For those not in the know, Jimmy Somerville is a Scottish pop singer and songwriter who sang in the 1980s with the pop groups Bronski Beat and The Communards, and who has also had a solo career.

Indeed, he is well known, in particular, for his powerful and soulful countertenor/falsetto singing voice.

Openly gay, many of his songs contain political commentary on gay-related issues such as the massive chart hit by Bronksi Beat, 'Smalltown Boy'.

Jimmy Somerville¡¯s third solo album, 1999¡¯s Manage The Damage was his first as an independent artist after splitting with London Records in 1995 after twelve years of recording with them both as a solo artist and with bands Bronski Beat and Communards.

This is the first ever Expanded Edition of this album and, developed in conjunction with Jimmy¡¯s management, with its 43 tracks over three discs, celebrates both the album and all of its associated singles.

All the B-sides and a wealth of dance floor remixes are included herein. The deluxe packaging includes a comprehensive 32 page booklet insert containing song lyrics, a treasury of promotional photos from the period and a detailed essay on the album and its sensibilities written by ¡®Andy Bell is Torsten¡¯ playwright Barney Ashton.

The album was a songwriting and production collaboration with Sally Herbert (Banderas, Communards) who was, at the time, Jimmy¡¯s flat-mate; the album was mostly written in their home studio on the then emergent new songwriting technology Pro Tools.

Jimmy¡¯s first independent release after his London Records era had been the 1997 re-record, and remixes thereof, of ¡®Safe¡¯, a favorite song of Jimmy¡¯s from his previous solo album ¡®Dare To Love¡¯ that he had originally recorded for London Records as the album track ¡®Safe In These Arms¡¯.

These tracks were, however, not released in the UK at the time and this expanded edition collects together the best of those remixes of ¡®Safe,¡¯ as well.

Jimmy¡¯s new found freedom enabled him to write his most nuanced, honest and direct album; the lyrics deal with the fallout from domestic violence, the fallacy of imposition of religious morality, prostitution, the optimism generated by the new ¡®combination therapies¡¯ in the treatment of HIV; and, as always with Jimmy, Manage The Damage is a heartfelt celebration, and promotion of, homosexual sensibilities, social activism and love.

CD 1: Manage The Damage
1. 'HERE I AM'
2. 'LAY DOWN'
3. 'DARK SKY'
4. 'MY LIFE'
5. 'SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR'
6. 'THIS MUST BE LOVE'
7. 'GIRL FALLING DOWN'
8. 'SOMEDAY SOON'
9. 'EVE'
10. 'STONE'
11. 'ROLLING'
12. 'BLAME'
13. 'I BELIEVE'
14. 'TEAR FOOL'
15. 'MOVING ON'
16. 'LAY DOWN' (ALMIGHTY RADIO EDIT)
17. 'SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR' (SOUNDS OF LIFE FULL VOCAL RADIO MIX)
18. 'SAFE' (TODD TERRY 7¡å)
19. 'DARK SKY ¡¯98'

CD 2: 'Club Root Beer' - The Dance Remixes
1. 'SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR (SOUNDS OF LIFE FULL VOCAL CLUB MIX)'
2. 'SAFE (TODD TERRY LONG SESSION)'
3. 'DARK SKY (S&H MIX)'
4. 'LAY DOWN (SOUNDS OF LIFE REMIX)'
5. 'SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR (WAYNE G¡¯S HEAVEN MIX)'
6. 'SAFE (DJ TONKA 12¡å)'
7. 'DARK SKY (J&S 12¡å ¨C PEG¡¯S STUDY MIX)'
8. 'LAY DOWN (ALMIGHTY VOCAL CLUB MIX)'
9. 'SAFE (DJ DOVZKI EXTENDED MIX)'
10. 'DARK SKY (TONY DE VIT MIX)'
11. 'SAFE (TODD TERRY DUB)'

CD 3: 'Club Root Beer' - Further Remixes Plus
1. 'LAY DOWN (HOOP LAID UP MIX)'
2. 'SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR (EXTENDED MIX)'
3. 'DARK SKY (DILLON & DICKINS MIX)'
4. 'SAFE (GET FAR MIX)'
5. 'LAY DOWN (BONUS DISCO MIX)'
6. 'SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR (RADIO MIX)'
7. 'DARK SKY (ONLY CHILD MIX)'
8. 'SAFE (TODD TERRY 12¡±)'
9. 'LAY DOWN (VIDEO EDIT)'
10. 'SOMETHING TO LIFE FOR (SOUNDS OF LIFE DUB MIX)'
11. 'DARK SKY (SURE IS PURE MIX)'
12. 'SAFE (DJ TONKA INSTRUMENTAL)'
13. 'SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR' ¨C With The Melbourne Gay & Lesbian Chorus

As we should all know by now, Jimmy Somerville is an artist who has always expertly incorporated disco/'70s style of music into the dance and EBM genre (like the lounge singer meets a modern Donna Summer).

His voice flows with today's dance and electronica. A welcome soloist in the tradition of The Pet Shop Boys, but much more layered and enriched with his falsetto vocal ranges.

Only the British could produce an operatic quality male singer as the getting older - but still with vision - Jimmy Somerville. A tenor with euro disco in his blood, this album was flawless when it first came out (in my humble opinion) and has just been made INCREDIBLE now by Cherry Red Records.

Indeed, Jimmy proves with ALL of these tracks that he's got something to live for (sorry, if you caught that, but I couldn't help myself) and that due to how great the songs sound, this must have been a love passion for him to have recorded in the studio.

A beautiful man with unmatched vocals and talent, Manage The Damage may well be coming out here as a 3CD Expanded Edition, but talking honestly, those second and third discs are only four (4) tracks that have been stretched, remixed, alienated, and more into 24 songs for our listening pleasure!

Ergo, this wondrous first disc of 19 tracks is the true gold here for me as they blend together to represent that period of time just so damn well. It truly is a massive album and now to have it back and expanded is joy beyond all joy, my friends.

3CD Purchase Link

www.cherryred.co.uk