As a result of this veneration I own a copy of the original UK pressing, the 2009 remastered version, the coloured versions from 2020 in both English and German and the version from the "3-D The Catalogue" box set. I'm not too keen on the remastered version as it is too bass heavy and lacking sparkle for my taste. The "3-D" mixes are really good, but again I will always prefer the originals.
In my previous post I mentioned that I first heard this album on the flip side of a cassette which also included "The Man Machine". Whilst I love "The Man Machine", it was "Computer World" that I was most drawn to.
The title track opens proceedings with its vision of a world in which people use computers to do business, crunch numbers and make money. I think I was drawn to this album as not only did it have a great groove, but it painted futuristic pictures in my head. Ironically of course there were no computers involved in the creation of the music and even the Hazeltine 1500 terminal on the sleeve isn't a true computer. Yet this album still had the power to beam me into the future; and still does.
"Pocket Calculator" is a catchy tune bristling with every gimmick and gag the band could throw at it. On the other hand, "Numbers" is a minimalistic dream with a beat that is often imitated, but never bettered. On the b-side "Computer Love" is another classic track that has a catchy melody, a hint of melancholy, a dash of irony and a great dollop of rhythm. Even though every track up to this point has been excellent, it was the final two cuts "Home Computer" and "It's More Fun To Compute" that really caught my ear when I first heard them. This album is unrelenting in every way and the quality never dips for a second. For me, this was the zenith of techno-pop. 5/5
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