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New Releases and Reviews
IN NO SENSE? NONSENSE! (Deluxe Edition) REVIEW
When
originally released in September 1987 as a single LP, cassette and Compact
Disc, In No Sense? Nonsense! was perhaps the most out of place album in the
charts that year. It couldn’t be defined by genre, nothing unusual about that,
after all it was as an Art of Noise record, but even to their fans it was, and
to this day remains an oddity. It was a complete departure from their first two
albums, 1984’s (Who’s Afraid Of?) The Art Of Noise! and their best selling
album In Visible Silence released seventeen months earlier. Both of those
ground breaking records included no less than three hit singles, however only Dragnet from the motion picture of the same name was released from this one.
From
motorcycles to orchestras, film soundtracks to choirs, pop to yodelling and
ambient backdrops, the album had it all. For those not initiated with it, they
could be forgiven for thinking that it would sound like a complete mess, on the
contrary it was one of the most sophisticated and fun albums ever made with
each track flowing continuously from one to another placing the listener on a
musical journey. Although there were no other singles taken from it, tracks
were released as b-sides for Kiss and Paranoimia ‘89 keeping the album in the
public consciousness. The original CD version had a slightly different track
sequence than that of its vinyl and cassette counterparts, swapping around Ode
To Don Jose / Day At The Races, however a couple of errors occurred with that
running order. The first was that the end of Ode To Don Jose was tracked at the
end of E.F.L., the second being that the finish of A Day At The Races
overlapped with the start of Ode To Don Jose. The CD was deleted in 1988 and a
“corrected” version took its place, unfortunately it omitted the beginning of A
Day At The Races. That version remained in print through various re-issues
until the album was permanently deleted in 1999.
Nineteen
years after its deletion and thirty-one after its Compact Disc debut, In No
Sense? Nonsense! has been given a new lease of life as a double CD deluxe
edition and for the first time on that format, the original LP / cassette
sequence has been used and remastered by Dudley, Jeczalik, Langan. The audio
quality of this release is far superior to that of the old versions, the sound
of every recording is crystal clear, drawing the listener inside the album to
reveal nuances not heard before in such highly detailed clarity, even the
background sounds that appear in the links between tracks demand the same attention
as the actual music. By going back to that sequence order there are no errors that
spoil the audio experience of listening to it completely uninterrupted and
intact for the first time.
Expanding
this album was never going to be an easy task as originally it was believed
that a large amount of outtakes and unreleased mixes were missing, never to see
the light of day again. Fortunately that wasn’t the case and what is presented
is fifty track deluxe edition that gives answers to the most asked question
about a b-side from fans, ‘What are the other excerpts that appear in Acton Art?’
That track appeared thirty-one years ago on various formats of the Dragnet single featuring edits from the long player and others that didn’t. Now appearing
with those mysterious tracks are a television commercial used for Brut, music
for the film Earth Girls Are Easy, the theme tune to The Krypton Factor TV show,
unreleased mixes of E.F.L. and One Earth alongside unheard demos. Those just
scratch the surface of what has been compiled in this extraordinary set that includes
mixes of the singles Dragnet and Legacy as well as a second collaboration with
Duane Eddy entitled Spies, alongside an Art of Noise remix of Paul McCartney’s Spies Like Us which actually fits in with the other movie soundtrack material.
The packaging has been carefully redesigned by
Philip Marshall remaining true to the original and houses a twenty-four page
booklet with a detailed essay by Ian Peel, the curator of this set. As with all
of the other rebooted Art of Noise albums, a great deal of thought, time and care
has gone into giving In No Sense? Nonsense! a reissue it deserves, one that fans can cherish.
MOMENTS IN LOVE
BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd.
Format 2 x CD
Release Date: 27th July 2018
Track List:
CD1: Close
(to the Edit) / Beat
Box /
Diversions 1 / Love
Beat / Love / On
Being Blue (New Vox) /
Dreaming in Colour (Way Out West's Excellent Extended Mix) /
Metaforce (feat. Rakim) /
Something Is Missing /
Metaphor On the Floor (feat. Rakim) /
Realisation / A
Time for Fear (Who's Afraid) /
Identity Crisis / Beep
Beep
CD2: The Invention of Love /
Moments In Love (Album Version) /
Snapshot / The
Wounds of Wonder / A Is
for Beginning /
Diversions 5 / Dr
Gradus / Beau
Soir / Il
Pleure (At the Turn of the Century) / The
Holy Egoism of Genius / Born
On a Sunday / A
Time for Fear (JJ's 12" Remix) /
Balance - Music for the Eye, Extract from Pt. 3: (Blue Murder / The Interrupted
Serenade / Ce N'est Pas Fini!) / Donna
ANNE DUDLEY PLAYS THE ART OF NOISE REVIEW
Originally
released last year, I decided to wait until now to review Anne Dudley Plays The
Art Of Noise as it was only available as a very expensive Japanese import.
An
entire album of cover versions is not a new idea as some of the biggest
recording artists of all time have recorded one, with only a few managing to
successfully pull off such a feat. Technically this isn’t a true album of covers
as Anne, Art of Noise’s longest serving member, co-wrote the greater part of
the material within it, but it is the first time that she has recorded the
majority of those pieces as a solo artist, reimagining some of the group’s best
known tracks as stripped down piano pieces, rather than arranging them for an entire
orchestra as one may have expected.
Selections
are taken from (Who’s Afraid Of?) The Art
Of Noise!, In Visible Silence, Below The Waste and The Seduction Of Claude Debussy with the odd surprise or two thrown
in for good measure. Although each track has been reduced to the lowest common
denominator to produce this album, there are times as an established Art of
Noise listener that one can be forgiven for almost hearing JJ Jeczalik &
Gary Langan’s wizardry sounds playing along with Anne’s performance, making this
an extremely interesting collection to listen to as it’s her programmed counterpoints
providing the new backing with a few original Art of Noise sounds that are reused
as brief nods to the past.
Six
of the group’s biggest hits, Close (To The Edit), Beat Box, Paranoimia, Legs,Instruments Of Darkness and Moments In Love are included and have all be turned
on their heads. On Being Blue and Il Pleure (At The Turn Of The Century) are far
superior to the original versions that appeared on The Seduction Of Claude Debussy
album, with other favourites like Backbeat, A Time For Fear (Who’s Afraid),Robinson Crusoe and Camilla providing Anne with a new sound canvas to play
with.
What
makes this special from other cover albums is the obvious personal connection
to the music, giving it a genuine soul of its own that manages to create
something new and extraordinarily different making one take in each note
that is played.
Anne Dudley Plays The Art Of
Noise is an excellent example of musical juxtapositions and
re-working material without alienating the listener that can also be enjoyed for
what it is, a carefully crafted album which will appeal to fans and the uninitiated.
ANNE DUDLEY PLAYS THE ART OF NOISE RELEASED DATE 15TH JUNE 2018
Island Records
Formats: CD / Limited Edition signed LP / Limited Edition signed CD
Release Date: 15th June 2018
Anne Dudley Plays The Art Of Noise is being released outside of Japan for the first time since it was issued there last year. It will be put out on CD and vinyl, with limited editions signed by Anne.
Track List: Ten
Fingers of Love / Close (To
the Edit) Diverted With World's Famous / A Time
for Fear (Who's Afraid) / Paranoimia / Beat Box / Robinson
Crusoe / Legs / On Being
Blue / Instruments
of Darkness / Moments
of Love / Il Pleure
(At the Turn of the Century) / Backbeat / Opus 5
Point 5 / Camilla / Finale
THE FIRST 48 INCHES OF FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD REVIEW
For the last twenty five years, ZTT have issued no less than
fifteen compilations, based around seven singles and tracks from two albums to
fill up each collection, starting with 1993’s Bang!... The Greatest Hits Of Frankie Goes To Hollywood.
Because of the lack of a huge back catalogue of singles, it
has been impossible to compile a genuine Greatest Hits album, however this latest
instalment from ZTT/BMG is the closest thing to such a release. The First 48 Inches Of Frankie Goes To
Hollywood is a box set of the first four 12” singles, excluding remix
editions, that were originally issued from
1983 – 1985 and is only available as part of Record Store Day on Saturday 21st
April 2018.
The Audio
The set kicks off with Relax,
the original sixteen minute ‘Sex Mix’that was withdrawn, replaced with an 8 minute edit before being substituted with
the most common version, the 7 minute ‘New
York Mix’ a.k.a. ‘U.S. Mix’ (the
one with the song in it). The inclusion of that original 12” gives this set a sense
of genuine continuity and lays down the blueprint for Trevor Horn’s lavish
Frankie multiple remixes that stand out as classic tracks in their own right.
Following Relax
are Two Tribes (Annihilation), Frankie’s
second number one (ironically, just as relevant now as it was back in 1984), the
extended mix of their third number one, The
Power Of Love and finally their first number two, Welcome To The Pleasuredome (Real Altered).
Each 12” includes its original b-side and thankfully no
additional tracks have been added as bonus material. This gives the listener a
chance to hear tracks rarely, if at all included in previous compilations. All
of the outtakes, interviews and live tracks from those classic records can be
heard once again on record for the first time in over thirty three years.
The sound quality of the each newly pressed vinyl is superb
and has never sounded better. Listening to the entire set from start to finish
was a very nostalgic journey. It made me wonder why it has taken so long to
come up with an almost perfect FGTH compilation to be released.
The Artwork
Each new vinyl has a brand new sleeve and a set of labels
designed by Philip Marshall with illustrations by Lo Cole that give a heavy nod
to the design of the Welcome To The
Pleasuredome LP, which works rather well. As with each of ZTT’s Element
Series entries are words by curator and compiler extraordinaire, Ian Peel.
The Packaging
As I said earlier “an almost perfect compilation”, the
reason I said that is because the actual packaging lets this set down. The
inner sleeves are too thin due to the weight of each record and can easily be
damaged. The box itself is way too thin to house the weight of all four 12”s as
it is more of an envelope made from very thin card than a box, if not handled
with extreme care these will tear and get battered very quickly. The last point
is the resealable sticker on the back as it tends to catch on the records when
they are removed or placed back into the packaging. A real shame as the artwork
looks fantastic.
Final Thoughts
A great trip down memory lane. I genuinely think this is the
best Frankie collection to date and it’s the only release, apart from Inside The Pleasuredome, that I have
been truly excited about. I really hope that ZTT/BMG release a second set “The
Last 36 Inches Of Frankie Goes To Hollywood" from the Liverpool era and maybe “The 49 Inches Of Frankie Goes To Hollywood”, a box set of all seven 7" singles?
One can hope in anticipation.
Element 43 has been catalogued as ZTIS 341 for ZTT Records
and as BMGCAT167QLP for BMG.
IN VISIBLE SILENCE (Deluxe Edition) REVIEW
A purchase is made at 3:55pm, Monday 14th April 1986 by a fourteen year-old boy who had been frantically looking for a new album released on that day in his local record shop on his way home from school. There in front of him, within the new releases was what he had been looking for. A cover with multiple squares, the yellow, red and blue ones hiding the image of a man’s embossed face, all running parallel to the oblong centre image of a hand holding a disc with the letters AoN. This wasn’t any new release album, it was In Visible Silence by The Art of Noise, complete with a circular lilac sticker that read Contains the hits Peter Gunn and Legs and the catalogue number WOL 2. How do I know that a fourteen year-old teenager purchased the album at that specific time and date? – Because that teenager was me and I still have the receipt inside its cover, a record of the moment that started a thirty-one year love affair with an album that has never waned.
Upon listening to it for the first time I was surprised how different it sounded from its predecessor (Who’s Afraid Of?) The Art Of Noise! and how perfect it sounded. Every track was structured in a way that has never dated, giving the album a sense of a non-linear timelessness, a product of its time, certainly, but never sounding of its time, or any other. After three decades it defies old age as if it had drank from a fountain of youth.
The chrome cassette was purchased a week later, then the following month the Compact Disc. As I opened the case and carefully lifted the disc from its housing, respecting it by not letting any of my fingerprints touch its surface (this was my first CD and also the first one released by the Art of Noise) I placed it into the drawer of my CD player, after it closed, the play button was pressed, Opus 4 began. The sound engaged me in away that I never imagined, this was one of the first non classical albums to take advantage of digital audio technology. Even now it sounds far better than most of the CDs put out during the 1980s and 1990s
Other versions surfaced between 1986 and 1988, each with their own charm, but never as good as the original version. What would now be called a deluxe edition surfaced in December 1986 with a free six track bonus album, Re-Works Of Art Of Noise containing three live tracks and the 12” mix of the group’s then new single Legacy.
A few years ago work had started on trying to get deluxe reissues of the Art of Noise’s three China Records albums released as they had been out of print since 1999. In 2015 In Visible Silence, its two follow-up albums In·No·Sense? Nonsense! and Below The Waste were reissued alongside the 1990s remix albums as digital downloads. Hope began to fade of any physical format being issued, let a lone a deluxe set. Late 2015, something started to happen, the ball had finally started to roll and In Visible Silence looked like it was to get a deluxe edition version at long last.
Fast forward to 19th May 2017, disc one of the deluxe edition remastered by Gary Langan & JJ Jeczalik is taken out of its packaging and placed into the tray of my trusted 1987 Philips CD-473 Compact Disc player. After the drawer closed, I pressed play expecting to hear a cleaned up high quality remaster, not expecting to be sucked inside the sound, never thinking that this album could be improved upon. After the final track of the original album had ended, came the first batch of extra tracks, the 7” versions of Paranoimia and Legs with the b-sides Hoops And Mallets; Something Always Happens (12” version); Why Me?; A Nation Rejects along with the previously unreleased Backbeat (Reprise). More often than not when additional tracks are added to an original album they can dilute it. Thankfully that is not the case here as they all feel like they were always included on the original In Visible Silence from 1986.
The first part of the second disc, is a treasure trove of previously unheard demos that went on to form the final album along with The First Leg and Second Legs, which as you may guess are earlier versions of Legs. Fans of Max Headroom will get an additional treat as the theme from The Max Headroom Show titled Happy Harry’s High Club is included and released for the very first time. As I have stated in a previous review, the Art of Noise’s demos are superior to many final mixes by other artists, that is certainly true here. The last part of the disc contains six 12” mixes: Legs (Inside Leg Mix); Legs (Last Leg Mix); Peter Gunn (Extended Version); Peter Gunn (The Twang Mix); Paranoimia (Extended Version) and Paranoimia (The Paranoid Mix). Although the last track had been issued on CD before as part of the 2010 compilation Influence, it’s the first time that it had been mastered for that format from the original master tape as at the time it was believed to have been lost and was made from a vinyl copy. If one listens closely you will some hidden gems over the double disc set, nothing has been added as a filler or for the sake of it. Not appearing in this set is Legacy as that was recorded after the In Visible Silence period sessions and having the mixes of the sequel to Legs would have been overkill.
John Pasche’s original 1986 artwork has faithfully been redesigned by Philip Marshall for the digipak and the traditional informative booklet written by the compiler/curator Ian Peel, the same man who rebooted the ZTT catalogue with that label’s Element Series.
By far this was always the Art of Noise’s best album, their most accessible and commercial. Now it is back after eighteen years of being out of print where it can be enjoyed again for the first time in its new form.
“This is the first work in The Art of Noise adventure series – (Three go mad in Faversham). Coming next: “Life with Derek and Dai".
IN VISIBLE SILENCE (Deluxe Edition)
Warner Music UK (XWOL 2)
Format: 2CD
Release Date: 19th May 2017
Officially announced today, and set for release on 19 May 2017: a two-disc, remastered, expanded edition of Art of Noise's million-selling second album, In Visible Silence, featuring the Grammy Award-winning hit single Peter Gunn ft. Duane Eddy.
The release date comes just six days before Anne Dudley, JJ Jeczalik and Gary Langan reboot In Visible Silence live on stage at Liverpool Sound City.
Disc One will feature the original album sequence and all the original 7” A-side mixes and B-sides. Disc Two presents eleven previously-unreleased tracks from the cutting room floor – the first time any out-take material from this era of Art of Noise has ever been released – alongside all the rare 12" mixes from the In Visible Silence project.
Every track has been remastered from the original tapes by Dudley·Jeczalik·Langan. The deluxe edition has been compiled and curated by Ian Peel, with design by Philip Marshall based on the original art of John Pasche. The sleevenotes detail Peel's two-year, 'Raiders of the Lost Art' search for the master and session tapes from the making of In Visible Silence.
The deluxe edition is available to pre-order on Amazon now (http://smarturl.it/InVisibleSilenceDlx, though please note tracklist currently displayed there is incorrect).
STAY TUNED for the launch of a special, official store on PledgeMusic where you will be able to pre-order the deluxe edition as well as a series of exclusive limited edition art prints, artefacts and merchandise.
In Visible Silence (Deluxe Edition, “XWOL 2”) tracklist:
Disc One: The original album: Opus 4, Paranoimia, Eye Of A Needle, Legs, Slip of the Tongue. Backbeat, Instruments Of Darkness, Peter Gunn ft. Duane Eddy, Camilla, The Old, Old Story, The Chameleon's Dish, Beatback. The singles: Paranoimia ft. Max Headroom (7" Mix), Legs (7" Mix)*, Hoops and Mallets*, Something Always Happens, Why Me?*, A Nation Rejects, Backbeat (Reprise) **
Disc Two: The Making Of: World War II**, The First Leg**, Happy Harry's High Club**, Chameleon 4**, Beddoo-Bedoo**, Panic**, Camel**, Second Legs** Trumpton Boogie**, Chameleon 1**, A Nation Regrets**. The Mixes Stop Here!: Legs (Inside Leg Mix)*, Legs (Last Leg Mix)*, Peter Gunn ft. Duane Eddy (Extended Version), Peter Gunn ft. Duane Eddy (The Twang Mix), Paranoimia ft. Max Headroom (Extended Version), Paranoimia ft. Max Headroom (The Paranoid Mix)
* 5 tracks previously unreleased on CD. ** 12 tracks previously unreleased.
For *additional details click here (*will be updated when artwork and more details come in)
MOMENTS IN LOVE (Exclusive Record Store Day 2017 Release)
Salvo Music (SALVOSV016 / PEEPS 1)
Format: 10" Shaped Picture Disc:
Release Date: 22nd April 2017
Before its release as a single in April 1985, Moments In Love was released four times over a nineteen month period on the following records: Into Battle With The Art Of Noise; Beat Box; Closely Closely (Enough’s Enough) and the album (Who’s Afraid Of?) The Art Of Noise! To a large number of people, that amount of exposure made the track sound tired and only die-hard Art of Noise & ZTT fans/collectors embraced it as a single in its own right.
As the follow-up to the group’s first UK top ten hit, Close (To The Edit), it was issued on 7”, 12”, cassette and shaped picture disc. With largely negative and mocking reviews by music journalists, non of those formats could place it into the UK top forty and it was very apparent that the single was in trouble. The lacklustre video and religious iconography artwork for the 7” & 12” editions didn’t really help it either and the single soon disappeared, never to be heard of again, or so everyone thought…
In August 1985 something unexpected happened, Madonna and Sean Penn replaced the Wedding March with Moments In Love at their wedding, giving the track some notoriety. It soon began to appear on various artists compilations, TV commercials, background music and whatever medium it could lend itself to. Following the success of Brylcream’s 1986-1987 advertising campaign that used LoveBeat in their commercial it was reissued in Europe, reaching the top ten in the Netherlands. ZTT then re-issued the single in the UK with improved artwork and a new video. Since then no less than four remixes have appeared on a couple of ZTT compilation albums, but never issued as singles. One that almost got issued as a single was Rob Searle’s Anthem Mix thankfully it was withdrawn from shops before its official release date. Twenty seven years after Moments In Love first appeared it was released as a digital download, peaking at #27 on Billboard’s Jazz Digital Songs in the USA and spent at least eighty seven weeks on that music chart.
For the first time in thirty years and as part of Record Store Day 2017, Moments In Love is being officially released as a vinyl single by ZTT/Salvo/BMG as a newly redesigned limited edition 10” shaped picture disc. Side A retains the 1985 7” version that also appeared on the 1987 reissue and is the only edit that actually works due to the complex structure of the track. A Time To Fear (JJ’s 12” Remix), released on vinyl for the first time, is the third track to appear on side B, following Beat Box (Diversion Ten) in 1985 and LoveBeat in 1987. Listening to it on this single makes the track stand out as it was originally intended to be, as an individual track to be enjoyed for what it is, bring a new dimension to the piece, rather than becoming lost to a certain degree on a full length compilation album.
As a general rule vinyl picture discs can be hit & miss regarding sound quality, but having listened to this a couple of times I can say that it is one of the better ones that have been issued over the years. The sound has depth to it and is not drowned out by surface noise that can make these kind of records seem rather flat, spoiling the listening experience.
The artwork was designed by Philip Marshall with Oscar H. Scott, assisted by Julia Schiller and is a new take on Paul Morley’s “the tortoise and the hare” theme that replaces the original tortoise shaped picture disc with a hare shaped one derived from XLZTT’s original masks. This brand new design is faithful to those from the 1980s, keeping the humour of Art of Noise by giving a nod to the Edited 12” picture disc, at the same time looking different and original enough to become as iconic as the classic 1985 edition.
MOMENTS IN LOVE (Exclusive Record Store Day 2017 Release)
Music on Vinyl
Format: Coloured Vinyl 12"
Release Date: 22nd April 2017
Music on Vinyl are reissuing the original 1985 12” Moments In Love (The Art Of Noise’s LoveBeat 12”) on a purple limited edition vinyl, unfortunately they don’t send out advanced copies for reviews, but I’m sure it will be a nice addition to any collector on Record Store Day.
http://recordstoreday.co.uk/excl.../rsd-2017/art-of-noise-1/
ANNE DUDLEY / ELLE - ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK
Sony Music Classical
Format: CD / Digital Download
Release Date: 14th April 2017
Anne's second score for the dutch film director, Paul Verhoeven is set for release on the 14th April 2017.
THE BEST OF THE ART OF NOISE (reissue)
China Records (WPCR-16977)
Format: CD
Japanese Release Date: 2nd December 2015
The standard 1992 issue of
The Best Of The Art Of Noise is re-issued again in Japan, this time as a
strictly limited edition budget price CD next month with no extra
tracks. The last time this compilation was re-issued was in June 2013 as
a SHM-CD. Only recommended for serious die-hard Art of Noise
collectors.
CANCELLED! WHO'S AFRAID OF THE ART OF NOISE Deluxe
Classic Album Sundays and ZTT present a high end
deluxe box set vinyl re-issue of The Art of Noise ‘Who’s Afraid Of The
Art Of Noise’. Remastered from the original tapes and pressed on
audiophile quality 180g vinyl, this re-issue will be pressed as a double
45rpm LP for the first time.
The contents of the box set will include:
- 12” DBL LP 45rpm pressing, remastered by Darrel Shienman of Gearbox.
- High end audiophile slipmat with Art Of Noise imagery.
- Extended 12” sleevenotes presented as a book, detailing the history
of the band and the album. The sleevenotes will be written by band
member Paul Morley and Classic Album Sundays founder Colleen ‘Cosmo’
Murphy. The booklet will also include archive photos of the band and
potentially some new and unseen photos.
- 12” Re-issue of the first Art Of Noise EP, ‘Into Battle’. Repressed on audiophile quality vinyl.
- Brand new 12” remixes of ‘Moments Of Love’ and ‘Beatbox’.
- 12” screen print created by The Flood Gallery featuring artwork inspired by The Art Of Noise.
In addition to this, there will be a Classic Album Sundays event to
launch the album featuring a full playback of the album on a valve audio
system featuring a Q&A session featuring members of The Art Of
Noise.
All prices include postage to your location.
NOTE: Due to licensing restrictions this campaign is NOT available to Pledgers in the US, Canada or Japan.
click here for details and latest updates.
ANNE DUDLEY / POLDARK - MUSIC FROM THE TV SERIES
Sony Classical (88875096792)
Formats: CD / Download
UK Release Date: Monday 11th May 2015
Film and television
soundtrack albums can be disappointing affairs, on one hand some are
nothing more than compilation albums of hit songs used throughout the
visual work with no depth or any thematic importance to them. On the
other hand, some that contain selections from the original scores can
come across as dull, too subtle or just boring as they don't work as a
separate entity away from the narrative of the feature film or series
from which they belong.
As someone that hasn't seen Poldark yet, I have approached this album for a different perspective to that of the viewers of the series.
The thing I always
enjoy about Anne Dudley's music is that one never knows what to expect
and this album reiterates that statement wholeheartedly. Like all of her
previous soundtrack albums, this stands up as an individual piece in
its own right and doesn't require that the listener needs to watch the
acclaimed BBC series, that was based upon the historical novels by
Winston Graham. The melodies, moods, atmospheres and subtleties work
perfectly throughout the entire duration of this compelling body of work
and should never be listened to as background music as it is definitely
not orchestrated muzak.
Unlike many notable composers Anne doesn't conform to the notion of musical boundaries. If
one listens close enough it is possible to detect some modern day
electronic sounds that wouldn't normally be expected to be heard
alongside harps, violins and orchestrations of a score set to an 18th
Century story that occasionally features themes based upon Cornish folk
music. For those unfamiliar with her work anyone reading this could be
forgiven for thinking that there is no way that this should work, but it
does perfectly. It is not intrusive and doesn't detract from any of the
nuances within the music itself. This is a great example of her musical
intellect and why she has been one of the most sort after
composer/arrangers for over the past 30 plus years. She is without doubt
one the Britain's best modern day composers, if not the best, with Poldark - Music From The TV Series being the latest addition to an impressive career.
ACT / LOVE & HATE - A COMPACT INTRODUCTION
ZTT/Salvo (SALVOMDCD40 / Element 39)
Formats: 2CD / Download
UK Release Date: Monday 8th June 2015
By the time Act’s only album Laughter, Tears & Rage was released,
the charts were being dominated by records produced by the Stock Aitken
Waterman production team. Their attack on the charts was relentless as
they were giving the teenager audience what they really wanted,
disposable production line style pure pop records, with no emphasis on
experimental well crafted music that Zang Tuum Tumb had been so
successful at since 1983.
By early 1987 and late 1989 ZTT were in
a void, their three biggest artists were no longer part of the label’s
roster, leaving them without any significant hits. There was one glimmer
of hope in the form of a collaboration between ex-Propaganda vocalist
Claudia Brücken and Thomas Leer, imaginatively named Act. In theory they
should have been the next big thing for the label, although it wasn’t
meant to be as their debut single and highest chart entry Snobbery
& Decay stalled at number 60 and their 1988 debut album went
unnoticed.
So why didn’t Act set the charts on fire? Was their music too ambitious or did it lack ingenuity or charm?
The
answer to those questions only occurred to me when reading the blurb on
the back of the packaging of this collection “Music so cutting edge”,
and then the penny dropped… timing.
Maybe if the record had been
made and released a couple of years earlier it would have been a force
to have been reckoned with. It certainly has depth and quality to it,
but what we have to bear in mind is that by 1988 electronic synth pop's golden age
was effectively dead. Gary Numan had vanished, OMD were on the verge of
splitting, Kraftwerk were AWOL, the Human League had passed their sell
by date and Howard Jones hadn’t had a top 20 hit since 1985.
Unfortunately the genre had been taken over by the cheap D.I.Y.
productions of house music and acid house along with the never ending
hits coming out from the aforementioned Stock Aitken Waterman stable.
After
27 years I listened to Act’s only album for the first time as part of
this compilation and for me the title Love & Hate - A Compact
Introduction couldn’t be more apt. An overlooked late 80s gem with many
pleasant surprises, far better than I expected it to be.
Disc 1
is the Laughter, Tears & Rage (The Director’s Cut) version with
the apparent original running order and extra tracks. Although Brücken
was the common denominator of both Propaganda and Act, musically they
were worlds apart. One is made very aware of this when listening as Act
incorporated cabaret, theatrical themes with popular synthpop styles
along with very discreet hints of late 80s dance thrown into the mix
making it lighter in tone to that of Propaganda and ironically should
have made it more accessible for the music buying public at large.
From
the opening song Gestures to the closing track Snobbery & Decaythe listener is taken on a journey of pure unadulterated pop music,
even though that statement is a contradiction in terms due to its
potpourri of incorporated genres, it is possibly the closest thing that
ZTT ever got to releasing a true pop album and theoretically the only
real competition they should have had should have been from the Pet Shop
Boys.
The superb electronic sound throughout this album
complements the style of the vocals that give each song its own unique
identity and at the same time manages to retain a large amount of
continuity from track to track, although the cover of The Smiths’ Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now seems completely out of place. There is
nothing wrong with the track itself as a stand alone, but it doesn’t
really compliment the rest of the album lyrically.
Listening to
this collection was a real joy and one of those ‘I wish I head listened
to this album years ago’ moments. Unlike the majority of synth pop
albums from the 1980s this one has a unique charm about, an identity and
character of its own even though a lot of influences can be detected if
you listen out for them.
Disc 2, entitled Emotional 12”
Versions contains 12”, 7”, b-sides and other experimentations from the
group’s short-lived existence, aimed at the connoisseur keep both new
listeners and faithful fans happy.
This is the second ‘a compact
introduction’ in ZTT’s Element series, and is far superior to that of
the first, Propaganda’s Noise And Girls Come Out To Play which was in
essence a collection of various mixes of just 3 or 4 songs and was
extremely repetitive. The accompanying booklet features excellent sleeve
notes that are an essential read like those of other releases in the
series along with previously unreleased images of the group themselves
by Patrick Lichfield.
ANNE PIGALLE / EVERYTHING COULD BE SO PERFECT... (Édtion Deluxe)
ZTT/Salvo (SALVOMDCD41 / Element 40)
Formats: 2CD / Download
UK Release Date: Monday 8th June 2015
This album in its original form has always been a must have for all
serious collectors of the ZTT label and this new expanded edition is no
exception. Anne Pigalle was one of the first artists signed to that very
label but was overshadowed by the likes of Art of Noise, Frankie Goes
To Hollywood, Propaganda and Andrew Poppy but yet, like those artists
she had gained a following in her own right, a cult one at that, but being dubbed as the ‘new Edith Piaf’ so early on in her career was an acknowledgement of her talents.
Everything
Could Be So Perfect… was a brilliantly executed timeless nouveau pop
record which at times became almost stereotypical of French music in
general but managed to embrace those stereotypes and turn them into a sophisticated original body of work.
Out of all the early albums to be released by ZTT, this one was
definitely the one to appeal to an adult audience rather than a teenage
one. That is the reason why it has always worked so well and stood the
test of time.
This new version, subtitled ‘Édtion deluxe’
contains the original album with the addition of remixes from the
singles Why Does It Have To Be This Way… and Hé Stranger along with
unreleased material.
For me, adding extra tracks to the
first disc slighly detracts from the original album as less is more and I would
have actually been more excited about a remastered version with nothing
added, but that is just my opinion, no doubt others will disagree. In the majority of the Element series issues the extra tracks enhanced a lot of those albums, but not on this edition. To be fair this album was always going to be a difficult one to deliver as an expanded issue, mainly because of the lack of recorded material she did at ZTT along with the public at large not being aware of her work.
The
second disc is as what one may have come to expect from the Element
Series, a collection of mixes, demos and unreleased material from that
period. Personally I would have included the three additional tracks
from the first disc and left out a few of the others that appear on the
bonus CD as at first I got bored with the repetitiveness of it, but after a few listens I started to appreciate those alternative versions. Maybe
if an alternate version of the album had been created from the archives,
one version per song it would have been more of an enjoyable listening
experience the first time round, but then those other tracks would never have seen the light of day.
For the first time listener, it may not have
much appeal as there are simply too many versions of the same song on a
double CD, on the other hand a lot of thought and effort has gone into this treasure trove for the ZTT
collectors who will embrace it.
ZTT/Salvo (SALVOSVX029 / Element 37)
Format: 2CD+DVD
UK Release Date: Monday 2nd February 2015
German Release Date: Friday 6th February 2015
Throughout
the 1980s the Art of Noise were at the forefront of modern technology,
pioneering the then new concept of digital sampling, influencing a
generation of musicians, sound engineers and record producers alike. By
1990 the
two remaining members of the group, Anne Dudley & J.J. Jeczalik
decided
that their work was done when sampling had become available to the
masses. As an avid fan since September 1983, I, like a lot of others was
quite sad when the news was announced only a few weeks after the
release of the hit single Art Of Love and their remix compilation album The Ambient Collection.
Throughout
the majority of that decade, enthusiasts like my self had to endure
another two remix albums in attempt to keep the spirit of group alive by
China Records, as more
and more contemporary dance artists of the time were acknowledging the
group as
their idols, making way for a new audience to discover their music,
albeit in bastardised forms. However Art of Noise themselves were busy
not being Art of
Noise working on other projects.
A few weeks before the third and
thankfully last remix album was released, the first proper Art of Noise
spin-off project, or sequel, depending on one's point of view emerged in
the form of an album by Art of Silence, the brainchild of Jeczalik. It
got positive
praise by fans and rave reviews in the dance music press. However by
early 1997 he had retired from the music industry ending what at the
time seemed like the end of the Art of Noise for good. Shortly after we
would be proved wrong when another spin-off project began to take shape
in the form of
the Image of a Group, a collaboration with original members Dudley,
Trevor Horn, Paul Morley with a new member, Lol Creme of 10cc and Godley
&
Creme fame began working on Horn’s concept album idea based around the
music of the French
composer Claude Debussy that would eventually end up being released in
1999 as The Seduction Of Claude Debussy, the fifth Art of Noise and the first in a
decade. The
roots of that released album are included as two prototype versions on the first two
discs of this three set.
CD1 Balance - Music For The Eye
This previously unreleased album is
presented in its pure unadulterated form. More tranquil and less
bombastic
than its commercial counterpart it allows the melodic themes of Debussy
room to
breath, taking them in different directions to those we have been used
to hearing
over the last fifteen years. From a production point of view it is an
ambitiously polished work and stands up to
the test of time. In many ways far better than the album we've been
accustomed to with the use of more subtle
drum & bass rhythms and tones. Throughout the sixty-nine minute
duration it gives the listener a pleasant, refreshing feel with more
prominent darker ambient moods and incorporated smooth jazz vibes. It is
a timeless classic that never was, an album that could have easily have
reached the top of the Smooth Jazz album charts. With its fusion of
classical elements it reiterates and emphasises that all genres of music
can coexist together, by breaking down musical boundaries to create
something new that transcends conformist convention. Unlike The Seduction Of Claude Debussy,
all of the monologues are performed by Morley as introductions to the
three parts that make up this album and make it easier to listen to the
tracks individually without them sounding like they have been taken out
of context. It is a
shame that Balance - Music For The Eye was never released in its own right as it would have been
an excellent debut for the Image of a Group. Alas this was not to be after Horn
decided to shelve it and start again after Jeczalik allowed them to use the Art
of Noise name. The results of that material appear as the second version of the
album on disc two.
CD2 The
Production Of Claude Debussy (The Producer’s Cut)
Formerly only available as an advanced
promotional copy of The Seduction Of Claude Debussy is now commercially available for the very first time with four addition tracks. It is
essentially the same as the released version with a few alternate mixes of
certain tracks with a discretely different running order. After listening to
disc one the listener is now hit with rampaging drum & bass rhythms,
orchestral arrangements, Sally Bradshaw operatic vocals, John Hurt’s gripping
narration of the life and times of Debussy. Donna Lewis and Carol Kenyon
provided vocals with raps provided by non other than Rakim. Horn co-produced a
large part of the album with other producers including Henry Jackman, Way Out
West, Sharktank and Ollie J that gave it a contemporary dance sound of that
period. The album is more concise than the first version allowing the music to
flow from one track to the next by gathering momentum until it stops to breath
before picking up speed and races to the end to bow out gracefully with the
final track. The additional tracks are remixes of Dreaming mixed by Brothers In Rhythm that
feel like a missed opportunity as they were once considered to be included as tracks on a follow-up single to Metaforce.
DVD The Image Of A Group At The End Of A Century
A potpourri of concert footage,
electronic press kits, rehearsal footage, promotional videos and scratch
videos that cover this period of Art of Noise's history. A Private Audience With Art Of Noise (Live at Coexistence, 01 June 2000) and A Public Audience With Art Of Noise (Live at the Shepherd's Bush Empire, 22 March 2000) are two takes on the same show presented in full for the very first time are more coherent than the previously released DVD Into Vision
that kept cutting between footage from the Coachella Festival,
Shepherds Bush and Wembley. The only downside is that there is no 5.1
surround sound on this release but the amount of footage on this disc
alone makes up for that.
Now after more than fifteen years since the release of The Seduction Of Claude Debussy; At The End Of A Century
gives fans a new perspective of the music created from that period of
time, an insight to what was and could have been. It is a portal to the
past of which the likes of the over-hyped Spice Girls along with the
overrated Oasis ruled the charts rather than radical innovative music
that has been synonymous with the Art of Noise making them stand out
from their contemporaries and peers as one of the most influential
groups in music history, ironically keeping a low profile as they went
along.
As ever with the every release in
the Element series, number thirty-seven's packaging is first rate.
Included within the lavish three disc digipak is a very well documented
booklet with sleeve notes by Paul Morley and curator Ian Peel along with
previously unreleased pictures.
VARIOUS ARTISTS / ZANG TUUM TUMB: THE VALUE OF ENTERTAINMENT
ZTT/Salvo (SALVOSVX028 / Element 35)
Format: CD+DVD
UK Release Date: Monday 2nd February 2015
German Release Date: Friday 6th February 2015
Originally released as two separate entities Zang Tumb Tuum Sampled previously available on LP & cassette and ZTT: The Value Of Entertainment,
a VHS video. For the first time they appear together in this nostalgic
retrospective that showcases the original roster of ZTT's artists: Art
of Noise; Frankie Goes To Hollywood; Propaganda; Andrew Poppy; Anne
Pigalle and Instinct, ironically marking the beginning of the end of its
golden age.
CD Zang Tumb Tuum Sampled
The original album appears for the first time on CD,
remastered and expanded exclusively
for this re-release. Unlike a conventional record label, ZTT chose to
ignore the hit singles that they were releasing, opting to focus on
album tracks archived material from the vaults and live performances.
The result is a treasure trove of the familiar and the obscure, along
with the then only appearance on record of the group Instinct (although
tracks would eventually surface more than a quarter of a century later
on future ZTT retrospectives). Seven bonus tracks are now included
including, mainly focusing on the material from The Value Of Entertainment at the Ambassador's Theatre in London.
DVD The Value Of Entertainment
The Value Of Entertainment
follows Paul Morley talking ZTT at the Ambassador's Theatre in 1985 and
introducing the acts appearing live on stage at the venue. Minus the
touring Frankie Goes To Hollywood and recently departed Art of Noise
from the label, leaving Morley to fill in the gaps. Looking back at the
show almost thirty years later with Propaganda as the headlining act, it still manages to encapsulate the diversity of their artists and those musical ideas that have been synonymously associated with ZTT. In addition to the original Time Capsule video presentation that was released in 1986, there is now an additional one entitled Time Capsule Two. along with a Gallery by Andrew Catlin.
The picture quality is remarkably good despite its age and is far better than watching it on an old VHS video cassette.
Over the last three
decades ZTT have released not only ground breaking albums, but also
remarkable compilations too in the form of dance compilations, film
soundtracks, box sets and one totally dedicated to the production skills
of label owner Trevor Horn. Each one standing well apart from the run
of the mill releases
put out by other record companies. It is with a sense of irony that
their first, originally a low priced disposable sampler, has been a fan
favourite since its initial release. Zang Tumb Tuum Sampled has
always been regarded by most as the ultimate ZTT compilation, but it
was also the one ignored by the Compact Disc format, until now where it
can be experienced for the first time in its entirety both sonically and
visually with the accompanying The Value Of Entertainment.
FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD, PROPAGANDA, ART OF NOISE
SO80s (SOEIGHTIES) PRESENTS ZTT
Soundcolours (SC0342)
Formats: 2CD / Download
German Release Date: Friday 25th April 2014
UK Release Date: Monday 28th April 2014
The promise, the dream, the anticipation, the disappointment.
The
first disc was originally intended to feature new reconstructions by
Blank & Jones of classic tracks by Zang Tumb Tuum's three biggest
acts of the time rather than updated dance remixes, with the second to
feature a megamix of ZTT's back catalogue. However this is not how this
double disc set is presented as nine out of the thirteen remodelled
productions are of Frankie Goes To Hollywood with Propaganda and Art of
Noise appearing as fillers. According to sources the duo were only sent
the multi-tracks of the featured songs by ZTT, limiting them to what
they could do with the project. From this fan's point of view it would
have been better to have omitted the three Propaganda tracks: Duel; Dr. Mabuse; A Dream Within A Dream along with the now overused Moments In Love by Art of Noise and released the project as So80s (Soeighties) Present Frankie Goes To Hollywood.
With that said, the majority
of these new reconstructions do sound as they were meant to, as one
could be mistaken for thinking that they were all unreleased mixes from
the 1980s. A great deal of care has been put into how these versions
have been put together, so much so that Blank & Jones actually
purchased equipment from that period for their additional work to
seamlessly blend in with the original source material. Thankfully they
didn't go in the direction of so many other people that have remixed
tracks from ZTT's over the past twenty years by turning them into club
anthems that removed their heart and soul.
In many ways this release is a
contradiction as it is extremely enjoyable to listen to, but at the
same time it's a huge disappointment as it fails to deliver on many
levels. Not even the well designed artwork and sleeve notes by Paul
Morley can hide the fact that it could have been so much more. ZTT have
always been full of inconsistencies over the past three decades,
unfortunately this album doesn't fall into that ethos.
VARIOUS ARTISTS / ZANG TUUM TUMB - THE RE-ORGANIZATION OF POP
(Exclusive Record Store Day 2014 Release)
ZTT/Razor & Tie (79301-83560-7 / Element 32)
Format: 10 x 7" Box Set
US Release Date: Saturday 19th April 2014
This is a spin-off from last year's Zang Tuum Tumb - The Organization Of Pop (New York Edition) compilation album that was released to celebrate thirty years of ZTT Records and is the second of that label's new releases for Record Store Day 2014. Unlike Live At The End Of A Century by Art of Noise, this set is aimed at the American market and is the most ambitious of the two.
The box set itself, is a work of art, complete with track by track commentary in the accompanying booklet.
At first glance it would appear
that the ten singles included are just reprints of previously released
45s. Explore a little further and one will be pleasantly surprised as
only a few were released in the US prior to this set. For example Art of
Noise's Beat Box (Diversion Six and Seven) was only ever released in the UK in a generic die-cut sleeve, unlike here where it now has a picture sleeve for the first time.
There are three exclusive singles included in this set that have never been made commercially available before, Andrew Poppy's 32 Frames, originally release as a 12" in 1986, Chance by Act that was withdrawn prior to its 1988 release date due to copyright issues and Zambient Two that features Dolphins by Heights of Abraham on its A-side and Lisa Stansfield's When Love Breaks Down on side B. Of course no ZTT compilation would be complete without Frankie Goes To Hollywood and Propaganda.
Like Record Store Day 2014 in the
UK, this release (of just one thousand) are only available from
specialist record stores, but no doubt that by Saturday afternoon there
will be more than a few of these items listed on eBay at
extortionate prices, this is the downside to Record Store Day as it
attracts touts that exploit genuine fans and collectors. My advice for
Saturday the 14th April is if you see one buy it, as it will cost you a
lot more from auction sites.
LIVE AT THE END OF A CENTURY(Exclusive Record Store Day 2014 Release)
ZTT/Salvo (SALVOSV006 / Element 34)
Format: 12" Picture Disc
Release Date: Saturday 19th April 2014
Almost
fifteen years after the last Art of Noise single Metaforce, ZTT/Salvo
release the long awaited follow up, Live At The End Of A
Century. It is being issued as a limited edition 12” picture disc that
will be made available as part of Record Store Day 2014 in
the UK via specialist independent shops.
Art
of Noise were always different as well as being creatively ahead of
anyone else making music during the eighties and again in the late
nineties during their “image of a group” period. This record showcases
that they could exist outside of a studio environment and play live to
audiences with ease like any stadium filling rock band. All three live
recordings from the 1999 Coachilla Festival are taken directly from the
soundboard with no remixing or additional overdubs. For the entire
fifteen minutes, forty-six seconds duration of the record, wordsmith
Paul Morley presents the audience with a surreal narrative of his guide
to the world of Claude Debussy and his abstract ideas with fellow band
members Anne Dudley, Trevor Horn & Lol Creme.
The
journey starts with a one minute version of Out Of This World, a
haunting, hypnotic low key soundscape or subtle musical canvas that
escorts the opening monologue towards the uplifting Born On A Sunday.
With operatic vocals by Amanda Boyd, to the attacking drum & bass
rhythms via the bassline of the group’s E.F.L., Born On Sunday
stand out as tour de force of musical ideas and juxtapositions that in
theory shouldn’t work. But this is of course Art of Noise, doing what
they do best, defying traditional conventions. Through the fast pounding
beats the track races furiously to the middle eight section and beyond
to a newly arranged version of an old favourite, Moments In Love, one
of the group’s most intriguing tracks. The arrangement included here not
only draws a closure to this special release, but adds an unexpected
twist towards the end of the track.
Overall the
record is an excellent, long overdue addition to Art of Noise’s
impressive discography spanning almost thirty-one years. The music on
this record may not be as influential as their work during the eighties,
but it is still superior to that which was being created by other
artists in the late nineties. This
record is catalogued as SALVOSV006 and is number 34 in Zang Tuum Tumn’s
ever expanding Element series before it becomes the missing piece.
THE BEST OF
Metro Select (METRSL079)
Format: 2CD
European Release Date: Friday 20th September 2013
A very poor and misleading budget priced release. An awful mess that is basically tracks taken from (Who's Afraid Of?) The Art Of Noise and The Seduction Of Claude Debussy jumbled together without any thought. Archive tracks that appeared on the Influence and Into Battle
compilations have been thrown in as fillers. It would have been better
to put out a double CD set of the two albums in their original forms. It
is one of a series of three compilations to celebrate the thirtieth
anniversary of ZTT Records, the other two being Frankie Goes To
Hollywood and Propaganda. For the pure die-hard collectors.
THE BEST OF THE ART OF NOISE
China Records (WPCR-1506)
Format: SHM-CD
Japanese Release Date: Wednesday 26nd June 2013
A
remastered version of the 1992 compilation that was released after the
licensing of three ZTT tracks had expired, replacing them with two
further singles and an album track. Gone were all of the 12" mixes that
made up the majority of the original CD which had been replaced with 7"
versions cutting its running time in half. Unusually no additional
tracks have been added to this Japanese remastered edition. Well worth
the money for the improved sound quality of this SHM-CD. An essential
must for have item for any collector.
INFLUENCE: Hits, Singles, Moments, Treasures...
ZTT/Salvo (SALVODCD21 / Element 10)
Format: 2CD
Release Date: Monday 19th July 2010
The music from the new Influence album is playing as I sit on the
floor of my office surrounded by the hundreds of worldwide releases on
multiple formats in my Art of Noise collection whilst writing this
review. Like other serious collectors, I have always known that
something else was missing and this compilation, the latest addition to
the group's discography, rubs salt into the wound by giving the
collector a taste of what else lies hidden away in the vaults. Unlike
the previous archive release, And What Have You Done With My Body,
God?, this new selection is not just aimed at the collector. It also
acts as part greatest hits and part introduction to the most influential
group of the past 30 years.
This is the first compilation since
the long deleted original The Best Of The Art Of Noise to feature
tracks from both the ZTT and China Records back catalogues. Unlike that
lost album, this new retrospective includes material from the 1980s,
1990s and 2000s. ZTT's curator and Art of Noise aficionado Ian Peel has
not only complied this labour of love, but has also created a work of
art by selecting each individual track with care. Throughout this
thirty nine track compilation only four tracks appear on both
compilations, the 7" versions of Kiss (featuring Tom Jones), Peter
Gunn (featuring Duane Eddy), Moments In Love and Beat Box (Diversion Ten), the latter two appearing only on the LP/cassette versions of the
1988 collection. By not duplicating all the same versions of singles
from The Best Of..., the listener gets an opportunity to hear the
original 7" mixes of Close (To The Edit) (a.k.a. Beat Box (Diversion
Seven)), Legs, Dragnet and the 12" remix, Paranoimia (The
Paranoid Mix) (with Max Headroom) which all blend in perfectly with the
rest of the carefully selected tracks on this album.
The thought
of `best of' albums containing b-sides and album tracks had always came
across to me as just filling, however that is certainly not the case
here! As I mentioned earlier, this album is only part greatest hits. The
music of the Art of Noise has never been able to be defined by any
genre, as it is a genre within itself and the remaining tracks confirm
that statement. Love Beat is a perfect example of this, a type of slow
jazz that originated from Moments In Love before it became a stand
alone track that went on to appear as the soundtrack to various TV
commercials.
Their music was never a stranger to television as
one of the most iconic theme tunes ever produced hit the airwaves in the
shape of the (Theme From) The Krypton Factor. This high energy track,
a fan favourite for more than two decades is available here for the
very first time in its original form, before it was developed into another (Crusoe) that appeared on the In No Sense? Nonsense! album, from
which the quirky and bizarre Ode To Don Jose is taken. Acton Art is
an edited down reprise of that album that sends the listener on an audio
rollercoaster ride with a structure that defies conventional musical
structure. In contrast to that, more traditional methods are used in the
form of three orchestrated tracks Promenade One; Promenade Two and Finale from the Below The Waste album, throwing a spanner into the
works of any preconceived notion of what Art of Noise is, or should be.
Not
just one spanner was thrown for The Seduction Of Claude Debussy
tracks, but a whole set of spanners with the odd socket set thrown in
too as demonstrated in the tracks Metaforce (featuring Rakim) and The
Holy Egoism Of Genius. This time fusing together classical, operatic,
house, drum & bass, narrative and even a rap on Metaforce, once
again defying any genre categorisation. And that is just the first CD
subtitled The A Side: singles, hits, soundtracks and collaborations
that also includes the single that never was Something Is Missing (aka Dreaming: Colour Green) and
the improvised live recording A Is For Beginning.
Following on
from the success of the aforementioned And What Have You Done With My
Body, God? box set, and with the same care taken as on CD 1, the
listener is transported into another dimension with CD 2 The AA Side:
unreleased experiments, before and after science. An alter ego to the
first disc, this 66 minute chronology of completely previously
unreleased material is a must have for any Art of Noise fan and it isn't
too hard on the first time listener.
The first part is
essentially recordings taken from the experiments from the original
line-up: Anne Dudley, Trevor Horn, JJ Jeczalik, Gary Langan and Paul
Morley. Beep Beep an alternative version of Who's Afraid (Of The Art
Of Noise) makes one ask the question `Why weren't some of these tracks
put out as singles?' A Time For Fear (JJ's 12" Remix) was planned as
the follow up to Moments In Love, of which two more versions appear, Moments In Love (Anne To Tears Mix) and Moments In Love (The Monitor
Mix) (with Lucky Gordon). All of those tracks were recorded before
Anne, JJ & Gary left ZTT to achieve greater success. The fruits of
Trevor & Paul's labour as a spin-off group in 1986 can be heard with
the two versions of This Is Your Life as Art & Act that were only
rumoured to exist. I'm A Stranger Here Myself and Cassandra were tracks recorded by Anne & JJ that were intended for use in
an American feature film. The remainder of the disc sheds light onto
the creation and development of the concept album The Seduction Of
Claude Debussy with Lol Creme joining the Dudley/Horn/Morley line-up.
The unreleased versions from this period, could have easily been
released on the finished album. Although no versions from the
pre-release CD appear here, it still makes for very interesting
listening and shows how creative the group are/were. The quality of most
of the unreleased tracks on this disc put the final finished products
of many artists to shame. Spread throughout the disc are Interlude...
tracks featuring spoken words by Trevor Horn and John Hurt. Dainty features Camilla Pilkington's recording sessions for the track Who's
Afraid (Of The Art Of Noise) while Beat Box (Diversion 3.4,
Extracted) is from an actual jamming session.
The packaging for Influence is first class including an eight-panel digipak to house the
two CDs complete with a luxurious booklet that accompanies the set
written by Ian Peel that also contains previously unpublished
photographs of the group with contributions from Anne Dudley and Paul
Morley. By ignoring and erasing from existence all of those so called
`remixed interpretations' from the three cash-in remix albums (well at
least on this album) becomes a pure joy to listen to, a work of art.
(WHO'S AFRAID OF?) THE ART OF NOISE! (Japansese Edition)
ZTT/Third-Ear JPN Ltd. (XECZ-1011)
Format: CD
Japanese Release Date: Wednesday 29th October 2008
Various versions of this album have been
released around the world since it was first issued in the USA in mid 1984. The
album is regarded by some Art of Noise fans as their finest work. This latest version keeps the extra track Close-Up, originally added to the 1994 Japanese issue, and adds yet
another two bonus tracks A TimeTo Clear (Up), (an alternate version of A Time For Fear (Who's Afraid)) along with Resonance. Both
tracks were previously unreleased tracks that eventually were released for a
short time on the 1999 custom CD Bashful a.k.a. Belief System
a.k.a. An Extra Pulse Of Beauty. This new expanded limited edition
and the remaining Japanese Edition releases from ZTT/Thir-Ear
JPN Ltd. come complete with gatefold mini vinyl CD sleeves, making them a
must for any collector along with a business size Campaign Access
Cards with a unique number.
"daft" (Japanese Edition)
ZTT/Third-Ear JPN Ltd. (XECZ-1012)
Japanese Release Date: Wednesday 29th October 2008
For the first time since the
original UK 1986 release, "daft" sounds more like an actual compilation than just an
expanded CD version of (Who's Afraid Of?) The Art Of Noise with addition material taken from the group's debut extended play, Into Battle With The Art Of Noise and the 12" of Moments In Love. Three addition tracks have been added to this remastered collection: Close-Up (Hop) (included on the 1994 Japanese issue), Beat Box
(Diverted) and Memory Loss (both from the same custom CD as the additional ones
on (Who's Afraid Of?) The Art Of Noise (Japanese Edition)
THE SEDUCTION OF CLAUDE DEBUSSY (Japanese Edition)
ZTT/Third-Eart JPN Ltd. (XECZ-1013)
Format: 2CD
Japanese Release Date: Wednesday 29th October 2008
This new expanded edition of 1999
critically acclaimed The Seduction Of Claude Dubussy includes the bonus
tracks Metaforce (The Size Of A Mataphor: Mix by Roni Size) and
Dreaming: Colour Maroon, previously included on the French issue of Reduction. Although not as groundbreaking as (Who's Afraid Of?) The
Art Of Noise!, this long player is a departure from anything that Art of
Noise had done before. It was the first one without original co-founder J.J.
Jeczalik. Rather than using sampling as the basis for the album, the music was
based around the works of French composer Claude Debussy, mixing narration,
classical, drum & bass, rap and operatic music to form the first new material from Art of
Noise in ten years. Also contained within in this set is the aforementioned long out of print remix album, Reduction, featuring (New York London Paris)
Spleen and Information as its highlights with the bonus track Metaforce (X-Ray Of A Metaphor: mixed by The
Shark Tank).
RECONSTRUCTED...FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE (Japanese Edition)
ZTT/Third-Ear JPN Ltd. (XECZ-1015)
Format: CD+DVD
Japanese Release Date: Wednesday 29th October 2008.
Originally released in the UK as a
Super Audio CD, as the soundtrack to the Art of Noise DVD Into Vision,
this new edition comprises of a standard stereo CD and a DVD Audio with both
stereo & 5.1 surround sound mixes. Sadly the stereo mix to the Into
Vision DVD wasn't included in this set, as it is a different soundtrack to
that of the stereo and 5.1 versions included here. The audio is based on
recordings made during the Art of Noise's 1999/2000 tour where they played
almost the entire The Seduction Of Claude Debussy album live with the
exceptions of some old favourites like Moments In Love, Beat Box
incorporating Close (To The Edit) and Peter Gunn. No extra tracks
as such on this set unless you count the 5.1 surround sound mixes on the audio DVD.
AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY BODY, GOD? (Japanese Edition)
ZTT/Third-Ear JPN Ltd. (XECZ-9017-9020)
Format: 4CD Box Set + T-Shirt
Japanese Release Date: Wednesday 29th October 2008
This issue of the Art of Noise's archive
box set contains no extra tracks as it is the exact same box set (ZTT201CD) with
Japanese stickers and booklet with a free (Who's Afraid Of?) The Art Of
Noise T-shirt. The box set itself contains four CDs of archive outtakes
and remixes that formed their debut album. A 36 page book is also included with
contributions from Gary Langan, J.J. Jeczalik, Anne Dudley, Trevor Horn and Paul
Morley. A must for all serious Art of Noise collectors.
VARIOUS ARTISTS / ZANG TUMB TUUM: THE ZTT BOX SET
ZTT/Salvo (SALVOBOX405)
Format: 3CD+DVD Box Set
Release Date: Monday 27th October 2008
Usually a record label is not
thought of when one thinks of an act, but sometimes the artist and label go hand
in hand. If you were to think of The Supremes and Marvin Gaye, you would think
Motown. If someone says ZTT the chances are that Art of
Noise, Frankie Goes To Hollywood and 808 State spring to
mind.
Instead of being
conventional by
taking one track from each artist, Ian Peel has compiled a box set that
captures
the spirit, the sound, the look and the importance of ZTT over the last
25
years. Included are numerous tracks by Seal, Propaganda, The
Frames, David Jordan, Act, Art of Noise, Frankie Goes To Hollywood,
Shane
MacGowan and 808 State (including MC Tunes versus 808 State). Almost all
the
tracks by each of the aforementioned artists are grouped together for
the
enjoyment and convenience of the listener, instead of having to skip
through or
change discs to listen to the next track by a paticular artist. Anne
Pigalle,
David's Daughters, Novecento, Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic
Force, Time
Unlimited, Shades Of Rhythm, General Max, Sun Electric, Nast Rox Inc.,
Andrew
Poppy, Lee Griffiths, Lomax, das Psych-oh! Rangers, Tara, Heights of
Abraham and
the late Kirsty MacColl act as interludes between the multiple tracks of
the
other artists. By doing so, the listener is given the chance to hear
(perhaps
for the first time) some of the label's best overlooked acts by
presenting some
long forgotten gems that are as equally important to ZTT's history as
the more
well known acts associated with the label. Some of tracks appear for the
first
time on CD, along with some rarities and hidden tracks that will make
any
collector of ZTT happy. In addition to that there is an
eighteen track DVD featuring fourteen of the artists that appear upon
the CDs
with four other acts, Adamski's Thing, Dove, Leilani and Raging
Speedhorn, who
didn't make it onto the audio set of this unique collection. Many of the
videos
are available for the first time on DVD and showcase not only the acts
but the
talents of the innovative directors involved during the past 25 years.
If you are also into books, then you are going to be beside
yourself with joy as there is a 72-page book by the compiler of the box
set with
some words from one of the label's co-founders and former Art of Noise
member
Paul Morley, plus rare publicity shots of the artists, record sleeves
and press
advertisements used since 1983.
This
set includes some of the best and well produced tracks from past quarter of a
century. Founded by Trevor Horn, Jill Sinclair & Paul
Morley, ZTT changed the way that music was marketed by introducing the record
buying public to multi-mix formats to increase the sale of singles and albums,
this new way of marketing has been copied by almost every other record label
since. ZTT was also different to other labels as they weren't afraid to sign
artists who looked and sounded completely different from each other as well as
signing acts like the biggest selling act of 1984, Frankie Goes To Hollywood,
who had previously been turned down by every other record label. After
listening to the CDs in this set and watching the DVD you will see what a
diverse stable of talent has appeared on this small, but mighty label over the
years!
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Website Last Updated: 12:00 BST, Tuesday 9th October 2018 This website © Copyright K.M. Whitehouse 2008 - 2018
"Is it seriously for a pop record?"
This authorised website operates independently from ZTT Records Ltd, Universal Music Group and Warner Music UK.
The content in this website is copyright of the curator, K.M. Whitehouse, all other images, quoted reviews are copyright
of the respective copyright holders.
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