Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

Whilst the abundance of reissues continues to reintroduce music fans to periods that they may have not had the privilege of accessing due to their age at the time of recording, the extended cuts giving fans chills of excitement as they feel the nostalgia rippling across every sinew and mouth watering longing they might display, some reissues and extensive mixes become the reveal of the fabled light that shone brightly in the clubs that once frequented the land, the memory of pop’s hidden gems that was briefly glimpsed in the charts, and some, such as The Voice of the Beehive’s Honey Lingers, that captured the zeitgeist in the summer of 1991.

The second album from the British/American alternative pop group is given a new, and timely, appreciation as London Records releases a fully remastered edition for the public to immerse themselves within, to transport themselves back to a period where the summer of 1991 was almost glorious and without end, and in which in all honesty the group, the album and the class that was drawn upon in their second single release as the autumn took the reigns of the season’s upbeat sounds, the decent cover version of the song attributed to the Partridge Family, I Think I Love You, should have been embraced by the wider population.

As the inexhaustible double cd release plays out, as remixes and a generous selection of live cuts add depth to the memory, so the reissue reaffirms what the crowds in the clubs understood, that The Voice of the Beehive had something deeply special about them, and whilst a consecutive top 20 album had been secured, it really should have gone higher, further, and for longer than it did.

It’s madness, it is inspiring, every pore and opening yearns for the reckless abandon it pulsates, but also the sense of structure inflames the senses and the pairing of the two sisters at the centre of the group, Tracey Bryn Belland and Melissa Brooke Belland, echo the belief of stirring pop culture and concentrated soaring lyrical value at the heart of the combustible and delightful music.

Across tracks such as the opener Monsters And Angels, Beauty To My Eyes, I’m Shooting Cupid, the twisted meaning within Waitress, and Pocketsize from the original album, the alternative takes that add body to the release in Gimme Shelter which has the majesty of Jimmy Somerville layered within its soul, acoustic versions of Say It and Perfect Place, and six live tracks acting as the beefy finale, including Little Gods, Only If You Want To, and a fantastic rendition of James’ top ten hit from 1989, Sit Down as the perfect send off to the release, The Voice of The Beehive, almost 30 years since their last album was brought to the public’s attention, can be seen as a terrific and advanced group that were perfectly moulded for the time, but in which had the generosity of spirit commends further appreciation and understanding.
Honey Lingers, and outlasts lesser offerings to the gods, the nectar of sound in this double cd reissue is tantalising.

The Voice of the Beehive reissue Honey Lingers on April 4th via London Records.

Ian D. Hall