Chronologically the second album THE PASSAGE released during their active lifetime, "For All & None" originally appeared on the band's own Night & Day imprint in 1981 and featured the band's "classic" line-up of Dick Witts, Andrew Wilson and Joe McKechnie.
It's arguably this writer's favourite Passage record, too. Housed in its' Neitzsche-related sleeve, it retains the militant and claustrophobic feel of the "Pindrop" album and - if anything - pushes the envelope marked "uncompromising" even further, without entirely dispensing with all accessibility.
That sounds like a precarious rope to balance upon, but it's one that Witts and co traverse with dexterity here. Indeed, "For All And None" kicks off with two of the Passage's best - and most enduring - songs: the urgent call to arms of "Dark Times" (once again referencing a favourite Witts obsession in Hoffman La Roche) and the anti-metropolis (leave the capitol?) rant "Lon Don", where Witts' diatribe includes such dipped-in-vitriol gems as: "When they're so high above us, they can't help dropping shit." Yes, that's indeed why they stayed in the provinces.
Most of what follows is seldom less than satisfying. Session vocalist Tracy Shaw adds lonely glamour to the noir-ish desolation of "The Shadows"; "Do The Bastinado" is a startling slice of deseased discotheque drama; "Shave Your Head" is punky and malevolent, with some waspish guitar from Wilson and the model-dissing "Photo Romance" is nicely sarcastic with (literally) bells on. Witts, Wilson and McKechnie all turn in sterling performances, with Joe especially working percussive miracles all over the shop.
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"For All And None"'s secret weapon, though, is its' inclusion of The Passage's two finest singles, "Troops Out" and "Devils And Angels." The latter was the band's only real studio outing with Lizzy Johnson (not including an ace Peel Session) and remains a high watermark, though its' oddly commercial flipside "Hip Rebels" and the genius Northern Ireland storyboard of "Troops Out" run it mighty close.
All of which ensures "For All And None" remains a dark, intelligent marvel to this day. At the time, however, its' relatively poor commercial showing instituted a (temporary) line-up reshuffle, with a disillusioned McKechnie being replaced by Paul Mahoney for the next Passage album, "Degenerates."
We'll be coming to that shortly. For now, though, spend time with "For All And None": it more than rewards you for your persistence.
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