I'm Not Following You

• Artist: Edwyn Collins
• Rating:
• Release Date: October 21, 1997
• Type: Lyrics are included with the album, Enhanced CD-ROM
• Genre: Rock

Review

Having found himself back in the commercial limelight with Gorgeous George, Collins followed it up with the equally -- possibly even more -- delightful I'm Not Following You. Trademark wit blended with passion intact and with key sideplayers drummer Paul Cook and bassist Clare Kenny helping out among many others -- including a wonderfully scabrous vocal cameo by Mark E. Smith on the very disco "Seventies Night" -- Collins tries all sorts of different things and more often than not comes up with the goods. "The Magic Piper (Of Love)" was the understandable lead single, catchy and with more than a little bite to it, drawing from finger-snapping hep-lounge Vegas sources and his own fun lyrics: "My girlfriend she got blotto/Half cut in Santa's grotto/It turns out he's a dirty old man." Add to that some just right flute and a clever brass sample that suddenly turns into an orchestrated sample from the Velvet Underground, and the man still has it. It's one of many joys throughout, with Collins showing a musical heterodoxy that would probably stupefy most other bands or acts. "Seventies Night," for example, is followed up by the sweet orchestration and quick acoustic fingerpicking of "No One Waved Goodbye," a regretful look at a relationship in pieces. There's full-on feedback and pounding drums, there's sly, compressed production touching quirky keyboards and Euro/cabaret arrangements, and even the self-explanatory Hammond-tinged "Country Rock." The hint of wistful nostalgia is often matched by the lyrics, with asides like "I'm going back to my old school/Cause to tell you the truth/All those songs of my youth/Move this old fool." Not many musicians so readily and easily allow for the hints of the passage of time. Leave it to Collins to find a number of ways to do just that. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
It's a Steal	Edwyn Collins	Edwyn Collins
The Magic Piper (Of Love)	Edwyn Collins	Edwyn Collins
Seventies Night	Edwyn Collins, Mark E. Smith	Edwyn Collins
No One Wave d Goodbye	Edwyn Collins	Edwyn Collins
Downer	Edwyn Collins	Edwyn Collins
Keep on Burning (Lyrics)	Edwyn Collins	Edwyn Collins
Running Away With Myself	Edwyn Collins	Edwyn Collins
Country Rock	Edwyn Collins	Edwyn Collins
For the Rest of My Life	Edwyn Collins	Edwyn Collins
Superficial Cat	Edwyn Collins	Edwyn Collins
Adidas World	Edwyn Collins	Edwyn Collins
I'm Not Following You	Edwyn Collins	Edwyn Collins

Credits

Claire Kenny (Vocals (Background)), Martin Drover (Flugelhorn), Robert Sharp, Jr. (Imaging), Sean Read (Sax (Baritone)), Edwyn Collins (Vocals), Seb Lewsley (Percussion), Seb Lewsley (Strings), Seb Lewsley (Glockenspiel), Peter Jones (Drums), Phil Thornalley (Wurlitzer), Sean Read (Vocals (Background)), Dave Ruffy (Drums), David Munday (Flute), Seb Lewsley (Programming), Lawrence Cedar (Digital Editing), Edwyn Collins (Guitar), Andrew Hackett (Vocals), Seb Lewsley (Assistant Producer), Seb Lewsley (Engineer), Edwyn Collins (Design), Duncan Cowell (Mastering), Edwyn Collins (Producer), Edwyn Collins (Photography), Boz Boorer (Guitar), Edwyn Collins (Multi Instruments), Rob Crane (Layout Design), Martin Drover (Trumpet), Claire Kenny (Bass), Edwyn Collins (Programming), Paul Cook (Drums), Robert Sharp, Jr. (Design), Edwyn Collins (Assistant Engineer), Robert Sharp, Jr. (Photography), Andrew Hackett (Guitar)

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