In the Sparks documentary I think it was Beck who said something about how this album was so fun for being an 80s classic that released before the 80s. This album was my everything in 8th grade. I try to be objective but with this one I will fully admit that is impossible. There are only 6 songs and they are all kinda long, that would usually be a turn off for me but no! They pull it off that splendidly.

Tryouts For The Human Race is about CONCEPTION! It's about sperm reaching eggs, how ... read more

Oh deary me. Where has this little blond British boy come from? There were many myths about Howard Jones' origin when he surprisingly rocketed towards the top of the charts with this album and his following one. Be it he was trying for years and years within other bands before making a last ditch effort with pop music, or that he and his wife were selling vegetables out of their car... In reality, he had gone to piano school and he knew how to play keyboards really well.

Howard Jones has ... read more

Basically, it's good but not very good.

Toby Fox!!!! It's no wonder that, even though this album is entirely unused in the comic itself, Hussie used his music more than any other. I like Alternia a lot. I wonder what Toby had to work with, considering the album released pretty soon after all the characters were introduced for the first time. Several of these songs got remixed and referenced as the trolls made Homestuck blow up into oblivion, never to be the same again.

If you buy ... read more

So why does Beat Boy suck so bad? Put it simple: Steve Strange needs Midge Ure. Sad. Steve is such a wonderful personality it's a real shame... It's nice to have a wake-up call every once in a while. Beat Boy reminds me that, hey, not everything in the early 80s was good, even if by artists you like, some of it was really, really, really, really, really bad.

The songs are terribly produced, so terribly in fact it's what convinced me to stop listening to music in stereo (I have ... read more

I developed an internal rivalry with John Foxx as a child because I absolutely hate his stuff with Ultravox. He is a terrible singer and a terrible rock star. He is simply too awkward and stilted and uncool to have any of that stuff go for him. In Metamatic, he attempted to go pure synthesizer and it seemed like he wrote exactly one song and it happened over and over again (except for its final track, Touch and Go, which reused a riff he had for a demo. Lucky for him, the post-Foxx Ultravox ... read more

Haunted house music.

More like MID!

Not rating this because I've only heard the one song- hip-hop is just not for me at the moment, but that song was really good. So good in fact I went back to albumoftheyear and reviewed its album! The song I've heard is Kissin' Pink, which samples All For You by Kissing the Pink (who are one of my favorite bands, especially right now, but are quite obscure). The original All For You is a bit of a boring song in an otherwise extremely interesting artsy new wave album- it's my ... read more

Into The Gap is not exactly Side Kicks 2 but it's also not not Side Kicks 2. Thompson Twins modernize their sound yet half of the album was recorded in the same year as Side Kicks. So what exactly is going on here?

I don't plan to answer that question fully but I can say this: Quick Step & Side Kick was a sellout album, and Into The Gap further polishes that sound to become even more commercial. Despite that though I don't think it loses anything from that. I guess sometimes ... read more

Greedy Little Fat Home!

A very nicely produced dance album. The lyrics are almost complete nonsense (see the title track). It's much more of an experimental jam than anything they've previously done. Though experimentation is very welcome. This is Kissing The Pink after all, it's not like you're listening for consistency. Be prepared for long instrumental breaks without vocals and some strange uses of loops.

Super-Superficial World has a very interesting progression where ... read more

It's better than I remember. As is typical with most alternative synth stuff it does need at least two listens to really sink into you. I do love how much this album commits to its simplicity. Most songs are based around the drum machine and where Neil Arthur's voice can take it, with some gentle synths guiding his way. It's like a really palatable version of The Normal. The bonus track Business Steps sounds like the most complicated version of Warm Leatherette.

Blancmange are ... read more

So I've been kinda trapped in this vortex of Kissing The Pink for the past month and it looks like it's not gonna stop. Might as well give in.

Certain Things Are Likely is the band's weakest album. But even not in comparison to the godlike genius of Naked and What Noise, this is just a mediocre 80s dance album, rivaling the total boredom of Information Society and late era Thompson Twins. I do think it is better than those two examples, but it is certainly a Sound of its time. ... read more

What a delight! It's very rare that an album lives up to exactly all of its hype. The Lexicon of Love is perhaps the second sophistipop album (second to Avalon by Roxy Music, who ABC are very clearly inspired by) and oh my lord, Trevor Horn you maniac! It sounds absolutely stunning!

The basslines are heavenly, the lyrics are surprisingly sharp and witty, Martin Fry is so fucking tall, the melodies are some of the catchiest of the year, every song is just chocked full of hooks, most ... read more

Discovering this album feels almost like a secret. Like I wasn't supposed to know that Thompson Twins weren't always three people and they weren't always new wave but somehow Tom and Alannah were always dating (I just don't believe it ok! I don't! I refuse!)

The use of guitars and percussion is certainly quite different to their later music, and you kinda realize something... this is who they really are. Because it's with this and then Babble you kinda come to the ... read more

Talk Talk and It's So Serious are perfect songs and I'm tired of hearing otherwise! Talk Talk fans tend to gear themselves towards the latter half of their career and give little attention to their first album. I haven't looked too deep into it but I can only assume that Mr. Hollis said something about how he regrets it- I remember reading an interview where he said he wished that the It's My Life song "Renee" appeared on there. I disagree with him deeply. Yknow ... read more

It means nothing to me.

Standard compilation. Unnecessary on its own but very fun to have on vinyl and play at parties. Very solid piece to introduce people to the band as well. It's the only official compilation to include both Joy Division and New Order songs and the cover art is pretty.

Highlight tracks: Isolation (wasn't a single, so its inclusion is quite unique), Atmosphere, Temptation, The Perfect Kiss, Blue Monday, True Faith, Fine Time, Regret, Crystal
Weaker tracks: Thieves Like Us (a bit weird to ... read more

I initially bought into the hate with only listening to about two songs but after several listens I have come to the conclusion: Everybody else is wrong.

While, on first listen, obviously less good than its predecessor it is definitely an album that is worth hearing if you liked it. Less focus isn't necessarily a bad thing. Kissing The Pink did not have a set genre in mind when making Naked but they polish their sound up here despite the several other hands involved. It might not work as ... read more

Nothing I love more than a lovely slice of synth pop goodery. 1983 is one of the best years in pop music and QSSK is one of the best of the best!

I can't deny I'm biased as I've heard a lot of these songs growing up but this is an extremely solid album with little reason to skip any track. I consistently find myself revisiting it and often revisiting individual songs just because of how goddamn beautiful they are. The synthesizers they use are full of personality that gel ... read more

Without a doubt their best album. A much better romp than Happy Families. While "Time Became the Tide" and "See the Train" are still holding over from that sound, the rest of the album is much quicker, much easier to dance to. You get album songs that while run a little long, don't drag on in a way that makes the album boring like the previous album had a tendency to do.

I think "Game Above My Head" is a great example of how much they've improved from ... read more