40 years ago today (21 October 1983), The The released the absolutely brilliant “Soul Mining” album featuring “Uncertain Smile" “Perfect" “Giant” and “This Is the Day".
Melody Maker placed Soul Mining at number three in its critics' list of the best albums of 1983 and the NME placed it at number 25 in its own list the same year. In 1989 Record Mirror and Sounds both included the album in their critics' lists of the albums of the decade, Record Mirror ranking it at number eight and Sounds ranking it at number 24. The album was also included in the books 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die and Fear of Music: The Greatest 261 Albums Since Punk and Disco by journalist Garry Mulholland, who described it as "a hidden masterpiece".