Element of Light
Element of Light is the fifth studio album by singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock and his second with his backing band, the Egyptians. It was released in 1986. Most of the album was recorded at Alaska Studios and Berry Street, but two tracks, "The President" and "Lady Waters & The Hooded One", were live recordings made for the BBC, with overdubs recorded on BBC Mobile and at Alaska. The album title derives from the song "Airscape", which has been cited several times by Hitchcock as a favourite among his own compositions, and a live rendition was tagged on to  later CD editions. "Airscape" concerns his "favourite beach", Compton Beach on the Isle of Wight, which also provided a backdrop for the cover shots. He was inspired by learning about the erosion of the cliffs, and imagining the ghosts of people who had walked the cliffs centuries ago now suspended over the water. The song "The President" makes reference to Ronald Reagan's visit to Bitburg, where members of the Waffen-SS were buried. The song "Raymond Chandler Evening" is an homage to the world-weary novels of mystery writer Raymond Chandler. Originally running to ten songs, the first CD  edition included extra bonus tracks, all taken from singles, while later pressings have added a further six, including the comedic spoken number "The Can Opener". The album was self-produced with input from long-time colleague Pat Collier. Track listing. All songs written by Robyn Hitchcock.