Overview
“No Sense of Sin” is the debut studio album by English new wave band The Lotus Eaters.
Background of the Production
The Lotus Eaters was formed in Liverpool in 1981, led by Peter Coyle (vocals) and Jeremy “Jem” Kelly (guitar), who had been a co-founder of the Wild Swans.
They gained popularity with their debut single “The First Picture of You” in 1983 and released the debut album “No Sense of Sin” in 1984.
The band disbanded in 1986 but reformed in 2002.
Commentary
The album “No Sense of Sin” was released in 1984 on Arista’s subsidiary label, Sylvan Records, and reached No. 96 on the UK Albums Chart.
Built around a jangly, guitar-driven pop sound, the album features Coyle’s gentle vocals, Kelly’s shimmering guitar work, melancholic melodies, and sentimental lyricism.
The music vividly captures the delicate emotions of adolescence.
Several tracks incorporate keyboards, synthesizers, and orchestral-style arrangements, evoking an atmosphere similar to the 1960s baroque pop, such as The Zombies and The Left Banke. The album also includes several acoustic, folk-tinged songs.
The original LP/CD contains 12 tracks.
The CD reissued by BMG Japan in 1998 contains 19 tracks, including 10 bonus tracks, though it doesn’t include “Too Young”, “When You Look at Boys” and “Start of the Search.”
The CD reissued by Vinyl Japan in 2001 has the same tracks as the BMG Japan CD.
The CD reissued by Cherry Red Records in 2010 contains 20 tracks, including all 12 songs from the original release and 8 bonus tracks.
“The First Picture of You” is a song released as a single in 1983. It reached number 15 in the UK Singles Chart. The B-side is “The Lotus Eaters.”
“You Don’t Need Someone New / Two Virgins Tender” (1983), “Set Me Apart / My Happy Dream” (1984), “Out on Your Own / Endless” (1984), “German Girl” (1984), and “It Hurts / The Evidence / Soul In Sparks / Church At Llanbadrig” (1985) are songs released as singles.
Track Listing
All lyrics are written by The Lotus Eaters (Gerrard Quinn, Jeremy Kelly and Peter Coyle); all music is composed by The Lotus Eaters, except as noted.
1984 original release
Side A
- “German Girl” – 3:10
- “Love Still Flows” – 3:57
- “Can You Keep a Secret” – 3:10
- “Out on Your Own” – 3:55
- “Put Your Touch on Love” – 3:55
- “Too Young” – 2:49
Side B
- “Set Me Apart” – 3:56
- “You Fill Me with Need” – 3:39
- “The First Picture of You” – 3:39
- “Alone of All Her Sex” (Kelly, Coyle) – 2:48
- “When You Look at Boys” (Kelly, Coyle) – 3:59
- “Start of the Search” (Kelly, Coyle) – 3:24
1998 BMG Japan / 2001 Vinyl Japan editions
- “German Girl” – 3:15
- “Love Still Flows” – 3:57
- “Can You Keep a Secret” – 3:13
- “Out on Your Own” – 3:59
- “Put Your Touch on Love” – 3:56
- “Set Me Apart” – 4:03
- “You Fill Me with Need” – 3:45
- “The First Picture Of You” – 3:42
- “Alone of All Her Sex” (Kelly, Coyle) – 2:53
- “It Hurts” (Kelly, Coyle) – 3:09
- “You Don’t Need Someone New” – 3:18
- “Two Virgins Tender” (Kelly, Coyle) – 4:06
- “My Happy Dream” (Kelly, Coyle) – 2:47
- “The Evidence” – 3:07
- “Endless” (Kelly, Coyle) – 4:33
- “Soul In Sparks” (Kelly, Coyle) – 2:40
- “Church At Llanbadrig” (Kelly, Coyle) – 3:27
- “The Lotus Eaters” (Kelly, Coyle) – 3:00
- “Out On Your Own” (12″ version) – 5:23
2010 Cherry Red Records edition
- “You Don’t Need Someone New” – 3:18
- “Two Virgins Tender” (Kelly, Coyle) – 4:06
- “My Happy Dream” (Kelly, Coyle) – 2:47
- “The Evidence” – 3:07
- “Endless” (Kelly, Coyle) – 4:33
- “The Lotus Eaters” (Kelly, Coyle) – 3:00
- “Out On Your Own” (12″ version) – 5:23
- “It Hurts – There Must Be a Taste of Murder in It” (12″ version) (Kelly, Coyle) – 5:59
Personnel
The Lotus Eaters
- Gerrard Quinn – performer, production
- Jeremy Kelly – performer, production
- Peter Coyle – performer, production
Technical personnel
- Bob Sargeant – production (tracks A3, A6, B1, B2, B4 and B6)
- Dale Griffin – production (track B5)
- Nigel Gray – production (track B3)