First vinyl reissue for the last of the classic-era Skids albums

One of the best British bands to come out of the 1976 / 1977 musical rupture that was punk, Dunfermline’s Skids went on to demonstrate they had so much more to them than some of their contemporaries. Always a tight and powerful musical powerhouse they enjoyed a string of vibrant chart hits between 1978 and 1979, while their studio albums ‘Scared To Dance’, Days In Europa’ and ‘The Absolute Game’ had shown a band unafraid to take on experimental sounds and unusual arrangements.

‘Joy’, the last Skids studio album recorded for Virgin Records, was mostly completed after guitarist and co-songwriter Stuart Adamson had left to form Big Country. The results as unveiled on ‘Joy’ relied a lot less on layered guitar sounds and instead embraced the band’s Scottish heritage. Throughout ‘Joy’ are bagpipes, choral sounds, and experimental instrumentation, making for a distinctly Celtic-pastoral vibe.

Singles taken from ‘Joy’ include ‘Iona’ – which marked the last appearance Adamson made on a Skids recording before Big Country, as well as a contribution from label mate Mike Oldfield on keyboards – and ‘Fields’ – which featured up and coming art-poppers and fellow Scots  The Associates.

Until a CD reissue in 2016, ‘Joy’ had not been available since its original release. This new edition, pressed on crimson vinyl with restored original artwork, is the first reissue on the format since at least 1984.

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