Thirty years after its original release, Bush’s Razorblade Suitcase returns in an expanded Deluxe Edition. Arriving December 11 via Craft Recordings, the band’s chart-topping sophomore album pairs its original 13 tracks with B-sides, previously unreleased demos and live recordings from the era.
Available on 2-CD and digital, the Deluxe Edition includes B-sides “Old,” “Broken TV,” “Sleeper” and “Bubbles,” previously unreleased 16 Oz. demos of “Greedy Fly” and “Cold Contagious,” and live performances recorded at Pinkpop, The Forum in London and Saturday Night Live.
Also marking the anniversary is a new pressing of Razorblade Suitcase (In Addition), the expanded set first released in 2016. Limited to 2,000 copies worldwide, the 2-LP edition pairs the original album with four bonus tracks on Gold & Blue Swirl vinyl and is available exclusively through BushOfficial.com and CraftRecordings.com.
The previously unreleased “Greedy Fly (16 Oz. Demo Version)” is available to stream now.
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ROAD-TESTED
When Bush began work on Razorblade Suitcase, they were coming off nearly two years of touring behind their breakthrough debut, Sixteen Stone. Instead of recreating that album’s polished alt-rock sound, Gavin Rossdale and the band headed in a rougher, harder-edged direction.
They entered the studio with Steve Albini, the influential recording engineer behind Pixies’ Surfer Rosa, PJ Harvey’s Rid of Me and Nirvana’s In Utero. Recorded in England, including sessions at Abbey Road Studios, Razorblade Suitcase captured more of the muscle, tension and live energy Bush had developed on the road.
Released November 19, 1996, the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Its lead single, “Swallowed,” spent seven consecutive weeks atop Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart, while “Greedy Fly” followed at No. 3. “Bonedriven” and “Cold Contagious” became singles as well, while “Mouth” found another life the following year through its remix on Deconstructed.
BEYOND THE ALBUM
The Deluxe Edition digs deeper into the Razorblade Suitcase period with recordings that show the songs both before and after they reached the album.
The newly unearthed 16 Oz. demos capture early versions of “Greedy Fly” and “Cold Contagious,” while the live material includes “Glycerine” at Pinkpop and “Insect Kin” and “Personal Holloway” at The Forum in London. “Insect Kin” also appears from Bush’s November 23, 1996 performance on Saturday Night Live, recorded just four days after the album hit shelves.
Then there’s “In a Lonely Place (Tricky Mix).” Bush recorded their atmospheric take on the New Order classic for The Crow: City of Angels soundtrack, released just months before Razorblade Suitcase. Produced and mixed by Bristol artist Tricky, the track brings another texture into the wider story of the era.
LISTENING NOTES
“Swallowed”
Seven weeks at No. 1 on the Modern Rock chart, and it’s easy to hear why. The lead single introduced the rawer, more imposing sound Bush brought to their second album.
“Greedy Fly”
Start with the album cut, then head straight for the newly unearthed 16 Oz. demo. Hearing the two back-to-back gives you a before-and-after look at one of the record’s biggest songs.
“Cold Contagious”
Slow-burning and heavy, this is Razorblade Suitcase at its darkest. The previously unreleased demo offers another way into one of the album’s most atmospheric tracks.
“Mouth”
The song wouldn’t stay put. After appearing on Razorblade Suitcase, “Mouth” returned in remixed form on 1997’s Deconstructed, giving the fan favorite a second chapter.
“Insect Kin” (Live on Saturday Night Live)
Recorded just four days after the album’s release, this performance catches Bush taking the new material to national television while Razorblade Suitcase was barely out of the box.
STILL SHARP
Razorblade Suitcase caught Bush at a moment of transition. Rather than repeat the formula of Sixteen Stone, the band brought two years of live experience into the studio and emerged with a more visceral second album.
The 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition opens that period up further, bringing together the B-sides, early demos and live performances that surrounded the original album and offering a broader look at Bush in 1996.
Follow @CraftRecordings and @BushOfficial for more anniversary releases, stories and moments from the catalog.