The Hollow Men

The Hollow Men formed in Leeds as a British alternative act whose early activity stirred notice across Manchester’s independent circuit throughout the mid-to-late 1980s. Frontman David Ashmoore, rhythm guitarist Choque, lead guitarist Brian E. Roberts, bass guitarist Howard Taylor, and drummer Jonny Cragg made up the eventual five-piece. Their sound merged the clear, psychedelic textures of 1960s rock with the propulsive rhythms of acid house. Taking their name from the T.S. Eliot poem, the project originated in 1985 as the duo of Ashmoore and Choque, who issued the single “Late Flowering Lust” on their self-run label Evensong. Bassist Taylor was added in time for the first album, Tales of the Riverbank, also released on Evensong. The follow-up, The Man Who Would Be King, appeared on the same imprint and introduced both Cragg and Roberts, thereby rounding out the group.

After building momentum through repeated live shows, the band attracted the attention of Arista Records and signed in 1988. Arista’s first release was the single “White Train,” a remix of material that had already surfaced on The Man Who Would Be King. The ensemble developed a recognizable stage presence that included tree-shaped props reminiscent of those seen on the children’s program The Magic Roundabout, and they supported tours by the Wonder Stuff, Ghost Dance, and the Stone Roses. Their third album, Cresta, came out on Arista in 1990 and remained their sole Arista title; the band dissolved the next year. Despite the short tenure, Cresta climbed to the Top Ten on U.S. college radio playlists and drew favorable reviews across the U.K. A 1994 compilation titled Twisted, issued by November Records, gathered previously unreleased studio tracks, demo versions, and selected live recordings.