The depressive pop superstar's ninth album finds her returning to the level of songwriting and atmosphere cultivation she achieved on her best work before it.
The singer imbues the folktale of a half-serpent maiden with layered meaning and blends French chanson, jazz, Baroque music, and Afro-Latin traditions.
This 50th Anniversary Edition contains live recordings from Wembley Empire Pool in 1974 alongside a new remaster of Dark Side presented on CD, vinyl and Blu-ray.
Released 50 years ago in March, 1973, Faces' final album continued their slapdash and effortless barroom rock, despite the fact that Rod Stewart was evolving into the massive solo star he would eventually become. The album kicks off with Rod's brash "Silicone Grown" but reaches a tidy conclusion with Ronnie Lane's title track, lamenting about lost opportunities and fleeting youth. Poor old granddad indeed.
Opus III's first and best album was a lush, psychedelic set of ambient techno which combined surging beats with dream pop vocals. "It's a Fine Day" remains one of the true classics of the rave era, and was famously sampled by Orbital on one of their most iconic tracks. The album's other single, a dance cover of King Crimson's "I Talk to the Wind," works much better than one might expect. Opus III only lasted for one further album, but Kirty Hawkshaw remains an in-demand guest vocalist three decades later.