The Garden

LP front cover

**The Garden** is the title of the second solo studio album by British artist John Foxx. The album was the follow up to his debut *Metamatic* released the previous year, although the style of *The Garden* was radically different with a shift away from the near-total electronic instrumentation of its predecessor with a return to conventional instruments and a more organic sound.

The album contains a track entitled Systems of Romance which had been the title of Foxx's last album with Ultravox, issued in 1978. *The Garden* does in fact have more in common musically with *Systems of Romance* than *Metamatic*.

Foxx said of the transformation in 1992:

> "I'd grown tired of being a frozen electrician and gone off on a walking tour of England. Then to Italy where I was thawed in a big way. After 1981 everyone and his dog went electro, so I became Max Ernst dressed as Lord Lost, exploring the overgrown and abandoned city of London. To a psychedelic ecclesiastical disco soundtrack."
>
>

## Release

The release of the album was preceded by the single Europe After the Rain which enjoyed only modest success. The album peaked at no.24 in the UK album charts, two weeks after its release. Initail copies featured a free 16 pages 12x12" book entitled "Church", which in keeping with Foxx's artistic vein, included colour photographs, text, full credits as well as song lyrics.

## Tracklisting

#### original LP, MC (Virgin, V 2194)

(timings stated on release)

Side One

1. Europe After the Rain (4.00)
2. Systems of Romance (4.03)
3. When I Was A Man And You Were A Woman (3.37)
4. Dancing Like a Gun (4.12)
5. Pater Noster (2.34)

Side Two

1. Night Suit (4.27)
2. You Were There (3.52)
3. Fusion/Fission (3.50)
4. Walk Away (3.54)
5. The Garden (7.14)

#### CD re-release (Virgin, CDV 2194)

* above tracks 1-10 plus bonus tracks

11. Young Man

12. Dance With Me

13. A Woman On A Stairway

14. The Lifting Sky

15. Annexe

16. Wings And A Wind

#### CD remaster (Edsel, 2001)

* original album tracks 1-10 plus bonus tracks

11. A Long Time

12. This Jungle

13. Swimmer 2

14. Swimmer 1

15. Young Man

#### 2xCD reissue (Edsel 2008)

* CD One - original album (ten tracks)

* CD Two - bonus tracks

1. Swimmer II 5:16
2. This Jungle 4:44
3. Miles Away 3:19
4. A Long Time 3:51
5. Swimmer I 3:34
6. Fog 5:53
7. Swimmer III 5:27
8. Swimmer IV 3:58
9. Dance With Me (Early Version) 3:52
10. A Woman On A Stairway (Early Version) 5:02
11. Fusion/Fission (Early Version) 3:53
12. Miles Away (Alternative Version) 3:23

## Notes

* Systems of Romance was played by John Peel on his show on 21 September 1981.[1]
* Fusion/Fission was the original title of the *Metamatic* album.
* Pater Noster is sung in Latin.

## Singles

*UK releases only*

A. Europe After the Rain (3:37)
B. This Jungle (4:40)
* 12 Virgin/Metal Beat VS 393-12

A. Europe After the Rain (3:59)
B. This Jungle (4:40) / You Were There (3:50)

A. Dancing Like a Gun (3:38)
B. Swimmer II (4:06)
* 12" Virgin/Metal Beat VS 459-12

A. Dancing Like a Gun (4:12)
B. Swimmer I (4:09) / Swimmer II (5:17)

## External links

* *The Garden* on Quiet City fansite
* Official discography entry on metamatic.com