'Piano' compiles both sides of The Teardrop Explodes first and second 7's from 1979, both sides of their breakthrough 1980 single 'Treason', and three cuts form the 1982 Zoo Records compilation 'To The Shores Of Lake Placid'.

To the uninitiated, Teardrop Explodes were the amazing Liverpool band fronted by Julian Cope, one of the Crucial Three, the name of the band he was in with Ian McCulloch (before Echo & The Bunnymen) and Pete Wylie (before Wah!).

While Ian went on to 'make it' and Pete Wylie tried but never did, Julian and his band put out two excellent records and never sold out.

This compilation has cuts from before The Teardrop Explodes hit their peak. That is not to say these cuts are weak - it is just to say that this is early Teardrop.

Julian named the band after a cell in a Spiderman comic: the Green Goblin was after Spidey and someone yelled 'Watch out - the teardrop explodes!'.

I love all the songs on this 10 song CD, but my absolute faves are these:
' Sleeping Gas' was the A-side of the first single. It is an amazing song that defined the Teardrop Explodes mystique. It has a pulsating organ and this trebly guitar, with a loopy bass that is rock solid below Julian's great vocal.
'Camera Camera' was one of the 2 songs on the B-side. It has all the same features as the A built into a harder edged song.
'Bouncing Babies' was the second 7' by Teardrop Explodes, and the first time us fans knew that the first single was no fluke. Many consider 'Bouncing Babies' to be the signature song from Teardrop Explodes.
'Books' was the B-side to the chart topping 'Treason' single, and was a cover of a Crucial Three song that Echo & The Bunnymen also did as the B-side to their first 7'.
'When I Dream' is a different version than was on the first Teardrop LP Kilimanjaro.

You really can't go wrong with Teardrop Explodes. Both their LPs were great and their singles were more of the same.