Strange Man, Changed Man, the long unavailable classic rock-pop debut album from British pub-rockers Bram Tchaikovsky, makes its debut on CD in the U.S. and most of the world via Hip-O Select. This is the album that yielded the U.S. and U.K. Top 40 and album-rock hit “Girl Of My Dreams,” and was among the most highly praised albums to come out of the British pub-rock scene.

Lead by Peter Bramall, a former member of The Motors who called himself Bram Tchaikovsky, the trio from Lincolnshire, England, signed with Radar Records along with Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello in 1978. Guitarist Tchaikovsky, multi-instrumentalist Mike Broadbent and drummer Keith Boyce made their debut the next year on this album, produced on a shoestring budget by The Motors’ Nick Garvey. However, the resulting album and the single, “Girl Of My Dreams,” both climbed into the U.S. Top 40 and recently got a 4.5 star rating in All Music Guide.

Besides the hit single, the album features a wonderful version of the Neil Diamond-penned Monkees’ hit “I’m A Believer” and nine other originals, including the recording that got the group signed, “Sarah Smiles.” Also of note is that “Girl Of My Dreams” features Mike Oldfield’s tubular bells.

1. Strange Man, Changed Man
2. Lonely Dancer
3. Robber
4. Bloodline
5. I'm the One That's Leaving
6. Girl of My Dreams
7. Nobody Knows
8. Lady from the U.S.A.
9. I'm a Believer
10. Sarah Smiles
11. Turn on the Light

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000ZIZ0ZC/?tag=imwan-20

I paid a bundle for the Japanese CDs of Strange Man and Pressure. I had hoped that the Captain Oi! label would get ahold of the Bram catalog, and do it up right, like they did with the Motors--bonus tracks galore.

The 3rd album, Funland, has never been on CD, AFAIK.

I just found downloads of Russians & Funland, but I'll buy Strange Man, a nice nostalga trip from my new wave highschool days


p.s. remember when New Wave meant The Cars or Boomtown Rats and not Missing Persons or Kaja Googoo?

I would love to get "The Russians are Coming" on CD; perhaps they will do that one next. The Japan CD is nearly impossible to get nowadays (without having to sell the car or house)