The best Alarm album is now reissued on double CD / Digipak with the original 1985 US album pressing (which includes the band’s preferred version of Absolute Reality that was left off the UK Version of the album). All tracks have been remastered from the original master tapes by Mike Peters and Pete Maher with extensive sleeve notes and quotes from original band members, plus a host of previously unseen photographs. CD 1 features the US album along with the original 1985 7” version of Strength (with the guitar / vocal beginning), that has never been issued on CD before along with the 1986 7” single version of ‘Spirit Of ‘76’ which is also making its rst ever appearance on CD. All four original ‘Strength’ period B-sides are included also. CD 2 features 22 previously unreleased album session recordings including outtake versions (with different lyrics and guitar parts), for every song on Strength including an outtake of the unreleased electric version of ‘One Step Closer To Home’. An in studio jam session of spontaneous and impromptu covers of Led Zeppelin, TheWho, Free, T-Rex, Lou Reed and Deep Purple are featured between tracks along with a complete run through of the previously unreleased live in the studio version of Rod Stewart’s Maggie May which segues into re-workings of The Beats ‘Stand Down Margaret’ and Bob Dylan’s ‘Maggie’s Farm’, providing a fascinating insight into The Alarm working together in the studio on the way to creating their magnum opus. Side 1 & 2 features the UK album remastered from original 1985 mix and running order.
