One record at a time: 431. Vangelis - Albedo 0.39

Wikipedia tells me that if Vangelis went to record this album today he would have to call it Albedo 0.3 as the amount of solar radiation the Earth reflects back into space has fallen by 9% since this album was released in 1976. The title and the track names on this record make it clear this is a concept album based around astrophysics.

I bought this record from eBay in 2016 and it comes from an era in which a gatefold sleeve was seen as a fairly standard way of expanding the artwork rather than an extravagance required to hold two records. One interesting element of the sleeve is the fact that RCA seemed to feel the need to point out that the album could be played on a mono turntable if fitted with the correct pic-up head - but "those in doubt should consult their dealer".  

On listening to this album I realise it presents a dichotomy. Whilst we hear some of the best electronic themes Vangelis ever recorded, we are also subjected to some terrible improvised jazz too. I find the track "Main Sequence" particularly distressing and I fail to see how it has any relevance to the theme of the album. This isn't electronic music; its just self indulgent, overblown and boring jazz. 

And don't give me any of that, "You just hate jazz because it requires you to actually listen to it and your pea brain can't cope" attitude. I think I am accustomed to hearing something other than pop music in 4/4 as I grew up listening to an almost relentless barrage of Opera, I love most of Beethoven's symphonies (Fourth especially) and swing groups like The Ink Spots sound amazing to my ears. I think I am accustomed to various styles of music. I just hate jazz.

So the standout tracks are the wonderful "Pulstar" and "Alpha" with honourable mentions to the ambience of "Freefall" and the intriguing title track. Everything else you can keep. 2/5

One record at a time: 430. Vangelis - Heaven and Hell

For this post I initially began to write about the Vangelis album "Earth" - but I soon realised I don't actually own that album on vinyl. Therefore the next record I will look at is "Heaven and Hell" from 1975. My record is an original UK pressing that is in very good condition and sounds excellent to say it is over fifty years old. 

This concept album is split into two parts that consider the contrasting ideas of Heaven and Hell. Inexplicably there is also a song titled "So Long Ago, So Clear" stitched onto the end of side one. This track was a collaboration with Jon Anderson (the vocalist from the prog-rock group Yes) but I'm not convinced it fits within the concept.  

As we drop the needle we hear the opening sequence titled "Bacchanale". The music is big, brash and not to my taste at all. The portamento applied to the synth patch driving the melody sounds antiquated and strangely off key to my ears. There is some jazz Rhodes piano thrown into the mix but it doesn't sit comfortably alongside the chamber choir. When this first movement is over I am actually quite relived. This is not my idea of heaven.

We move on to the softer sounds of "Symphony to the Powers B" which is reminiscent of Mike Oldfield's work - it even features tubular bells for heaven's sake. After about thirteen minutes we meet the wonderful "Movement 3" which was the prototype for "Chariots of Fire".

For me the b-side is less distinctive and relatively benign - but it is also less polarising as a result. The "12 O’clock" movement is a highlight and only when "A Way" peters out into an inaudible whisper do we realise the ride is over. Something of an album of contrasts, "Heaven and Hell" seems to work in its more tranquil moments, but it fails when it tries to be too clever. 2/5  

One record at a time: 429. Vangelis - L'Apocalypse Des Animaux

I'm not sure how many studio recordings and soundtracks Vangelis released, but by my calculations it must be over thirty. Whilst I don't own all of these albums, there is a good chunk of them in my collection that we will need to work through. I have to admit, I wasn't really sure where to start with this odyssey, but "L'Apocalypse Des Animaux" from 1973 seems to be as good a place as any.

This 2016 remastered version of the soundtrack is pressed by Optimal on 180g vinyl but it doesn’t sound very good - it has numerous pops and crackles throughout. Also, the tracklisting printed on the sleeve and labels doesn't correspond to what actually plays.

Such inattention to detail seemed to spark a discussion on the Discogs website around the increasingly poor quality control in vinyl manufacturing. If you browse forums and the like on this subject you may read of people thinking of abandoning the format if things don't improve. For now I am happy to keep buying vinyl, but I have to admit, when I listen to records like this I do wonder why I bother.

The first track here is "L'Apocalypse Des Animaux - Générique" which has a riff that sounds ready to be loaded into a sampler and turned into a hit. The second track "La Petit Fille De La Mer" is another standout tune whose lush sound belies the fact that it seems to have been created with only an acoustic guitar, a Rhodes piano and what sounds like an organ. 

"Le Singe Bleu" features a soft trumpet that I imagine was played through a haze of cigarette smoke as Vangelis caressed the keys of his electric piano whist simultaneously sipping on a glass of Johnny Walker. No wonder the song is far too long. Another lengthy opus is "Creation Du Monde" which takes up a good chunk of the second side of the disc. You can't help but marvel at the fact that this music was recorded in 1970 (it wasn't released until three years later) as it sounds like it could have been made yesterday. The etherial chords and haunting guitar transfix me - this is how 'ambient' music should be done. 3.5/5

One record at a time: 428. Underworld - Barbara, Barbara, We Face A Shining Future

This is the second and final Underworld LP I own. "Barbara, Barbara We Face A Shining Future" was released in 2016 and I bought this record a couple of years later. I'm not completely sure, but I think I ordered this as I had been very impressed by the "Teatime Dub Encounters" EP and wanted to hear if their most recent album was just as good. Sadly I was to be disappointed.

The opening track "I Exhale" is fair enough but it does become something of an endurance test having to hear the same loop go round for eight minutes. I like the lo-fi vibes of second track "If Rah" and "Low Burn" has a more conventional techno sound that reminds me of the band in their pomp.

The ambient piece "Santiago Cuatro" offers some variety along with the downtempo "Motorhome" - but in truth I'm not a fan of either song. We return to the dance floor with the single "Ova Nova" which has a pounding TR-909 kick drum and some compressed bass, but doesn't develop one iota during its five and a half minute runtime. The closing track "Nylon Strung" is a rather jaunty number that is one chorus away from being synth-pop. Tracks like this make me wish Underworld explored this part of their sound a bit more and left the ambient nonsense to Brian Eno. 2/5 

One record at a time: 427. Underworld - Beaucoup Fish

Electronic music was on life support in the nineties and by the end of the decade I had become pretty disillusioned with contemporary music. Whilst I did occasionally take a chance on an emerging artist such as Basement Jaxx (singles were good, but not much else to interest me) or Fatboy Slim (never liked him as much as I thought I should), I largely took refuge in the back catalogue of my favourite artists. 

Therefore I must have been in a particularly brave or determined frame of mind when I walked into HMV one day in 1999 and bought "Beaucoup Fish" by Underworld on compact disc. I would never claim to be a massive Underworld fan, and the only other record of theirs that I owned at the time was the CD single of "Born Slippy .NUXX", so I can't really explain why I chose to buy their latest album.  

Whilst I was initially unimpressed by what I heard, the music did begin to grow on me and after repeated listening I grew to admire the album. Over the years I have continued to dip into Underworld's music with varying degrees of enthusiasm, but I couldn't resist buying this double vinyl reissue when it was released in 2017. 

"Cups" opens with sampled strings that soon give way to a square wave techno bass and Rick's vocoder treated vocals. The lyrics are suitably incomprehensible and despite ticking along at 130 beats per minute, there's a really laid back air to this song. After about eight minutes the track makes an abrupt turn and suddenly incorporates a breakbeat and an aggressive synth riff that segues into the more frenzied "Push Upstairs".

By far my favourite track on the album is "Jumbo" that opens the b-side. Whilst the lyrics offer Carl Smith's usual mix of the meaningful and the bizarre, it is the music on this song that sets it apart for me. The pulsating "King of Snake" seems to warrant a writing credit for Giorgio Moroder as it references "I Feel Love", but the similarity is only fleeting to my ears. I also like the relentless head banging of "Bruce Lee" and "Kittens" sounds like it was created to induce a dance floor frenzy.

Most of the other songs on this album are downtempo or more ambient efforts that miss the mark. "Winjer" and "Skym" are pretty boring and the repetitive "Push Downstairs" doesn't succeed at all. Happily the album finishes with a song called "Moaner" which is from the same stable as "Kittens" and thunders along with an amazing bassline and frenetic beat. 3/5

One record at a time: 426. Toy Matinee - Toy Matinee

During the dark days of the 2020 COVID lockdown, the YouTube algorithm threw me Guy Pratt's "Lockdown Licks". I enjoyed these videos and marvelled at how effortlessly Guy played the bass guitar. The seventh instalment of the series featured a song he had played on called "Last Plane Out" by Toy Matinee. I'd never heard of either the song or the band, but I enjoyed what I heard so much I decided to investigate further. 

Toy Matinee was a short-lived project that resulted in the release of one eponymous album in 1990. The album didn't sell that well and by 2020 it hadn't been available for almost twenty years. It took a few weeks, but I did manage to track down a compact disc at a reasonable price on eBay. Having sensed the resurgence in Toy Matinee, the clever people at Music On Vinyl decided to licence it and release this limited edition blue vinyl in 2022.

The credentials for Toy Matinee are excellent. Keyboards and songwriting were provided by Madonna's producer Patrick Leonard and his talented protégé Kevin Gilbert handled songwriting, guitar and vocals. The record was produced by the illustrious Bill Bottrell and the band featured a plethora of excellent musicians - including Guy Pratt on bass who also contributed to songwriting duties. 

"Last Plane Out" begins the album and is clearly the standout. Not only is this catchiest song but it is also the most original composition on the record. The bass is deep and funky and the elaborate guitar is very impressive indeed. Whilst there are some other good songs on the record, it is all a bit downhill from here.

The band's various influences emerge quite strongly as the record goes on with a fair bit of Elvis showing on "The Ballad of Jenny Ledge" and a flash of The Beatles heard on "Turn It On Salvador". There are some satisfying disco bass licks on "Queen Of Misery" and the title track sounds like it was lifted straight from a Dire Straights session.  

With both Leonard and Bottrell in the room you would think the production on the record would be outstanding, but in truth it is a fairly dry 'band in a room' affair largely devoid of electronics. There are flashes of synth on the introduction to "Queen of Misery" but otherwise Guy Pratt's octave pedal is the closest we get to any original sounds. If you like traditional rock then this might be a record you enjoy. As a fan of electronic music, I only appreciate the first track. 2/5

One record at a time: 425. Thompson Twins - Into The Gap

I have memories of hearing "Hold Me Now" played on the radio quite a lot during my childhood and it remains one of my favourite songs by Thompson Twins. Despite admiring the band's music, I never actually bought any of their records and this recent charity shop find is the only Thomson Twins vinyl I have ever owned.  

"Into The Gap" is the archetypal multi-million selling record that was hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Much of this commercial success can be attributed to the radio play garnered by the singles that were culled from the album. Along with "Hold Me Now" I also liked the single "Doctor! Doctor!" - but I have no memory of hearing "Take Me Up" before. To be honest I am truly surprised such a dismal track reached number two in the UK charts. 

One of the things I found most interesting about this record are the bass sounds. It seems the distinctive fretless bass that features on almost every song is actually derived from an Oberheim OB-Xa synth. Tom Bailey plays the keyboard with such skill and fluidity that these basslines could be mistaken for an electric bass guitar. Interestingly I read the bass patch is actually a modified clavinet preset and when the memory of Bailey's OB-Xa was wiped, the sound went with it.

I think one of the reasons I like Thompson Twins is because I am drawn to the sound marimbas and other percussion instruments. On tracks like "Sister of Mercy" or "Who Can Stop The Rain" Alannah Currie provides some amazing embellishments that really lift the songs. Other highlights for me are "The Gap" and "No Place For The Wicked" which are catchy songs that are expertly produced. Maybe I will have to acquire more Thomson Twins records after all. 3.5/5

One record at a time 424: Tears For Fears - Songs For A Nervous Planet

I'm not sure how to classify this album as it contains both new studio material and live tracks. This 2024 release features two LPs pressed on "Cocoa Cream" vinyl (ridiculous colour names seem to be de rigueur in the industry at the minute) pressed by GZ Media. As I ordered my copy through the Universal Records webstore it came with a signed 'art print' (in reality it is a glorified flyer) for the live film that was released simultaneously. 

Unfortunately the new material on this record contains the Beatesesque sound which seems to be obligatory on recent Tears For Fears records. Particularly guilty are opening track "Say Goodbye To Mum and Dad" and "Emily Said" which just sound like flimsy reproductions of lost Beatles b-sides. "Astronaut" even adds the sound of a Mellotron just to ram home the point. 

The sleeve for this record was generated by AI and you could have a stab at recreating the music too:

"Write a song using the ABABCB song structure based on the chord changes and melodies in The Beatles back catalogue post 1966. The lyrics that accompany the melody should be etherial and dreamy in nature and relate to a girl called "Emily". The instrumentation should focus on jangly guitars and acoustic drums with occasional motifs recorded with the flute sound from the Mellotron keyboard instrument."

The live tracks featured on the rest of the record are a mix of their biggest hits and material from their most recent studio album "The Tipping Point". There's some additional trance-like chords on "Change" and "Shout" is embellished with some melodic guitar, but otherwise these songs sound uncannily close to their studio counterparts. The band acknowledge that some elements are played from computer, but post production tinkering was limited to some occasional vocal tuning and some small mistakes that were patched with recordings from another show. 

When it comes to the live material my only complaint is that the ten minutes of wax wasted on the lacklustre "Bad Man's Song" could have been spent on at least two superior compositions ("Rivers Of Mercy" and "My Demons" spring to mind). The running order is different on the vinyl when compared to digital sources and dependent on which CD or file bundle you choose, the LP can have up to seven tracks less. 3/5

One record at a time: 423. Tears For Fears - The Tipping Point

The complex history of Tears For Fears means that there was a seventeen year gap between their sixth album and the release of "The Tipping Point" in 2022. I ordered this limited edition green vinyl with a good deal of trepidation as I hadn't really enjoyed any of the band's albums since the eighties.

The opening track "No Small Thing" was also used as a promotional single and was the first I heard of the new album. Whilst the song doesn't have the most promising of starts it does develop nicely. Still, I didn't feel this was a good start and much more lively efforts such as the title track or "My Demons" might have made for a better opening. Elsewhere "Long, Long, Long Time" and "Break The Man" are great songs. In fact, once you get over the initial hump of "No Small Thing", the whole of the first side is very good indeed. 

The flip side is a bit more hit and miss but it does feature my favourite song from the album, "Rivers Of Mercy". Not long after this record was released I was playing this song whilst my young children were running around playing nearby. After about three minutes I realised the usual noise and pandemonium had stopped and the children were now sitting quietly, listening to the music. It really is a captivating song and I recommend it very highly.

I am a little disappointed by the Beatles pastiche "Master Plan" (why do Tears For Fears albums have to include Beatles-esque track?) and the inclusion of "Stay" is curious given it was released five years earlier on a compilation. There's lots to like on this album, and its rock sound has just enough electronics to make it interesting. 

The sound quality from this vinyl is generally quite good given it is a GZ Media abomination. The tracks are cut quite loud and there are a good few crackles - but the richer bass of the vinyl means it remains superior to digital files. 4/5

One record at a time: 422. Tears For Fears - Rule The World

This compilation is from 2017 and was curated by the band themselves. As is the fashion, this collection of hits also features two new songs in order to drive sales. I bought this double LP at an astonishingly cheap £11 when it was in some sort of online sale. Pressed by MPO in France the sound is adequate without being outstanding. There's very little extraneous noise, but its not the most lively sound reproduction.

Proceedings begin with two of the band's biggest hits "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" and "Shout". The first of the new songs comes next in the form of "I Love You But I'm Lost". Written with Bastille's Dan Smith and producer Mark Crew this song has a pretty good hook and earns its place in the back catalogue.

The tracklist rattles through all of the expected big hits including, "Sowing The Seeds Of Love", "Mad World" and "Head Over Heels". Disappointingly, the version of "I Believe" is the album cut and not the live/re-recording that was released as a single - but this is a small quibble.

There are also a couple of tracks culled from the albums "Elemental" and "Raoul and the Kings of Spain" which are effectively solo recordings by Roland. The highlight here is "Break It Down Again" which benefits from adopting the sound of the band in their heyday.

If this was a "Best Of" compilation I could understand the inclusion of the new track "Stay" as it develops from an inauspicious start into a wonderful song. But it seems odd to chose a song that was not even released as a single for a "Greatest Hits" compilation. Equally "Raoul And The Kings Of Spain" didn't exactly set the charts on fire and was included at the expense of  singles that achieved a higher chart position ("Laid So Low (Tears Roll Down)" and "The Way You Are"). Still, this is a really good record and takes quite a measured view of the band's career. 4/5

One record at a time: 421. Tears For Fears - Sowing The Seeds of Love

As much as I try to be positive about this record, I simply can't sum up enough enthusiasm to say much nice about it. Whilst I know it is revered and was a big hit - I have always found "The Seeds of Love" to be really disappointing. 

To my mind a good chunk of the music presented here is boring, mid-tempo rock intended for genteel middle class Americans. The burning angst and heartfelt sentiment that propelled the duo's first two records is lost along with almost all of the synthesizers and drum machines. I can imagine many of these songs being played by a half sozzled pianist in a cocktail bar to an audience of precisely zero people.

I concede I may have been too harsh in what I just said and in the interests of balance I am happy to state that the title track is brilliant. Whilst "Woman In Chains" was completely and utterly the wrong choice for the opening track, it is a very good song. The single "Advice for the Young at Heart" creeps above the threshold even if it is too long. 

Everything else is skippable. Eight and a half minutes of mid-tempo rock ("Badman's Song")? No thank you. Tuneless piano tinkling and horrific backing vocals ("Standing on the corner of the third world") I can do without. Even the surprisingly schizophrenic final song "Famous Last Words" is boring. Some might say it is too simplistic to say these issues are as a result of replacing Ian Stanley as both keyboard player and songwriter; but it's where my suspicion lies.

After the wonders of "Songs From The Big Chair" I felt completely let down by this album when it was released and that disappointment lingers to this day. Whilst my discontent didn't seem to stop me from buying this modern reissue of the LP back in 2020, it remains sealed. 2/5

One record at a time: 420. Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair

1985's "Songs From The Big Chair" saw Tears For Fears move into the realms of superstardom. Propelled by the singles "Shout" and "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" this record met with commercial success across the globe, most notably in the USA.

I own an original UK pressing of this record along with a completely superfluous repressing from 2022. There's nothing to distinguish the modern version other than the usual poor quality artwork and annoying surface noise. I think I might have bought it as part of a "3 for £50" type deal - but I shouldn’t have done really. Still, if you're going to own duplicates of any Tears For Fears album, it might as well be this one.

"Songs From The Big Chair" can truly claim to be a classic and is a masterclass in both songwriting and production. As the opening track "Shout" uses patches from the Fairlight CMI (probably the greatest ever use of the distinctive ARR1 sample) and Yamaha DX7, it sounds distinctly "eighties". Yet the quality of the production means the song remains set above any of the ephemeral drivel produced by the band's contemporaries. 

The second track "The Working Hour" is not as immediate as "Shout" but it remains an impressive composition. The song is generally good value for its six and a half minutes runtime, but the extended coda is too reliant on the warbling saxophone of Will Gregory for my taste. 

The anthemic "Everybody Wants To The Rule World" must be known to everyone and won't benefit from my evaluation: suffice to say it is a classic. Another single "Mother's Talk" rounds out the first side with its Fairlight samples and superb drum programming. The band have since expressed some disappointment with this track, but it really is much better than their attitude might suggest.

The flip side of this album begins with the piano driven ballad "Believe". Now this song is undoubtedly well crafted and Roland provides a great vocal; but damn that saxophone is irritating. The hit single "Head Over Heels" is sandwiched between two versions of the track "Broken" which is a recycled b-side. This might not sound like the most auspicious description of a track but it really does work in the context of the album. This just leaves the final track "Listen" which I find mesmerising. Ian Stanley's distinctive Roland System 100M patches combine with Fairlight samples and obscure vocals to create an epic aural landscape that lays the listener gently back to terra firma. 4/5

One record at a time: 419. Tears For Fears - The Hurting

I own two copies of "The Hurting". The first is an original UK pressing that I bought eight years ago and the second is a limited edition white vinyl from 2021.

Released in 1983, Tears For Fears debut was a huge success in the UK and spawned four singles. "Pale Shelter", "Mad World", "Suffer The Children" and "Change" are probably known to many as charged expressions of angst set against amazing tunes. These tracks form the backbone of the album with slightly less commercial material strung around them. That's not to say the other tracks aren't good, but they are certainly less immediate. 

The title track that opens the album features the distinctive sound of an Linn LM-1 drum machine and jangling guitars that sound as 'new wave' as it is possible to get. The song contains a great melody, but the stilted rhythms are designed to compliment the lyrics rather than pander to the radio. 

"Ideas as Opiates" is barren save for a Yamaha CP-70 piano and the obligatory eighties sax solo, but it just about manages to hold my attention. Less interesting is "The Prisoner" which sounds like an OMD b-side with drum programming by Depeche Mode. By the time we reach the final song "The Start of the Breakdown" the ideas lack some polish, but everything remains entertaining.

Throughout the album vocal duties are shared between the principal members Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal with all of the songs being written by Roland. To this day I am not sure if Ian Stanley and Manny Elias were 'proper' members of the group or salaried musicians. Whilst their contribution to this record was significant, it is the next entry in the Tears For Fears back catalogue in which Ian Stanley truly emerged as a keyboard genius. 4/5

One record at a time: 418. Sunscreem - O3

I first heard Sunscreem in 1992 when a friend played me the 7" single of "Love U More". I liked the song very much and I decided to buy their current release "Broken English". Whilst the latter single didn't impress me nearly as much, I did elect to buy the album "O3" when it was released the following year.

As with most of my collection, I first bought this album on compact disc and bought these two vinyl versions sometime during the last ten years. Whilst the standard version on the left pretty much mirrors the content of the compact disc, the remix edition on the right is a completely different take on the album. I wasn't too sure if this second version should be considered a separate remix album, but Discogs seems to regard it as a variant of the main title, so I will treat it accordingly. 

Both albums open with a track called "Portal" which is laden with breakbeats, 90s house piano and burbling synths. We then move through various singles which continue the rave vibes with "Pressure", "Perfect Motion" and the afore mentioned "Love U More" being the highlights. The difference between Sunscreem and a lot of dance acts of this era is that their singles were songs with vocals and a traditional verse/chorus structure. Whilst this approach garnered radio play, I always felt their heart lay in heavier dance music and the bugged out remixes they created. This idea was reinforced when I realised a number of tracks on the album are actually uncredited mixes of their singles. "B", "Doved Up" and "Release Me" are deeper cuts that were tweaked for the dance floor and originally put out on 12" singles as remixes.

The "Special DJ Remix Edition" features additional mixes by Farley and Heller, Leftfield, Slam and Dave Valentine. I'm not a fan of most of these tracks, but the Farley and Heller dub of "Perfect Motion" does have a terrific bassline. To accommodate all of these lengthy remixes, the DJ edition ditches "Chasing Dreams" and the slightly disappointing ballad "Idaho" - but it doesn't lose anything in the process. 

In terms of remixes, the most glaring omission is the Farley and Heller "Heavy Club" mix of "Love U More" which is one of the best things either artist ever created. Quite why you would omit this amazing remix from a record designed for DJs is beyond me. Both albums finish with versions of "Psycho" which is an incredibly cheesy 90s house piano track that sounds like The Prodigy doing Country and Western.

I have a lot of memories tied up in this album and it will always remind me of my youth. Yes, it has one or two less interesting tracks and it flip flops between heavier club music and lighter pop tunes, but it is still worthy of attention more than thirty years after it was created. 3/5

One record at a time: 417. Ed Starink - Synthezier Greatest (The Ultimate Collection)

Unless you are an electronic music uber-geek, the name Eduard Starink probably doesn't mean much to you. And who can blame you? Hell, they didn't even bother to put the man’s name on the front of his records, so it is no wonder few people have heard of him.

You see Ed produced a series of 'sound-a-like' compilation albums that were much like the "Synthesizer" records made by Project D. Yet, aside from a performer credit hidden on the inner sleeve, the main producer of the work was never explicitly stated. From what I can tell, Ed was happy with this arrangement and chose to allow the "Synthesizer Greatest" brand take centre stage. 

I first heard about these albums around 1991 when I stumbled across a very cheap cassette of the first compilation in a shop in Wakefield. I knew exactly what I was buying, so it was no surprise to find that these tracks weren't attempts to remix, extrapolate or create variations on the original work; they were just smudged carbon copies. 

As you might expect, Vangelis and Jean Michel Jarre compositions are heavily represented in the tracklisting with the usual suspects like Kraftwerk, Art of Noise and Jan Hammer also getting a look in. My musical taste changed quite a bit during the early nineties so the "Synthesizer Greatest" cassette soon began to gather dust and it eventually fell out of my possession.  

Fast forward thirty years and I saw this new compilation released as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on translucent blue coloured vinyl. Whilst nostalgia drove me to purchase this record, it hasn't driven me to play it very often.

Rather than replicating the tracklisting of the original album, this record labels itself as the "Ultimate Collection" and seems to randomly pick tracks from the first few entries in the series. This is a shame as some of Starink's best efforts seem to have slipped through the net. The impressive rendition of Vangelis's "Hymn" is missing along with the pulsating "Chase" which was originally recorded by Giorgio Moroder. Personally I don't think the theme from "Twin Peaks" represents 'synthesizer music' and I have no idea why a seemingly new rendition of the traditional piano piece "Gympnopédie" deserves inclusion. Something of a mixed bag that is only worth investigating if a wave of nostalgia compels you. 2/5 

One record at a time: 416. Dusty Springfield - Reputation

I have always felt rather indifferent about this album and I have to admit, I only own it because of its link to the Pet Shop Boys. Even the involvement of my favourite group wasn't enough to stir me into action when it was released and I didn't buy "Reputation" on compact disc until about ten years after it was first made available. I didn't spring for this LP until as recently as 2022.

Unfortunately, the first side of this record is produced by a series of 'guns for hire' that created tracks of varying quality. I recently learnt that the title song is a cover version that, save for Dusty's voice, doesn't sound very different from the original. The third track, "Arrested By You" is also a cover of a Rupert Hind ballad that is as limp as an old sock. "Time Waits for No One" is just generic rubbish that sounds like 'production by numbers' and, whilst "Born This Way" is fair enough as a statement, the music is pretty uninspiring. No, the action here is definitely reserved for the flip side. 

As soon as the rolling bass and Fairlight strings of "In Private" begin to ring out, things feel much more homely for a Pet Shop Boys fan. Aside from the other magnificent single, "Nothing Has Been Proved" there are more adventurous songs (or 'experimental' as Neil Tennant described them) in the form of "Daydreaming" and "Occupy Your Mind". The latter song in particular has always stuck me as sounding amazing with its rave inspired TR-808 beats and pulsing synth basslines. 

The only duff note for PSB comes in the form of yet another cover version. "I Want To Stay Here" which was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin (who also wrote several songs for Dusty's famous "Dusty In Memphis" album) back in the sixties. The slightly twee melody and poor backing vocal arrangement don't really fit with the more progressive sound featured on the rest of the album and I can't work out why this song was included.  

The album was 'executive produced' by Pet Shop Boys - which essentially means they recommended producers and songwriters to Dusty and tinkered with the finished tracks (such as removing the saxophone solo from "Arrested by you"). Whilst this record boosted Dusty's reputation back in the nineties (see what I did there?) and made yet another stellar entry to the Pet Shop Boys CV, the first side doesn't really stand up to scrutiny today. 2/5

One record at a time: 415. Soulwax - From Deewee

I have lamented the decline of The Vinyl Factory in other posts, so I won't go into it again; but suffice to say back in 2017 they actually produced something worth listening to.

I bought this limited edition of "From DeeWee" based on my love for the Soulwax album "Nite Versions". This version differs from the standard release as it has different artwork, uses clear vinyl and was limited to 500 copies. It's not worth a fortune (you can buy a copy for less than £100) but it does sound very good and is the best way to hear this unique album.

The artwork tells us the music included here was recorded in one take, but we also know that the performance was comprehensively rehearsed, there were multiple takes and the whole thing was subsequently mixed, edited and expanded. All of this attention to detail means that the finished record avoids all of the pitfalls inherent in a live performance, but preserves some of the spontaneity.

Much like "Nite Versions", the brothers Deewee blend vintage synths and drum machines with live drumming and bass guitar to create disco tinged electro that will satisfy even the most demanding electronic music fan. My personal favourites are two of the first tracks "Masterplanned" and "Missing Wires" which are underpinned by rubbery analogue synth bass and gloriously simple beats."Do You Want To Get Into Trouble" is another highlight that even caught the ear of my young children, "Who sings this song? Who? Soulwax? Never heard of them." But they were both dancing.

What I like so much about the music on this album is that it has strong melodies and ideas. There is no abstract or self indulgent noodling to be found on "From Deewee", everything is efficient and calculated. The approach is almost like that of Kraftwerk where ideas flow into each other and are realised precisely. There are also idiosyncrasies such as the curious spoken introduction to each side stating the catalogue number and each side finishing in a locked groove. It might not sound like Kraftwerk, but their DNA is palpable. 4/5

One record at a time: 414. Soulwax - Nite Versions

I discovered “Nite Versions” when I heard the tracks “Another Excuse” and “Compute” on the Xbox 360 game “Test Drive Unlimited”. I played the CD almost relentlessly during 2007 and it remains firmly embedded in my list of favourite albums.

This double coloured vinyl version was released to mark the 15th Anniversary of the original release as part of Record Store Day 2020. Because of the COVID pandemic Record Store Day that year was a much more civilised affair conducted entirely online. There was no queueing from silly-o-clock in the morning with other middle aged men; all I had to do was go online at the prescribed time and place my order. Much better.

"Nite Versions" is actually a remix album that takes songs from the band's "Any Minute Now" and adds a much needed sprinkle of magic. The Dewaele Brothers create some really unique remixes with all kinds of crazy effects, loops and Korg MS20 patches thrown around. The music here is hard to pigeonhole as much of the original alternative rock tracks are retained and then draped in disco clothes with accessories by the eighties electro scene. I think the sound is best described as "dance punk".

My personal favourite is "I Love Techno" with "Another Excuse" and "Compute" being the other two standouts. As "Another Excuse" is mixed by DFA its sound is very reminiscent of LCD Soundsystem at their disco peak and creates a perfect high on which to finish.

Whilst I have just realised this album is almost twenty years old, but it still sounds incredibly fresh and innovative to me. I don't listen to this album as much as I used to but it is still fun to give it a spin and reminisce. 4/5

One record at a time: 413. Soft Cell - *Happiness Not Included

Twenty years after their last long player, Dave and Marc decided to go into the studio with Philip Larsen of Manhattan Clique and record a new Soft Cell album. This is the standard yellow vinyl that was released in 2022 and I can't help but think someone at BMG overestimated demand as I have seen it being sold for as little as £6 recently (I paid £19 for it on the day of release grrrrrr). 

Before you run off to Woolworths with your £6 postal order, remember this record is pressed at GZ Media so you will be taking a gamble. Some copies will be clean and sound OK, but others will be covered in a layer of paper debris and offer poor sound reproduction. Whilst my copy is relatively clean the sibilance on any word containing the letter 's' is very apparent.

One anomaly of the vinyl edition is that it contains the original mix of "Purple Zone" and not the version tweaked by the Pet Shop Boys. I presume this is because the vinyl had to be pressed far in advance of the release date and the late substitution of the remixed version could not be accommodated. 

There's another (vague) link to Pet Shop Boys with the opening track "Happy Happy Happy" which covers the same ground as PSB's "This Used to be the Future". In both songs the narrator reflects on the fact that the predictions for the future they were fed in their youth hadn't come true. It would seem great minds think alike and both groups have created wonderful tracks. 

On "Polaroid" Marc sings of meeting Andy Warhol in 1981 whilst Dave delivers a catchy backing track full of bleeps and booms. One thing that strikes me at this point is that Marc's vocals have changed and his delivery is much more dramatic - almost like he is singing in a West End musical. I'm not saying the vocals are bad; just different.

There are great songs littered across both sides of this record with "Light Sleepers", "Nostalgia Machine" and "New Eden" proving Dave and Marc's really know how to write a tune. On the downside the detached "Heart Like Chernobyl" is a bit of a misfire and the lyrics to "I'm Not a Fan of God" sound uncharacteristically misanthropic. But generally this album is a success and I look forward to hearing more from Soft Cell. 3/5 

One record at a time: 412. Soft Cell - Cruelty Without Beauty

After an eighteen year hiatus, Soft Cell decided to reform and release a new album. Whilst "Cruelty Without Beauty" was devoured by fans, the response from the general public was much more muted.

At the turn of the millennium conventional synth-pop duos were caught in a no-man's land where they were neither recognised as innovators nor esteemed as cultural icons. Erasure's "Loveboat" had unceremoniously run aground the year before this record was released and Pet Shop Boys had fared no better with the dismal "Release". At the time it felt like synth-pop was dead.

Personally I had no interest in Soft Cell in 2002 and I didn't acquire this album until about five years ago. Initially I wasn't too impressed by the music on the CD, but my indifference has subsequently turned into total seduction. By happy coincidence this rather smart double pink vinyl set was released just a few months after my awakening.

The first few numbers on this album draw on Dave Ball's forays into dance music with The Grid and sound like confident statements of intent. A cover of Frankie Valli's "The Night" was initially considered as the band's second single back in 1981 but a 'sliding doors moment' ultimately saw "Tainted Love" chosen instead. Almost twenty years later the idea was revived and we are treated to a rather nice electro track that sounds uncannily like Pet Shop Boys in their pomp.

Come to think of it, if you were to suddenly reveal that this album was secretly produced by Messrs Tennant and Lowe I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised. This is the record I wish Pet Shop Boys had made instead of "Release".

Personal highlights on the main album include "Sensation Nation", the James Bond-esque horns of "Desperate" and the tearjerker "Last Chance". All of these songs shine a light on Marc's superb vocal technique. Gone are the slightly suspect off key notes that plagued Soft Cell's early work and Marc sings in confident and engaging tones. This was probably the best his voice ever sounded.

What I also like about Marc is that his lyrics are often acerbic and cynical yet, as a listener, I never feel this vitriol is aimed at me. Everything is directed at "them" - and they know who they are.

This version of the album expands upon the original twelve tracks with no less than five additional songs. This bonus material more than matches the quality of the main album with "Somebody Somewhere Sometime" being the standout. Another favourite is the superb "God Shaped Hole" which sounds seedy enough to be on their debut "Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret" yet contemporary enough to play in any modern nightclub.

With the benefit of hindsight I can confidently declare this the best album from 2002 and probably the best album you've never heard. The phrase "overlooked masterpiece" was coined for moments like this. 4/5