sculpt a fully inclusive retrospective glance.

Before dissecting the additional features, what about the original album? Read My Lips, while celebrated upon its release, didn't garner the epic commercial response that the album deserved. Somerville is one of the UK's most distinctive vocalists ever, and his rich, lush voice is faultless on the album's 11 killer songs. While there is no denying that his cover of Sylvester's You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) and title track Read My Lips (Enough Is Enough) are the best remembered of the album's tracklist, they are joined by the truly magical Control and mind-blowing Perfect Day as key moments on an album that is relentless with its euphoric energy.

While the album itself is stunning from start to finish, the additional features are a little more mixed in their magical value. Although usually on point, William Orbit's remix of You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) fails to add to the joy factor of the original, whereas the Pascal Gabriel mix of Rain is rather inspired. However, hearing the original demos of the album's key tracks serves to highlight just how raw and real Somerville's talent is.

Although not all of the deluxe edition features bring magic to the mix, there is enough fire on the original album itself to ensure that this is a collection must-have.