Have You Heard?: A Walk Across The Rooftops by The Blue Nile [1984]

My best friend recently purchased a fully loaded modern revival of a classic American muscle car. He asked if I would help him figure out the vehicle's audio system, saying he could only make the radio work. When he pulled up to the curb of my house with the exhaust growling, I grabbed the USB thumb drive I had loaded with some of his favorite songs and a few of my favorite demonstration tracks. I also took along six CD-Rs with three of them being known favorite albums of his and three more to hopefully "Wow!" him. One of the latter discs was The Blue Nile's A Walk Across the Rooftops. About 20 minutes into our cruise, I slid that disc in and skipped to track 2 "Tinseltown in The Rain" and it sounded positively exquisite on the car's system, with the interior being almost shockingly quiet as we drove around. My friend, however, ejected the disc after about two minutes and said "Next!"

Those seeking instant gratification upon their initial listen to A Walk Across the Rooftops will undoubtedly be disappointed almost immediately through no fault of their own. The album requires a willingness to surrender to its slow, deliberate pace in direct contrast to the on-demand world we find ourselves in. It's a record that unfolds like a hazy out-of-focus dream, where shadows and whispers hold as much weight as the most bombastic crescendos. But for those patient enough to delve into its depths and let it wash over them, untold rewards await. This album speaks to the soul like a timeless work of art that continues to resonate with listeners long after hearing it.

A Walk Across The Rooftops's sonic palette is both sparse and sumptuous. The arrangements are crafted with precision, allowing each instrument's distinct voice a spotlight. The synths shimmer like distant stars, while drums and bass provide a solid yet subtle rhythmic foundation. The overall effect is one of hushed elegance, creating a chilly sonic space that is both inviting and mysterious.

The disc came into my life in late December 1989 via a co-worker who knew I loved music and wanted to buy me a CD for Christmas. At our employee holiday party and gift exchange, I pulled a longbox of A Walk Across the Rooftops out of one of those gift wrap sleeves that were popular for a couple of years. I did not recognize the artist nor the album and that must have shown on my face as the gift-giver leaned in and said something like "It comes highly recommended" and told me how they had asked for guidance from a clerk at a record store down by the University. I don't recall even trying to listen to the disc until months later. It may have been misplaced (my collection was spread across six different shelving units at the time) or simply filed on the shelf between The Blow Monkeys and Blue Öyster Cult then forgotten. I remember the first "playing" was just a quick scan through the disc track by track using the CD player's remote and then just filing it back on the shelf. ("Next!")

It wasn't until after I picked up and enjoyed the more upbeat and accessible Hats, the second album from The Blue Nile, around my 24th birthday in April 1990 that I pulled A Walk Across the Rooftops off the shelf and gave it another go after recently making a focused effort to listen to albums in their entirety through headphones without interruptions after work late on Saturday and Sunday nights. That summer, the previously ignored A Walk Across the Rooftops went into heavy rotation as the album that calmed me down after a long hard week.

That regular intimate listening is how I became acquainted with A Walk Across the Rooftops so well although it would be another six or seven years before I had the bright idea to choose it as one of the initial demo discs for the then-new setup of a Sony CD changer, Yamaha receiver, and Infinity speakers. Nearly thirty years later, that same shiny disc still sounds absolutely amazing on the latest setup of an OPPO disc player and powered Klipsch speakers.

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