The Edge of the World

The success of Fear and Whiskey in 1985 saw the Mekons with a stable line-up and enough money to record a new album for the first time in years. The songs on Edge of the World were written and demoed in Leeds by Tom, Jon and Kevin early in 1986 and recorded at Offbeat Studios in Kirkstall with Three Johns live Soundman Tony Bonner who had recorded parts of Fear and Whiskey the year before. Around this time the live band was expanded further to include Rico Bell and Sally Timms who both perform lead vocal duties on Edge of the World. At one point during the recording sessions a version of the band traveled to the northeast of England to perform some live shows and procure valuable funds leaving Langford, Edmonds and Goulding in the studio cutting rhythm tracks. Martin Bomber Henderson of Keithley Gothic band the Skeletal family drummed in the live band at this time but does not appear on the album. The album was mixed in London and was the third release on Sin Recordings of Brixton through the York based distributor Red Rhino. The day Kevin was putting the artwork together for the record cover Jon and Tom we’re flying to the states for the second Three John’s US tour. The plan was to put the names Jon, Kev and Tom on the three crosses in the foreground of the desert scene but Kevin felt uneasy about doing that and left the names off. Tom and Jon survived the transatlantic flight due to this wise action.

The Edge of the World is a pivotal album in the Mekons' enormous oeuvre, for it's the record that introduces Sally Timms' remarkable voice into the group's mix of country, folk, punk, and noise textures.