The Hollow Men – Cresta (1991)

The Hollow Men were a British alternative band from Leeds that caused a stir on the alternative music scene in Manchester during the mid to late '80s. Comprising frontman David Ashmoore, rhythm guitarist Choque, lead guitarist Brian E. Roberts, bass guitarist Howard Taylor, and drummer Jonny Cragg, the group made their name on the gig circuit by combining the lucid, psychedelic rock sound of the '60s with the upbeat, rhythmic aspects of acid house. Naming themselves after the poem by T.S. Eliot, the project initially began as a two-piece in 1985 with Ashmoore and Choque putting out their debut release, the single "Late Flowering Lust" on their own label, Evensong. They were eventually joined by Taylor on bass duties for their debut album, Tales of the Riverbank. The album was released through Evensong along with their follow-up, The Man Who Would Be King, which featured Cragg and Roberts, thus completing the line-up. After a number of live performances, the ensemble began to create a buzz on the live music scene and were eventually signed to Arista Records in 1988. Arista put out their single, "White Train" which was effectively a remix of one the tracks that originally appeared on The Man Who Would Be King.

Twisted The band continued to perform around the country, and became known for their distinct live image and their penchant for decorating the stage with tree props, akin to the ones that appeared on the popular children’s television show, The Magic Roundabout. Successful gigs eventually led to them touring in support of acts such as the Wonder Stuff, Ghost Dance and the Stone Roses. The band released their third album Cresta through Arista Records in 1990. Unfortunately, it was the only release on Arista as they disbanded the following year. However the album did well on both sides of the Atlantic, reaching the Top Ten in the U.S. college radio charts and receiving critical praise throughout the U.K. The group’s tunes did not go unheard however, and a compilation entitled Twisted was released through November Records in 1994. The record was made up of previously unreleased tracks, demo recordings, and rare live cuts.