Various Artists [Electric Dreams '38 Classic Electric Hits]
Seems like there's a higher level of non Classical music in my Blog lately, plus compilation albums are getting a fair crack of the whip in my disc player, this is good news, i'm purposely trying to branch out into a more varied range of music, this is a great double disc compilation of British New Wave / Electric chart hits, some very famous, others surprisingly this is the first i've heard them, plus i'm really surprised that some of the best songs didn't do well in the charts, i must admit that some of the tracks are a little misplaced, listened to this over a couple of days.
This double disc set came out in 1995, the front cover isn't great, but it's nice i guess, but the back inlay is great, a black background, with white lettering for the Artists, and red lettering for the songs, what could be more clearer?.
Well i liked loads of tracks while listening to this, tracks 4, 6, 8, 11, 13-14, 20-21, 23-26, 31 & 38, that's nearly half of them, shows how much i really enjoyed this, the highlights were the four tracks below,
11 Blancmange Living On The Ceiling - It was only after the event of the eighties that i discovered this track, took some time to love it, i love it's disjointed beat, sounds like a xylophone in the chorus, and i just love that eastern vibe throughout [0:54-1:27 / 2:00-2:33 / 3:07-3:58], in the third verse he sings 'why im up the tree you say, why you down there i say!', i just love his logic!, and his operatic voice too!, it has an incredible jive to it.
20 Giorgio Moroder & Phil Oakley Together In Electric Dreams - Surprisingly never got to number one, an almost perfect chart hit, and epitomises the electric / synth sound of the time, highly lyrical, the slow swirling synth introduction is a masterstroke, and so when the chugging synth comes in [0:30+], it's a fantastic moment, there's an extended guitar solo near the end [2:46-3:16].
31 Classix Nouveaux Is It A Dream - I didn't know this track when it came into the charts, and it never got into the top ten, it was only later that i heard it on compilations like this, and i instantly fell in love with it, the lead singer takes it in turn with the rest of the band to sing the lyrics, it's great to hear the loud synths between at the end of the chorus.
38 Ultravox Vienna - A really atmospheric hit, painting visions of cold grey skies, the opening is just beats and peals of thunder, the chorus brings in a keyboard like a church organist [0:54+], and then in the second verse the mix takes it up a notch [1:20+], the whole song builds up and up throughout, and then an extended instrumental [3:10+], sounding like the strings of a cello, a marvellous creation.
This double disc set came out in 1995, the front cover isn't great, but it's nice i guess, but the back inlay is great, a black background, with white lettering for the Artists, and red lettering for the songs, what could be more clearer?.
Well i liked loads of tracks while listening to this, tracks 4, 6, 8, 11, 13-14, 20-21, 23-26, 31 & 38, that's nearly half of them, shows how much i really enjoyed this, the highlights were the four tracks below,
11 Blancmange Living On The Ceiling - It was only after the event of the eighties that i discovered this track, took some time to love it, i love it's disjointed beat, sounds like a xylophone in the chorus, and i just love that eastern vibe throughout [0:54-1:27 / 2:00-2:33 / 3:07-3:58], in the third verse he sings 'why im up the tree you say, why you down there i say!', i just love his logic!, and his operatic voice too!, it has an incredible jive to it.
20 Giorgio Moroder & Phil Oakley Together In Electric Dreams - Surprisingly never got to number one, an almost perfect chart hit, and epitomises the electric / synth sound of the time, highly lyrical, the slow swirling synth introduction is a masterstroke, and so when the chugging synth comes in [0:30+], it's a fantastic moment, there's an extended guitar solo near the end [2:46-3:16].
31 Classix Nouveaux Is It A Dream - I didn't know this track when it came into the charts, and it never got into the top ten, it was only later that i heard it on compilations like this, and i instantly fell in love with it, the lead singer takes it in turn with the rest of the band to sing the lyrics, it's great to hear the loud synths between at the end of the chorus.
38 Ultravox Vienna - A really atmospheric hit, painting visions of cold grey skies, the opening is just beats and peals of thunder, the chorus brings in a keyboard like a church organist [0:54+], and then in the second verse the mix takes it up a notch [1:20+], the whole song builds up and up throughout, and then an extended instrumental [3:10+], sounding like the strings of a cello, a marvellous creation.
