Area

Country of origin:

U.S.

Type of music generally:

Ethereal, alternative

Status:

Steve Jones is now working with a re-formed group with the Area name, which contributed to Projekt's Excelsis: A Dark Noel holiday compilation. Last album, Fragments of the Morning, 1990.

See also:

AllMusic's info on Area

The Ectophiles' Guide entries for a now-disbanded group that followed Area with Lynn Canfield and Henry Frayne, The Moon Seven Times and Henry Frayne's solo group Lanterna, and Lynn Canfield's following band, Shotgun Wedding.

The Moon Seven Times Home Page

The Lanterna Home Page

Lynn Canfield's page

Comparisons:

The Moon Seven Times. (vickie@enteract.com)

Covers/own material:

Own material, a couple of covers

General comments:

Lead singer, Lynn Canfield, has the voice of an angel. (vickie@enteract.com)

Area is quieter and more atmospheric than The Moon Seven Times (m7x). m7x is a full band, area was a drum machine, a casio keyboard and a couple guitars for effects. still, i like it lots. (woj@smoe.org)

Area is basically The Moon Seven Times plus a drum machine. The music, lyrics, vocals and overall mood are very much the same. Lynn Canfield sounds somewhat like Lisa Germano on even more morphine, if that comparison means anything to anyone :). Highly recommended. (meth@smoe.org)

Lynn Canfield's vocals in Area appeal more to me than her work in (The Moon Seven Times. (maeldun@i-2000.com)

If you're looking for Cocteau Twins-ish sounding stuff you might also like Area, a band The Moon Seven Times's singer and guitarist were in previously. I would suggest The Perfect Dream, though it'll probably be impossible to find. (dbucak@netaxs.com)

I do love the softness of Area. (jwaite@ucsd.edu

i would say that overall they're more spare, with the occasional upbeat song, and in my humble opinion the female vocals are less grating than they can sometimes be with the moon seven times. while i like the latter as well, of course ;) (clsriram@phoenix.Princeton.EDU)

Recommended first album:

The Perfect Dream. (vickie@enteract.com, woj@smoe.org, burka@jeffrey.net)

Between Purple and Pink. (Neile)

Recordings:

• White Canvas New Hope (1986)
• Radio Caroline (1987)
• The Perfect Dream (1988)
• Between Purple & Pink (1989)
• Fragments of the Morning (1990)
• Agate Lines (compilation, 1989)

Radio Caroline

Release info:

1987—C'est la Mort—CLM CD 018
re-released 1998—Projekt Records—Projekt: ARCHIVE16

Availability:

See Projekt Records site

Ecto priority:

Must have for Area fans, though it's my least favorite by them. (vickie@enteract.com)

Group members:

Lynn Canfield, Henry Frayne, Steve Jones.

Guest artists:

Glenn Graham, Kevin Crowley, Carole Holly.

Comments:

Beautiful ethereal vocals, though the music is a bit too rough-edged for my tastes. (vickie@enteract.com)

I love it—has a simplicity all its own. (Neile)

The Perfect Dream

Release info:

1988—C'est la Mort—CLM CD 006
re-released 1998—Projekt Records—Projekt: ARCHIVE17

Availability:

See Projekt Records site

Ecto priority:

A *MUST HAVE* for any ethereal-loving Ectophile. (vickie@enteract.com)

Group members:

Lynn Canfield, Henry Frayne, Steve Jones.

Guest musicians:

Glen Graham, Nick Rudd & K Paul Boyev.

Comments:

My favorite album of all time. (maeldun@i-2000.com)

Manna from heaven! This is by far the group's best album. (vickie@enteract.com)

Slightly reminiscent of early Magnetic Fields' synth sound to me. (Neile)

To my mind, it's the best of the Area albums, and they're all quite amazing. I exhort everyone to rush out and buy A Perfect Dream because it's somewhere beyond amazing in the dreamy-ethereal-alterna realm, if you like that sort of thing. The Moon Seven Times fans take note! (burka@jeffrey.net)

Between Purple and Pink

Release info:

1989—C'est la Mort (U.S.)—CLM CD 021
re-released Projekt: Archive—ARC00019

Availability:

See Projekt Records site

Ecto priority:

Recommended. (vickie@enteract.com)

Must have. (Neile)

Group members:

No listing, assumed to be the same as the others. Lynn Canfield is definitely vocalist and Henry Frayne's guitar is obvious.

Comments:

Probably my 2nd favorite album by Area, though it's more uneven than The Perfect Dream. (vickie@enteract.com)

A close second to The Perfect Dream. (woj@smoe.org)

This is my favourite. The wash of sound with Lynn Canfield's shimmering voice and Henry Frayne's moody guitar is wonderful. (Neile)

Fragments of the Morning

Release info:

1990—C'est la Mort (U.S.)—CLM 031-2
re-released Projekt Records—Projekt: Archive—ARC00020

Availability:

See Projekt Records site

Ecto priority:

Recommended for Area fans. (vickie@enteract.com)

Lower than other Area records. (Neile)

Group members:

Lynn Canfield & Steve Jones

Guest musicians:

Tiit Raid, Roger Anderson, Mel Eberle, Tracy Bredeson, Kris Simonson.

Comments:

Uneven, but mostly very nice. (vickie@enteract.com)

A good album, but I miss the distinctive sound of Henry Frayne's guitar work. (Neile)