June 18, 2009 Earworm

When Yaz announced their break up in '82, no one knew what to expect of Alison Moyet on her own but no one expected the high gloss sheen of her 1984 solo debut, "Alf", either. While it became a much loved, and played, album that seemed to be in the collection of everyone I knew, there was also a hint of disappointment that came with it. When the follow up album came with even more gloss, everyone got the clue that her label was determined to make her a pop star in any way possible. The four year absence of new product led many to believe that she, or the label, had given up or that she simply shattered into a million brittle over produced pieces. A new decade and a new single, cheekily titled "It Won't Be Long", and we finally received the record that sounded like something we'd have expected. The parent album, "Hoodoo", only made the wait more worthwhile. A Grammy nod and one more album, heavily manipulated by the label (again), and Alison finally made it clear that she had no interest in making records only to be a pop star and waited out the next eight years of litigation it took be a true solo singer.

When Thompson Twins shook off a couple of members and, after the accidental success of "In The Name of Love", realized they just might have a pop career on their hands, they set about making their third album. Tighter, shinier, bigger and better, they threw out a preview of their future, "Lies", in October of '82. Aided by a sublimely silly video for MTV and constant club play, it reached number one on the club charts and left me anxious for the release of what would become one of my favorite albums of the decade. It also started my undying crush on front man Tom Bailey, he of the pleading eyes, pouting sneer, and flirty fringe. I never missed a Thompson Twins record but I never loved one of them as much as "Quick Step And Side Kick".

Happy birthday to Alison Moyet and Tom Bailey.

July 31, 2008 Earworm

Aside from the expectation of improved sound quality and bonus tracks, the thing I look forward to most in remastered releases is the chance to hear the content as a new experience; tossing out perceptions of the material built over the years. In the case of Dead Or Alive's "Sophisticated Boom Boom", the memories of an archly camp album became a realization of how just how inconsistent it is which in turn brings to light just how good the good tracks are. Considering the recently released Yaz(oo) box, "In Your Room", I was surprised at how consistently good their songs were after years of whittling down the brief catalog to a few favorites. Yes, "I Before E Except After C" is somewhat pointless but we can't really consider that a song... and they shouldn't have either.

If Yaz was started only to find a voice for Vince Clarke's "Only You", that alone warrants much thanks and respect, but hearing it in this new and improved setting has made me remember just how good it sounded before repetition and a preference for "Upstairs At Erics" other ballad, "Midnight", led to years of skipping over it. Under all those blips and beeps lies a lovely melancholy melody colored in by the air of Alf's resignation, an art that the boys in Depeche Mode probably knew they were then incapable of when they turned the song down. And with the delivery of one line, "'can't take no more", Alison Moyet demonstrated her worthiness of being called "The Voice"; adding so much to so few words that it almost distracts the listener from the preceding line, "and I wonder what's mine", which, as anyone who has ever had to divvy up a life when it's over knows, can be the cruelest part of the end.

"In Your Room" sounds great and the compilers have shown great respect for the source by refraining from the tampering called improvements to which so many such projects fall victim. The only beef I have is that the material could have easily fit onto two cds instead of three, providing a more chronological listening experience and a smaller price point.