One record at a time: 106. Enigma - The Screen Behind the Mirror (The Complete Studio Album Collection)

Having disliked Enigma's third album I stopped buying their records in the late nineties. As a consequence of this, "The Screen Behind the Mirror" passed me by when it was released in 2000. It wasn't until I began to seek out the band's back catalogue in 2020 that I finally heard this record.

This album opens with a track called "The Gate" which features the traditional Enigma horn motif and an idea lifted directly from Vangelis's "Albedo 0.39". As the song segues into "Push the Limits", we are treated to snippets of Carmina Burana and an intriguing pizzicato riff. At this point I'm tempted to think this is the album that "Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi!" should have been.

The Carmina Burana motif is used again on "Gravity of Love" which features an excellent vocal by Ruth-Ann Boyle. Whilst there is much that is familiar here, a change in vocalist injects some new energy and seems to have inspired Mr Cretu. 

"Smell of Desire" recycles some vocal snippets from previous albums and passes quite pleasingly. The tempo rises for "Modern Crusaders" which pounds along until it reaches a noisy crescendo. "Traces (Light & Weight)" sees the ethnic sample library being raided, but unlike the previous album, there is a strong melody to tie things together. 

The title track uses an updated version of the "Sadeness" groove and there is enough detail woven through the song to ensure it is entertaining. Next is a more routine 'Enigma by numbers' track called "Endless Quest" which employs the usual drum loop/Shakuhachi/guitar solo recipe. I'm not too keen on the reversed vocals of "Camera Obscura" and the Carmina Burana samples are getting a bit annoying by this point. "Between Mind & Heart" isn't all that engaging and the main points interest in the final track "Silence Must Be Heard" are the Art of Noise samples. Due to the slight disappointing flip side, the initial promise of this album remains unfulfilled. 3/5

One record at a time: 105. Enigma - Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi! (The Complete Studio Album Collection)

I bought this album on CD when it was released in 1996 but I only listened to it once or twice. I think I was disappointed with this record as it moved away from the sound of the first two albums and something was lost in the process. 

As I haven't listened to this music in many many years, I will be trying to assess it afresh without preconceptions. As with previous Enigma albums, I will be playing the 180g remastered vinyl form the "Complete Studio Albums" box set.

The title track starts thing off and features the reassuringly familiar Enigma horn sample amongst the milieu. The next track is the lacklustre "Morphing Through Time" which plods along relatively tunelessly despite its Gregorian chants. "Beyond Invisible" is another track that seems to centre on atmospherics at the expense of melody or any meaningful content. I have no idea why such a insipid track would be released as a single; but it was. Up to this point, everything is a bit vanilla. It feels like 'Enigma by numbers'. 

The first sign of a pulse on this record comes with "Why!..." which has a funky drum loop and sounds quite good despite some dodgy vocals and Roland JV-1080 presets. "Shadows in Silence" has some nice hooks but is still a bit prosaic compared to the pounding beats of previous albums. "The Child in Us" could sit quite happily on any Deep Forest album - and I'm not sure that is a good thing. The single "T.N.T. for the Brain" is the first time Mr Cretu tears up the trees and gives us a bit of ear candy, but it is over too soon. 

Even though "Almost Full Moon" is another of the more downtempo tracks it has enough to retain my interest. Disappointingly "The Roundabout" has nothing to do with Yes or Dougal and Ermintrude but it does have one of the cheesiest vocal refrains you'll ever hear. "Prism of Life" and "Odyssey of the Mind" make for a disappointing conclusion. Seems my estimation in 1996 was correct. 2.5/5

One record at a time: 104. Enigma - The Cross of Changes (The Complete Studio Album Collection)

As I mentioned in my previous entry, this is the album that made me appreciate Enigma and the talents of Mr Cretu. Once again I will be playing the recent 180g repressing included in the "Complete Studio Albums" box set.

In 1993 it felt like I heard "The Eyes of Truth" almost every day. It wasn't necessarily played on the radio much, but it seemed to feature on every TV programme, advert or trailer I saw. Despite using the same Shakuhachi sample as the previous album, the beats have progressed and the Gregorian chants have been dialled back.

Another single "Return to Innocence" comes next with its enormous "When The Levee Breaks" loop and unique Amis tribe vocal. This is a great track that proved Enigma were about more that Gregorian chants, TR-909 beats and Emulator II samples. Cretu took the songs distinctive vocal from recordings of a Taiwanese tribe in the belief that it was in the public domain. However, much like Jean Michel Jarre with "Revolutions", he ran into trouble when the original artists objected. Unlike Jarre, Cretu reached an 'out of court settlement' that allowed him to continue using the sample and thankfully the song remains intact here. It would have been a shame if such a vital component had been removed and the song left as an empty shell (à la "Revolutions").

Another great track follows with the nine minute opus "I Love You... I'll Kill You". This track continues to provide evidence that Enigma have moved on from their debut and even the guitar solos are pretty spectacular. 

Whilst this isn't a concept album, it does have a general theme: the 'conquest' of the Americas and European colonisation. "Silent Warrior" brings the subject matter into sharp focus by weaving atmospheric pads, drum machines and ethnic textures alongside Cretu's vocal lament of: "Tell me, is it right, in the name of God, these kind of changes?" (sic).

Things take a bit of a dip with the piano kitsch of "The Dream of the Dolphin" before "Age of Loneliness" comes thundering through. Based upon a recording of a Mongolian folk song, this track resurrects the Gregorian chants and Shakuhachi samples to stunning effect. Admittedly there is nothing new here, it's just recycling the ideas of the first album, but it does sound good. "Out From the Deep" is starts with gentle guitar arpeggios and gradually builds into something akin to a traditional rock song. The title track is a gentle coda in which Sandra tells us that the eyes of truth are always watching us. Good stuff. 4/5

One record at a time: 103. Enigma - MCMXC a.D. (The Complete Studio Album Collection)

Back in 1990, I never really understood why "Sadeness Part I" (or "Sadness" if you prefer the corrupted English title) was so popular. My brother bought the CD single and played it quite a lot, but the sound of Emulator II Shakuhachi presets emanating from his room failed to make much impression at the time.

In fact, I didn't really appreciate Enigma until I heard the follow up album "Cross of Changes" in 1993. Discovering this album led me back to debut "MCMXC a.D." and I finally understood the fascination. 

Here I will be listening to the 180g repressing of the album from "The Complete Studio Albums" box set from 2021. As you might expect with a record pressed by Optimal Media, the vinyl sounds very nice and the mastering is sympathetic. The only slight downside of these records is that the sleeves seem to deposit paper fragments and general debris from the manufacturing process on the playing surface. Whilst this isn't a big issue, you do have to clean each record thoroughly before spinning it.

The album opens with "The Voice of Enigma" which features a slightly hokey spoken introduction telling us to turn off the light, take a deep breath and relax. The next three tracks are grouped under the subheading "Principles Of Lust", with the afore mentioned breakthrough hit "Sadeness" featuring prominently (but not titled "Part 1"). There is also a track called "Find Love" in this section which was later released as the single "Principles of Lust". All confusing stuff. 

Where things really get going for me is on the flip side. "Mea Culpa" (later released as the single "Mea Culpa Part II" - told you it was confusing) has all of the same motifs and sounds as "Sadeness" but it is a bit more atmospheric. There's something about the pads and the way Mr Cretu uses samples on this album that set it apart from everything else. "Knocking on Forbidden Doors" features some imaginative use of a preset from the PPG Waveterm called "CARS grand prix". Only when you know the source of the sound does it become recognisable as a passing F1 car; prior to that it is just an amazing effect.

The three track suite "Back to the Rivers of Belief" commences with "Way To Eternity" which borrows the motif from "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" but somehow gets away with it. The TR-909 beat from "Sadeness" is resurrected for "Hallelujah" but the repetition doesn't matter as it is such a perfect groove. As the last track "Rivers of Belief" comes to a close I'm usually left wanting more. 4/5

One record at a time: 102. Electronic - Electronic

If you were to ask me, "What is your favourite album?" the answer would sometimes be Electronic's eponymously titled debut. 

I have two copies of the vinyl: an original pressing from 1991 and the 2015 180g version. Whilst both sound good, I prefer the original. This preference is not only due to the quality of the audio but also because the original presents the album in the way the artist intended. All subsequent pressings of the LP include "Getting Away With It" and this track was most definitely not on the album when it was released. Adding non-album singles retrospectively might give the public the hits they crave, but it also bastardises the album a little for me.

"Idiot Country" is a great opening track and one that I have always appreciated. One reason I admire this song so much is that it manages to use the "Jamisen" preset from a Roland D-110 and make it sound good: this is no small achievement. There's no dip in quality as the pounding TR-909 kicks combine perfectly with Johnny's guitar in "Reality". In my youth I didn't appreciate "Tighten Up" as its featured so much guitar that it sounded a bit "indie" to me, but in the intervening thirty years I have grown to like it. 

Whilst Pet Shop Boys collaboration "The Patience of a Saint" isn't as successful as "Getting Away With It", it still remains an impressive track. I'm not a massive fan of the weak Roland CR-78 drum samples or the pad sound Chris uses for the chords but there is a great melody. Side One finishes with the majestic "Gangster". Personally I find it unfathomable that some people regard this track as the low point. How can you resist a line like, "I don't need a doctor telling me I'm full of juice"? Yes, some of the orchestra hits sound a bit dated but the TR-909 beat is amazing and I love almost every second of the backing track.

Side two opens with the short instrumental "Soviet" featuring Roland JD-800 piano, strings and not much else. "Get The Message" features amazing guitar work which is underpinned by a driving double bass. The catchy chorus meant this was always an obvious choice for single release. "Try All You Want" sees the TR-909 brought front and centre and we are treated to something that could have been included on "Technique Part II". Whilst the dance beats continue, "Some Distant Memory" is a little more wistful and even features an oboe 'solo'. The final track is the immaculate single "Feel Every Beat" which is the perfect combination of melody, groove and vocals. A rave piano is given a good workout as Bernard doffs his cap to the emerging house sound. An immense album. 5/5

One record at a time: 101. Electric Light Orchestra - The Very Best Of

We finally reach the end of my ELO vinyl with a double album "The Very Best Of". I seem to have purchased the vinyl of this album in 2018 and it is in really good condition.

This is a curious compilation released in the nineties by Telstar. The material here is from the Jet/Epic/CBS recordings of 1974 to 1986 which means "Showdown" and "10538 Overture" aren't included. "Roll Over Beethoven" is represented, but rather than the original single version we are furnished with a live recording of unknown origin. 

Whilst the early hits may not be present, this is one of few compilations to include tracks extracted from the Xanadu soundtrack. I presume licensing difficulties led to the title track being omitted but there are a number of cuts from the purely ELO side of the record.

Things kick off with "Mr Blue Sky" and the first side is front loaded with top ten hits from the bands commercial peak. Side 2 is a little more eclectic and draws on more recent material that didn't chart quite as highly.

There is a misprint on my copy of the sleeve which labels track 4 as "Out of My Head" - suggesting a whole new meaning to the song. This error is corrected on the label but a new faux pas is committed with the title "Civil Woman". The Discogs listing for this compilation shows corrected labels, so someone must have noticed the error for subsequent pressings, but the sleeve was never changed. These kind of issues wouldn't have mattered to the casual listener but they clearly represent a lack of attention to detail to a fan.

The second record continues to focus on songs derived from the latter half of the bands career and singles such as "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" don't get a look in. Curiously, the sleeve indicates the parent album for most of the tracks but randomly omits the information for eight of them. 

This is a bit of a scatter gun approach to creating a compilation and it focuses too heavily on the bands eighties output for me. I don't know if Telstar tried to license material from EMI or MCA but somehow I doubt it. Everything about this compilation feels lazy. 2/5

One record at a time: 100. Electric Light Orchestra - Greatest Hits

For some reason my ELO compilation albums have been stored out of chronological order which means "ELO's Greatest Hits" becomes the 100th record I am listening to. This compilation focuses on material recorded between 1973 and 1978 for Jet Records with "Showdown" being the only track licensed from EMI/Harvest. This means early singles "10538 Overture" and "Roll Over Beethoven" are omitted. 

I acquired my vinyl in 2017 from eBay and whilst the sleeve is in remarkably good condition the vinyl has 'seen some action'. The CD of this album was one of the first I owned back in 1989.

The first track is the superb "Evil Woman" which is marred by a scratch that runs through it and half of the second track "Livin' Thing". As I listen to these tracks I am taken back to when I heard the album for the first time and I am fairly sure I was sold by the time "Can't Get It Out of My Head" started. The main driver for me purchasing a CD player was feeling very frustrated by the background noise from vinyl and yearning for the clarity offered by a CD. As this record progresses that feeling is returning.

Side two begins with "Sweet Talkin' Woman" and a slight improvement in the audio quality. We rattle through the hits "Telephone Line", "Ma ma Ma Belle" and "Strange Magic" before we reach the daddy of them all "Mr Blue Sky". In the modern era of 'career defining' box sets and extensive compilation playlists, an album of 11 track seems remarkably short. But this is a succinct and perfectly formed collection that that focuses on the bands commercial peak. Whilst the curious will be rewarded by exploring the greater riches in the back catalogue, everyone should start here. 4/5