Literary disppointments

I'm reading two books at the minute. Both are related to electronic music and both are pretty poor.

I imagined "Computer World" by Steve Tupai Francis to be a detailed discourse on the album of the same name by Kraftwerk. In reality this book is yet another biography of the band that rehashes the same old sources and tells the same tales.

In fairness, I think my opinion of this book suffers because I am reading it immediately after devouring Karl Bartos's memoir "The Sound of the Machine – My Life in Kraftwerk and Beyond" which contains valuable insight and fascinating stories about the creation of the album. I can recommend the Bartos book without hesitation.

It's a similar position with the second book "The Human League and the Sheffield electro scene" which I am reading soon after finishing Martyn Ware's autobiography.

There's nothing new in the book's examination of the songs and things feel rote compared to Ware's analysis. The author repeatedly refers to Sheffield as a "small city" and seems to regard the subject matter with mild disdain. This book feels like a commission rather than a labour of love. When I read about the influence of "Eileen Derbyshire" who worked for the "Doctor Who Sound Workshop" (p41) the credibility of the author evaporated completely.

Whilst it may make sense to the author to include an examination of Heaven 17 material until the release of "How Men Are", his decision to stop at this point feels arbitrary. The assertion that The Human League and Heaven 17 became "too divergent" at this point doesn't make sense. Both bands were set on very different courses from the moment Phil and Virgin Records fired Martyn and made an all out assault on the charts. I also think the approach of this book is quite disrespectful to Heaven 17 who merit a book of their own rather than being rolled up as an adjunct.

Front Line Assembled

About 4 years ago I posted about my quest to acquire all of Front Line Assembly's back catalogue on CD. I continued to buy CDs from Discogs and eBay until only one CD single eluded me. For about 2 years I have searched for a copy of  "No Limit" but as this CD is 33 years old, it can be difficult to come by at a reasonable price. Having finally won an auction last week, my collection is now complete.

The music in this CD mixes samples of speech and effects from films with driving Yamaha DX7 basslines and Bill's indiscernible lyrics. The mixes are far too long and the sample of a man repeatedly screaming for the final 5 minutes of "Lethal Compound" is a very real test of your resolve. However, if you're in the mood for some late eighties industrial music "No Limit" fits the bill.

One aspect of record collecting that I find rewarding is when I get to delete an eBay saved search or remove something from my Discogs wantlist. So I'm quite content tonight. This is both because I finally own the CD but also because I can stick two fingers up to the guy who has been repeatedly listing this CD at inflated prices on eBay for about 3 years. Sometimes you just need to stick it out to stick it to the scalpers.

One record at a time: 136. Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)

My first exposure to Eurythmics was in 1983 when the video for "Sweet Dreams (are made of this)" played on Saturday morning children's television. I was entranced by the stunning visuals and thought the music was amazing.

As I grew older and my musical tastes matured, I continued to keep a watching brief on Eurythmics. I seem to think I bought "Savage" on CD as my first foray into their back catalogue and by the time "We Too Are One" came out I was a confirmed fan. So essentially, I always liked Eurythmics, but only started buying their records as the group began to disintegrate.

In some ways "Sweet Dreams (are made of this)" is both a beginning for Eurythmics and their zenith. With this album Dave and Annie finally found commercial success, but in terms of electronic music, nothing else in their back catalogue came close to matching this. Yes, "Touch" is impressive and "Savage" partially revived the electronic sound; but no other album is as consistent in its genius as "Sweet Dreams". Here I will be playing a standard, common or garden original pressing of the album that I acquired from eBay in 2014.

The album begins with "Love is a Stranger" which is a great song but a curious choice for a single (don't let the peak chart position of this song fool you, it was initially released before the album and did nothing; it only became a hit after the album was released). Having said that, the first two singles from the album "The Walk" and "This Is The House" are even more bizarre selections. Whilst all three of these songs are masterful in their production, they aren't the immediate, radio friendly ear worms that would have garnered commercial success. At the time Dave and Annie were making music at home using an eight track and a small selection of synthesizers. There was no master plan or co-ordinated effort, they were just releasing material as they created it. Things only took off when Dave threw a bass line into the sequencer and Annie overdubbed a synth riff and began singing the line "Sweet dreams are made of this". 

The second track "I've Got an Angel" features Annie's flute and some gritty synth bass that provides the perfect counterpoint to the polished vocal. I must confess, I didn't realise the next track "Wrap it up" was a cover version until I wrote this article. This track features the inimitable Green Gartside singing a duet with Annie to great effect. For some reason I have always liked the abstract, and vaguely sinister "Jennifer". This song is almost the equivalent of in impressionist painting with lyrics that are vague enough to allow the listener to interpret them and create their own story. 

The album closes with two mid-tempo tracks in the form of "Somebody Told Me" and "This City Never Sleeps". The former song is a tense affair which relies upon the juxtaposition between a laconic Juno-60 bassline and Dave's bluesy slide guitar. The oppressive atmosphere of  "This City Never Sleeps" is somehow disturbing and soporific in equal measure. Both songs seem to wind the album down and make a perfect ending.

A short time after the final track has come to an end, you can just about make out the sound of underground trains and there is even a "secret message". As I only owned the album on CD in the early nineties, I had no way of playing this reversed message and it wasn't until I recorded a WAV file into my PC and reversed it in 1995 that I finally heard Dave saying: "I enjoyed making that record. Very good.". And he's right, it is a very good record. 5/5

One record at a time: 135. Eurythmics - In The Garden

You will be unsurprised to hear that when I was at school, music was a frequent topic of conversation. My school days coincided with the peak of the Eurythmics commercial success and albums such as "Be Yourself Tonight", "Touch" and "Savage" would occasionally feature in our conversations.

However, there was always one Eurythmics album that was regarded with suspicion and doubt. "In The Garden" predated the bands success and nobody dared risk their precious pocket money on such an unknown quantity.

However, as I had a reputation for being a voracious consumer of music, there was an assumption by some that I owned the album. One day I was asked directly if I had heard the album and what I thought of it. The question was posed in a way that suggested reverence to my opinion. Full of adolescent self importance I lied and said, "Yeah, I have it and it's quite good." 

Some weeks later the same kid came back to me and said they had splurged their pocket money on a copy of "In The Garden" and either I had lied or my taste was poor. I remained diplomatically silent on the issue, but did feel guilty enough to purchase the CD in a strange effort to wallow in the same misery. Unfortunately I no longer own that original CD, but I did pick up the vinyl from eBay six or seven years ago and I will be playing that for this review. The dynamics on the vinyl are a little flat but this probably reflects the mastering style of the time rather than incompetence. Happily my copy doesn't seem to have any scratches and is in very good condition through out.

Before we start it is worth noting that this album was recorded before Dave and Annie adopted synthesizers and achieved commercial success. The music on this record is in a more typical rock style and it is no wonder it failed to satisfy teenagers looking for another "Sweet Dreams (are made of this)".  

Whilst the songs here might lack immediate appeal, they do still hold some interest. Things don't get off to an auspicious start as "English Summer" is a little languid and Annie's vocals lack confidence. But if you persist the chorus does deliver some charm before the songs peters out. Things kick up a gear or two with "Belinda" with its chugging guitar riffs and robotic drumming. There's no doubt this is a catchy tune that would have been great if it was recorded using synths rather than by a conventional rock band (even if Robert Görl is playing drums).

"Take Me to Your Heart" benefits from a synth driven backbone that is only slightly undermined by the uninspired bass guitar. Here Annie seems to be finding her voice and sings as if she believes in the material rather than just churning out album filler. The song is a little one dimensional but you can definitely hear the hints of what was to come in later albums. "She's Invisible Now" harks back to the sixties with some nice synth arpeggios thrown in, but Annie's vocal has reverted back to brittle sounding whispers. Side one closes with "Your Time Will Come" which builds into quite a good song, but like many here, it's little raw and under developed.

On the flip side "Caveman Head" does have a nice little synth riff running throughout, but it is essentially the same groove running without variation for four minutes. The highlight of the album for me is "Never Gonna Cry Again" which was also released as a single. I first heard this song on the post-split 'cash in' album "Live 1983-1989" in which Annie lets rip with a fantastic flute solo that is sadly missing on the album version. The next track "All the Young People (of Today)" comes and goes without making much impression but the French vocals and natty melody of "Sing-Sing" are very accomplished. We finish off with the middling "Revenge" which would later be re-recorded more successfully as "Revenge 2" for the album of the same name in 1986. 3/5

One record at a time: 134. Erasure - Day-Glo (Based on a true story)

Once again, Erasure have somehow managed to turn one mediocre album into no less than four separate releases (we have been spared the live album here as, up to press, the vinyl hasn't been released). 

The promo blurb describes this record as an 'unexpected bonus' that manipulates the sound files form the original to create a new atmospheric and introspective album. Basically Vince was bored during lockdown and started experimenting in Logic Pro. After a while Andy added some new vocals and before they knew it, they had a new album.

You will be unsurprised to hear this record is pressed on 'neon green' vinyl which sounds OK without being spectacular. 

It's relatively easy to discern which of the original album tracks form the basis of these reinterpretations, but they do move in strange an unexpected directions. Opening track "Based on a True Story" has a very atmospheric introduction but ends up using a sequence that Front Line Assembly would be proud of. "Pop Beat" chops up the vocals of the single "Hey Now (Think I got a Feeling)" and sets them against a new beat that is much more layered and atmospheric than the original.

Vince's riffs and flourishes are as distinctive as Andy's vocals (even when they have been cut up and manipulated) and you get the feeling this record was fun to make. "The Conman" seems to catch Andy chatting into the microphone between takes as Vince pours out a river of analogue delights. Less successful is the song "3 Strikes and You're Out" which is a more traditional composition. The strength of this album is its experimental nature and the atmosphere that Vince builds. Adding a straight forward vocal track spoils the mood a little and seems superfluous. I notice most of these tracks are all between three and four minutes. Vince should have had more courage in his conviction and teased out some of these tracks at the expense of some of the weaker material. But all in all this album is better than the original. 3/5

This album brings our odyssey through the Erasure back catalogue to an end. Thank you for sticking with it (readership figures have waxed and waned during the course of these albums). Next time we dive into another legendary band that found fame in the eighties.

One record at a time: 133. Erasure - The Neon REMIXED

This is a remix album on double coloured vinyl. The mixes are the usual club oriented material that can make for a worthy listening experience but are more often best left to the dance floor (not that many clubs will be playing Erasure in any form). Also included is one new song called "Secrets" which I can only assume is there to drive sales.

The pick of the mixes here are "Shot a Satellite (GRN Extended Remix)" and the atmospheric "Tower of Love (BSB's Stella Polaris Remix)" which both improve on the originals immensely.  Also worthy of mention is the Matt Pop remix of "New Horizons" which retains the feeling of the original but adds a new glossy layer over the top. 

None of these mixes are terrible but the version of "No Point in Tripping" by JC Carr and Bill Coleman is a little tedious with its cheesy Korg M1 piano riffs and sampled break beats. Whilst Andy Bell and Gareth Jones's "Sapphire and Steel" mix of "Nerves of Steel" breaks the club tedium, it lacks a little punch compared to the pumping dance tracks that surround it.

There were 3 CD singles of remixes released alongside the original album and none of the 29 tracks featured there seem to be repeated on this album. There is also a download code included in the package which provides access to all the mixes plus another 7 included on the digital version. The fourteen minute "Octa Octo Psychedelic Visions Disco Dub" of the new track "Secrets" is not for the faint hearted.

Whilst Erasure can't be criticised for not offering value for money, I do miss the days of a remix album that only had 6 or so high quality mixes across a variety of styles. Having listened to this album I can still hear TR-909  style bass drums pounding in my head. 3/5

One record at a time: 132. Erasure - The Neon

Having trawled through the entire Erasure back catalogue, we finally come to their most recent project "The Neon".

This is a 'neon' orange vinyl that, despite being pressed by Optimal Media, sounds uncharacteristically poor. There are quite a few crackles and my copy seems to have a lot of sibilance. I've noticed this shift towards coloured vinyl, and whilst it might look good, it rarely provides sonic fidelity. There are a few exceptions, such as the Audio Fidelity pressing of Vangelis's "Blade Runner", but generally I find coloured vinyl inferior. 

The music on offer here is okay, but nothing exceptional. The lead single "Hey Now (Think I Got A Feeling)" sees Vince creating some great analogue bass sounds and twinkling percussion, but the repetitive nature of the melody becomes slightly annoying. "Nerves of Steel" is a another highly repetitive single which has some bizarre lyrics about finding love in the "Motor Hotel". The third and final single to be released, "Fallen Angel" is catchy but continues the penchant for eccentric lyrics. If riding on the top of roller-coasters or "walking up the down escalator" gives Andy love then he is much more easily pleased than I am.

"No Point in Tripping" is fairly standard stuff, but the next track "Shot a Satellite" is a bit funkier and features some great flourishes by Vince. I can also recommend the Initial Talk remix of this track which has much more of an eighties sound and really satisfies."Tower of Love" is something of a dirge that has nothing to say and goes nowhere. "Diamond Lies" sounds like it was pieced together from snippets of other songs and I can't help but think I've heard the ideas before. "New Horizons" is a piano driven piece that has a great melody and is one of the best compositions on this record. Penultimate track "Careful What I Try To Do" ticks along quite nicely and would probably be have been better at the front of the album breaking up the mediocre singles. The last track, "Kid You're Not Alone" sees Andy singing falsetto about nothing in particular. And this is one of the most disappointing aspects of Erasure's more recent material: the lyrics are either nonsensical or so bland as to be without any meaning. Okay, so "Blue Savannah" is hardly a message to the world, but the words were at least memorable. I can't recall most of the lyrics from this album, and when I can, it is simply because they are ludicrous. 2/5