Lilac Time
Looking For A Day In The Night
Stephen Duffy has a past that includes membership of Duran Duran and
a spell as Stephen Tin Tin Duffy that produced hit records. This
would normally bode ill for classic music, but he has risen above all
this with the majestic band Lilac Time, named after a Nick Drake
lyric.A string of great singles and superb albums did not greatly trouble the record buyers of Great Britain. Not even the amazing Return To Yesterday, a single that stayed in my head for over ten years despite the fact I never owned a copy. A stupid error that was rectified by marrying someone who did.
Duffy toiled in the wilderness for years both as a solo artist and as a member, with his brother, of the Lilac Time. His music appeared on a variety of different labels, who were not as patient as his talent deserved.
Looking For A Day In The Night appeared in 1999 and was one of those albums that sounded as if you knew it already. The riffs were familiar in the way that Yesterday was to Paul McCartney whwn he wrote it, but believed he must have heard it before.
It is one of those albums where the intro to each track has you smiling with glorious recognition. Songs are simple yet effective. Cheaply recorded they may be, but the result is superior to the more heavily produced works in the same vein. The writing is excellent and the quality of Salvation Song, Family Coach and A Dream That We All Share will hopefully ensure longevity, and hopefully plenty of cash for the band.