This is the 20th anniversary re-issue of Howling Book that was the fifth and final album by Eleven that has now been pressed as a double album with Gatefold sleeve and three bonus songs. The trio are Alain Johannes, Natasha Shneider and Jack Irons. Natasha whose career started as a pop star in the Soviet Union as part of The Singing Hearts, before she and her first husband defected in 1976, sadly lost her battle with cancer in 2008, leaving behind her second husband Alain Johannes. Together they had also worked as part of Queens Of The Stone Age on the Songs For The Deaf album and tour.
The A-side opens with Show Me Something an urgent indie rocker set over a shuffling beat as Natasha and Alains twin vocals speak of the beauty of each other's eyes and other stuff that needs to be seen, as the guitars go off. As this song gets towards its conclusion there is some flamenco style handclaps interspersed with the guitars and vocals.
Flow Like A River has the feel of a grungy blues rock song, as you find out all the ways and things that Flow Like A River that's Pissin Down, in a Sass Jordan kind of way.
Simple Kiss is a far sparser acoustic love song as Alain spills his heart out over the acoustic guitars and harmony backing vocals.
You're My Diamond is a slow brooding blues for the storm raging through your life due to the intensity of your love for each other.
The B-side opens with Kill Me No More is a widescreen slightly overblown power ballad with a widdly guitar part to accentuate the pain and heartbreak that led to your splitting up, Natasha sounds like she really has had enough.
Now Is The Word is far slower and less snappy than if Grease was the word, as all the begging and pleading to make it happen now like they want a Staticland revival.
The title tune Howling Book is a piano led sparse song of love and loss that recalls Dagmar Krause singing the songs of Hanns Eisler as the sadness is wrapped in strings sumptuous yet freighted with sadness.
All My Friends changes gear back to the heavy blues on a tune that wouldn't be out of place on a Rex Brown solo album. As the twin vocals tell us all about those friends.
The C-side opens with Three Voices as Natasha and Alains voices intertwine like they are trying to make a more commercial version of Lutz Glandien and Chris Cutlers Domestic Stories.
Hidden is a psychedelic soaring song of hidden passions stirringly brought to life. No, I Know feels like an ambient rain shower is being sung over by Natasha as she reveals everything, she's discovered that was meant to remain under wraps.
The original album closed with I Will Drink It All which isn't totally about an alcoholic on a mission to drink the bar dry, this is slow thoughtful and full of passion, as well as a need for another drink, or have they ordered one of those Belgian beers that gets served in a litre and a half glass you can barely lift up when its full.
The D-side is the three bonus tracks that opens with This Little Finger in which Alain points said finger at you and starts wagging, as the drums do all sorts of wonderful things to ram the message home, to let you know exactly what's what.
Don't Get Me Down is distressed grungy rock full of pain and heartbreak as Natasha tries her best to tell us to stop harshing her vibe.
The album closes with Rosebleed one last slow duet full of passion and pain as the bands brand of Grungy blues rock slowly feels each other's mutual pain.
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