AMG Review of Vision Thing [Bonus Tracks]

Thom Jurek
All Music Guide

By the time of Vision Thing, the Sisters of Mercy's final offering, Andrew Eldritch had himself a hired-gun band, complete with guests. The sound was more metallic, big beat, angrier, less alienated, and by and large, irrelevant. The title track is simply an angry reaction to George Bush's (the first one) America. This is the sound of a band resting on its laurels. The formulaic song structures, Eldritch's low-end growl, and big fat guitars provided by Tim Bircheno, Andreas Bruh, bassist Tony James (yep, that one from Generation X and Sigue Sigue Sputnik) and guest John Perry. Backing vocals were provided by Maggie Reilly on loan from Paul Weller, and the set was recorded by Mark Freegard. The Rhino U.K. remastered version fares better than the original did, as the guitars are boosted into the red, and Eldritch's vocals and their newly acquired scream are elevated as well. The two singles, "Detonation Boulevard" and "Doctor Jeep" still sound relatively fresh. The new version includes remixes of "When You Don't See Me," and extended "Doctor Jeep," a pair of live cuts -- "Ribbons" and "Something Fast" -- as well as the inclusion of "You Could Be the One," a cut left off the original album.