New Wave music reviews

As stated elsewhere this is in effect a concept album delivering an ironic twist on the world of business and politics. I first discovered it in the sale rack at a store in Llandudno, North Wales, and being such a big fan of the single 'Pop Muzik' I bought it. It's probably Robin Scott's finest hour, and eminently danceable too, if you're an intelligent dancer! At first listen it all seems a bit odd but it's infectious and soon you too'll find yourself grooving to some unlikely subjects. My favourite track is probably 'Your country needs you'.

I bought this record way back when it was first released. After listening to M's first disc "New York London Paris Munich", I was ready for some more "Pop Muzik" fun. I was disappointed when no song from this album struck me as good... but then again I was young and weaned on the radio pap that a lot of kids were (and still are) spoon-fed.

Today, I think this disc is great and it's about time the CD version was released. Starting with the atmospheric "Transmission" and moving through the bouncy "Working For The Corporation" and "Your Country Needs You", it's not until the last half of the album that you find the most commercial tracks "Keep It To Yourself" and "Official Secrets". You don't find many perfomers who save the best songs for last. But wait, this discs bonus tracks are more than just filler. "Don't Believe What The Papers Say" is great pulsing Europop (but way too short) and "The Bridge of Fortune" is so good it should've been included on the original release. The disc has full-color artwork and the booklet is faithful to the original album graphics, containing lyrics to all songs except the bonus tracks.

All in all, this is a great re-release at a great import price.

What if the KGB had put out an album to subliminally infect the minds of Western dance party patrons with Communist ideas and ideals? They did. And "Official Secrets Act" is the most infectuous dance beat you can imagine to contain delightfully pernicious idealogy.

a classic in the history of British heavy metal...if you dont already own this cd.....you would be doing yourself a favor by adding it to your collection!!!!! "Deaf 4-ever" and"Mean Machine" are classic Motorhead tunes!!

This is one of the best heavy metal albums ever recorded. There is nothing else like it. It is Motorhead at their best. Buy it if you have any doubts. And as Lemmy said, in the notes, if you still have doubts, try to get your money back!

Orgasmatron, the song, remains one of my very favorite metal songs of all time...it is so incredibly rich, almost Biblical, yet full of modern sound power...just cant get enough of this band....awesome...if youve been to a live concert and totally open, you will know how powerful they can be....right on lemmy

this album is a logical extention of weller's politically-charged work with the jam. the anger and subtle sarcasm is still there, but a mature sense of resigned acceptance runs through these marvelous little left-wing ditties. TSC would never achieve work of this magnitude again.

This album represents the apex of The Style Council's career. The collection of songs is stellar (except for that silly "Stand Up Comic's Instructions" thing) and, as always, the musicians are crisp and tight. This is their best studio album and is on par with Home & Abroad - the live recording from this timeframe. The left-wing rantings that are the lyrics of many tracks are intellectually obsolete and are annoyingly preachy but can be overlooked because of the musical quality. If you appreciate soul-influenced music and good melodies, snap this up.

From the first track 'Homebreakers' which tells of a family split up by the new economic policies of the Thatcherite government all the way to the rallying call to revolution contained in 'shout to the top' this album provides a cutting critique and insight into life in the uncertain world which was Britain in the early 1980's. The lyrics are definately contemporary but the skill with which they are crafted to the melodies in the songs is there to be admired. The opening line of one of the tracks 'walls come tumbling down' was promoted using a picture of Ronald Reagan with the first line 'you don't have to take this crap' in bold letters, indeed the political content of this album must not be overlooked. The Style Council were essentially a political band, advocating left wing socialist values and fiercely opposing the right wing hegemony which was Thatcherism. Along with the politics the tunes will have you whistling along to what is TSC's best album, Highly Recommended.

this album is a logical extention of weller's politically-charged work with the jam. the anger and subtle sarcasm is still there, but a mature sense of resigned acceptance runs through these marvelous little left-wing ditties. TSC would never achieve work of this magnitude again.

This album represents the apex of The Style Council's career. The collection of songs is stellar (except for that silly "Stand Up Comic's Instructions" thing) and, as always, the musicians are crisp and tight. This is their best studio album and is on par with Home & Abroad - the live recording from this timeframe. The left-wing rantings that are the lyrics of many tracks are intellectually obsolete and are annoyingly preachy but can be overlooked because of the musical quality. If you appreciate soul-influenced music and good melodies, snap this up.

From the first track 'Homebreakers' which tells of a family split up by the new economic policies of the Thatcherite government all the way to the rallying call to revolution contained in 'shout to the top' this album provides a cutting critique and insight into life in the uncertain world which was Britain in the early 1980's. The lyrics are definately contemporary but the skill with which they are crafted to the melodies in the songs is there to be admired. The opening line of one of the tracks 'walls come tumbling down' was promoted using a picture of Ronald Reagan with the first line 'you don't have to take this crap' in bold letters, indeed the political content of this album must not be overlooked. The Style Council were essentially a political band, advocating left wing socialist values and fiercely opposing the right wing hegemony which was Thatcherism. Along with the politics the tunes will have you whistling along to what is TSC's best album, Highly Recommended.

Back in the late 70's, music mags like Circus, Creem and Hit Parader would all have those enticing little ads tucked away in the back pages: "Be a music critic and receive hundreds of free records in return for your opinion." Of course those proved tempting to a 12 year old with no money but an insatiable appetitite for rock and roll.

Some things I learned during my brief pubescent career as a "music critic":
1. The "hundreds" of free records was usually two or three per ad, never more than half a dozen.
2. These records were usually promo singles, sometimes accompanied by an 8x10 glossy, which were usually heavily edited so that even if you happened to actually like it you still had to buy the real record.
3. At least half of the bands in the 70's had either Vinnie or Carmine Appice in them.

A very few of these mailings might occasionally contain some stuff that sounded strange to a kid who worshipped Rush, Black Sabbath and Judas Priest. But none sounded stranger than these weird little "Buy or Die" samplers from something called Ralph Records. These contained music by people I'd never heard of, with cool, exotic names like Tuxedomoon and Snakefinger. I credit those Ralph Records samplers as being my first introduction to anything experimental or alternative. But the band whose sound haunted me the most over the years was MX-80 Sound (later just MX-80.) These guys played a loud blend of metal, punk, new wave, free jazz and garage that was completely unique. It was truly a sound that could never be confused with anyone else, with Bruce Anderson's immediately identifiable guitar tone and singer Rich Stim's detached vocals and skronking sax. Dale Sophiea and Dave Mahoney contributed to the glorious din that stayed with me all those years.

So it was with great anticipation that I picked up this jam-packed single disc compilation of the band's two albums for Ralph. What's immediately apparent is the influence MX-80 had on the entire spectrum of noise rock to follow, from the Jesus and Mary Chain to My Bloody Valentine to Sonic Youth. Thurston Moore is a big fan and I read that he had some influence on getting this released. If true, further proof of his all around coolness. Something like the unbelievably hooky "Someday You'll Be King" even reminds one of early Guided By Voices as your ears dig through the murky production to get to the melodic center. "Obsessive Devotion" shows how good MX-80 could be when they occasionally slowed the tempo and cut the volume, while the stomping "More Than Good" makes us glad they usually didn't. And all over most of these tracks, Anderson plays with a brilliant combination of control and abandon equalled only by J Mascis and Neil Young.

An excellent compilation that brought back fond memories and helped create new ones.

This band was HATED! Hated by fellow Hoosier "Johnny Cougar" whose debut EP was ridiculed in the local newspaper by Rich Stim, MX-80 singer/saxman & all-around wordsmith extraordinaire. Hated by Chris Blackwell later on, because they were signed to his Island label (by a lesser exec, without his knowledge) and didn't play reggae. Hated, finally, by the little fascists in the Bay Area punk scene because Bruce Anderson, the most sonically RIVETING guitar player on any planet, had the audacity to play (Counter-revolutionary! Un-punk! Horrors!) guitar SOLOS. Well, as is obviously my opinion, these guys were AMAZING & in no way deserving of hatred! As you know by now, this is a 2-on-1 reissue of 1980's immortal "Out Of the Tunnel & '81's not-as-great-but-so-what "Crowd Control." I actually prefer their debut HARD ATTACK, mostly because it featured their earlier 2-drummer lineup (later reduced) which made for a more off-centre rhythmic approach. (In fact, HARD ATTACK's my alltime favourite LP & is so great I don't even dare write a review for it!) But a lack of polyrhythms is easily ignored when replaced by a more single-minded primal drum attack like you'll find here, & here is also where you'll find probably the band's best-ever (by near consensus) song, "Someday You'll Be King." Pure exhilaration! Not to mention hypnotic, gripping basslines, reckless electronically-distorted sax squawking, and THAT guitar, man, I swear...think of the sophistication of jazz-rockers like McLaughlin, Ulmer & Sharrock added to the gleeful pure-rock dumbness (a compliment) of, I dunno, Ted Nugent or somebody...sheesh

And it's about time, too! Back in the dawn of the '80s, people just didn't know what to make of these records. At the time, MX-80 Sound (as they were known back then; they've since dropped the last bit in their name) were considered some sort of weird art-rock anomoly from the mid-west (Bloomington, Indiana, to be exact) that pre-dated the punk movement in existence. In fact, the story of MX-80 is a weird one in itself... they'd been around since the early '70s as an instrumental group heavily influenced by Beefheart, Zappa and free jazz, released an EP of their own back in '76 ("Big Hits"), then strangely enough released their debut LP "Hard Attack" on the British wing of Island records. Dropped like a hot potato after that effort, and hooking up with the Residents on the west coast, they hightailed it to San Fran in the late '70s and released these two amazing LPs in '80 and '81, respectively. Gone were the Dada-ist, art-rock antics of their debut, only to be replaced by some serious hard-riffing ROCK ACTION. What were the New Wave geeks to make of it? Were they punk? Were they art-weirdos a la the Residents? (these being on Ralph Records at the time)... or, gulp, were they heavy metal? NO ONE wanted to admit it (especially those who loved the records, since HM was considered the nada amongst the rock cognescenti), but at its core, these were heavy metal records, no doubt about it. Occassionally sludgy, sometimes almost proto-speedmetal in their brutal riffage, both "Out of the Tunnel" and "Crowd Control" were records out of their time, and 20 years later they sound all the better for it. No matter what you may care to call them - "art-metal", "prog/jazz/punk" - the combination here of deadpan, existentialist lyrics, Dada rock, free jazz, punk and 70s metal is astonishing. Imagine, if you will, a weird mix of the Stooges, MC5, Blue Oyster Cult, Black Sabbath, Beefheart, Pere Ubu, Zappa, Ornette Coleman and Sonny Sharrock, and it's something almost approximating this. Shunned at the time by almost everyone, MX-80 have now found a healthy cult following amongst those smart enough to dig their flagrantly non-trendy, individualist stylings. You should do the same.

If you want some good ol' fashion raw speed metal, this is your album. Fast, loud, and raw. This is one Motorhead album, ofcourse Motorhead is one great band. So yea, if you want some good speed metal this is for you.

Motorhead is one of the most influential bands - they made speed metal rock n roll and influenced a lot of metal and rock bands who like to play it fast. late 70s saw the release of Overkill which is a killer of a record and saw speed metal bring a popular early start. motorhead is still strong today too!!

"Overkill" was a big step forward from Motorhead's eponymous debut, it cemented the group's famous sound, and it features the classics "Metropolis," "Stay Clean," "No Class," and the title track. But nearly every song on here is a hit, and these songs will tattoo themselves to your brain after only one listen. The beats are ultra infectious and rhythmic, and are laden with irresistable hooks, and the songs are composed of fast, memorable, groovey riffs, bouncy drum patterns, grumbling bass notes, and gruff vocals.

The album begins with one of the best. "Overkill" (the title track) is driven by a propulsive, fast, thumping, speed-punk drum beat, and is complimented with a very catchy guitar line and a wailing guitar solo. The album continues with "Stay Clean," which features wah-wah guitars and a chorus you'll have bouncing around your head for days. Later on, "No Class," which has a toe-tapping rhythm, is a concert and fan favorite, and "Damage Case" boasts a pair of fairly long solos and another unforgettable chorus. Track eight, "Tear Ya Down," has some almost breathtakingly awesome guitar work, and, likewise, "Metropolis" has five wailing solos; and "Limb From Limb" is highlighted by humming riffs, crashing drums, and three speaker-shredding solos.

If you get the remastered edition of this album (which you should and most likely will), five extra tracks are included, including two b-sides ("Too Late, Too Late" and "Like A Nightmare"), as well as an instrumental version of "Tear Ya Down," and two covers of "Louie Louie" (both of which are as catchy--maybe even catchier--than the original).

So, 1980's "Ace of Spades" may have catapulted Motorhead into superstardom and the mainstream, but their second album, 1979's "Overkill," was their first classic (which is arguably as great as "Ace of Spades"). If you consider yourself any kind of Motorhead, speed metal, or heavy metal fan, this disc is a must.

If there were 6 stars available for a rating, I'd give it to Level 42 and "A Physical Presence". Although I am a bit biased being a huge and long time fan of the band, there is still no denying that this live performance is as "tight" as a band can be in a live performance.

Make no mistake, this is where Level 42 shines. Their recordings made you a fan, but their live performances make you a devotee. If you ever wanted to hear near perfection through every facet of a performance, this is the CD for you.

My advice - Listen to this with some decent headphones and you'll hear a modern symphony that will amaze you every time.

Before "Something About You" and other Level 42 "Hits" that received pop radio airplay, there was the A Physical Presence. Largely underated and greatly under-appreciated, this double albums shows Level 42 at their finest. This incredible, energy-filled live performance will impress anyone who appreciates true musicianship and talent. Those who like Dave Matthews Band and similar bands that are better live should partake in this performance. Mark King's funk-driven slap bass merged with the intricate rhythms of the brothers Gould are truly awe-inspiring. You will not be able to keep your feet, hands and head from moving as you are pulled into the show. Rarely do live performances keep such consistent energy, passion and quality as this album. A true five-star, must-own, performance that is constantly in my CD player. If you buy ANY Level 42, buy this.

If you are reading this, you already know how great this band was, and I will not repeat what you have read from others. What I can tell you is that this is a long awaited treat. It was released originally on vinyl and then came a cd version that did not contain all the tracks from the vinyl. This one does !

This is one of the most spectacular albums recorded live I have ever heard (Frampton comes alive is another, Erykah Badu live is another). I have had the privilege of seeing these blokes perform live three times and this is still better than any of the performances I attended... Like Mark King says at the beginning of "The chant has begun", You're gonna sit...

The album was recorded in 1985, but the music doesn't have a single wrinkle. Besides, songs like "Kansas city milkman", "Hotwater", or "Almost there" are even better than the studio version, which says a lot. You'll also find rareties ("88", "Mr. Pink", or the long bass solo on "Love games") that make this album unique and indispensable in your collection. A great example of superb jazz-funk made by Brits. You'll love it if you like the music of Herbie Hancock and Marcus Miller.

Nope, in fact it was one of the songs that I hated the first time I heard it and can still gather up a load of revulsion for today. The oddball tune that drags this collection up to the .500 line is Pete Shelley's "Homo Sapien". Funny, catchy and just plain clever, but I worry about Pete. Other than that volume 5 barely trips the meter. Welcome to the middle of the new wave road.

My biggest complaint about this particular album is the inclusion of "Hold onto Something" by Great Buildings. Many of these songs define my days in high school, but for the life of me I can't remember ever hearing of this band. However, I do remember hearing this song...or one very much like it -- Joe Jackson's incredibly popular song titled, "I'm the Man," from his album, "I'm the Man" (1979), which was hugely popular through the early eighties.

Re-mixing this album with the correct song would help this album's rating a lot.

The best entry in Rhino's awesome "New Wave Hits" series.(Volume 1 which covers the late 70's is also excellent).All 16 songs are culled from 1982 which was indeed a very good year for pop music. Haircut One Hundred's "Love Plus One" and Flock of Seagulls' "I Ran" were anthems of the(then) young MTV Generation. These quirky video darlings raged like a hurricane of fresh air in the face of bland corporate schlock which hogged the airwaves. Songs like the Go Go's "Vacation" and Tommy Tutone's "867-5309" were not only pure fun-- they were also well-crafted 3-minute pop gems. In fact, nearly every tune on volume 5 is cut from the same intelligent pop mold. Other standouts from this set include the vastly underrated Marshall Crenshaw's "Someday Someway", The Jam's "A Town Called Malice" and Soft Cell's absurdly humorous "Sex Dwarf". The only weak cuts are Gang of Four's "Man in Uniform" and the truly horrible "Art of Parties" by Japan. Overall, this is a fantastic collection which harkens back to a truly innovative time in pop music-- a brief time when catchy Hit Singles ruled and all possibilities seemed endless.

Despite being pigeonholed as a Christian artist, Tonio uses a bigger palette than most artists of the genre. This is a great album, loaded with smart pop songs (I still don't know why "What Women Want" never got airplay). If this were anybody else, the album would rate five stars -- but since Tonio's earlier 'Life in the Foodchain' and 'Amerika' get that honor...

Quite toned down from Life in the Foodchain, this CD expands on Tonio K's talents. The harmony was beauiful and there were several (Without Love) that had me singing along. I have always admired this performer; he takes chances with the music he writes, and it's not quite mainstream, which is probably why I like it so much. I once owned this LP but my turntable isn't reliable anymore so I'm slowly replacing my Tonio K LPs with CDs. Everything he does is good, a lot of wry humor and definite anti-establishment attitude! This is one of the best in my opinion. A must buy if you're looking for something new!

It's a shame that Tonio K. was never recognised for this songwriting skills until he gave up recording. He produced several smart, snappy songs that all died lonely deaths in the back bins. He once said that he made more cash off that Grammy-winning song for Vanessa Williams (in the early 1990s) than he did off his entire recording career.

Sonically interesting (but you can hear T-Bone Burnett all over the place, even when he isn't there) but it's the lyrics that work best. It's dated now, but definitely still worth the money.

I bought this CD, thinking that it was 80's music remixed by Armand Van Helden. It's not. It is just slightly mixed together. So dissapointing. If you like your 80's music, but you have these songs elsewhere then you do not need it.

Upon first review the track listing, I have to admit it's a brave selection of music and I was excited to take a listen. He's definitely outside of the box on this one and it does feel like a set you would here at your own comfortable hole in the wall favorite spot where anything fun goes rather than trying to follow any formulas.
However, it would be more appropriate to call this "New York: An Editing Odyssey". These tracks are all studio edited and forced together rather than anything that resembles a true "dj mix set". Quite simply, this was not pulled off live and that is disappointing to hear from such a talented dj as Armand, because he probably could have. I know I intend to mess with many of the ideas presented here.
Truth be told this review is very nitpicky and the huge majority won't know the difference, but a few purists will. If he were to have actually pulled this off live, it would have been worth 7 stars.
Oh, and the little sound skip at the end of the last track, you need to understand, a dj couldn't just let that track fade out on it's own terms, you gotta put your stamp on it.

Where to begin?!? How bout Blondie....what a great kick-off. And the album does not stop until the last note bumps out the speakers 70-odd minutes later. Highlights include: EVERY SINGLE TRACK!!!! Pop and house...what a combo! A MUST BUY!