It bothers me that I have to even acknowledge our wrongs on this day. Our political landscape has become so toxic, it's impossible for sides to find common ground to discuss issues and our future without killing each other. We've become so polarized we are on the verge of destroying the freedoms that were given to us more than 200 years ago. Again, we need to come together and work together to make our country the best it possibly can be.
On to AFoS....
I Ran is in the top 20 videos I remember watching as a kid. It was bizarre and weird, but the song was magnetic. I had the 7" 45RPM as a kid, and played it over and over and over. I didn't get the album until well into the 90s, as back then we had to pay money for our music, and at the time I wasn't a big enough fan to justify purchasing the album. That was because I hadn't heard it. Had I known the spectacular tunes on that magic disc, I would have had it well before I did.
Even though there were only 4 or 5 singles on this album (which is a large number anyway), listening to the album is almost like a greatest hits, as every song is superb. A classic slice of New Wave, you can get sucked into the New Wave pablum with ease, and enjoy every minute of it.
Although most of the band members either set the style for fashion in the early 80s or reflected the style, Paul Reynolds really stood out to me as almost ruining the image of the band. I hate to pick on the guy.... Well, no I don't hate it. He really REALLY should have gotten rid of those stupid-ass glasses. They are true Birth Control Glasses. Meaning, when he wears those glasses, ain't no one gonna fuck him. I don't know what he was thinking, as they did nothing to enhance his image.
Separated into two discs, my version is slightly different than the 2011 version, picking the best and arranging somewhat differently. I really had to get the Deno version of I Ran on there, as he mixed and extended the crap out of it. You could really loop that track for an hour, and not get tired of it. I apologize for the cover of the album proper, as there really isn't any decent scans of the cover online that I could find. This was the best I could do.
Enjoy the album, enjoy the holiday, and I'll see you on Friday.
PS - Started the new job yesterday. Interesting. Not what I expected, and can't wait to get out of training and on the road.
Have you heard Virgin Magnetic Material's remix of "I Ran"? It's fab and on SoundCloud:
ReplyDeletehttps://soundcloud.com/virginmagneticmaterial/a-flock-of-seagulls-i-ran
His remixes are top notch, right up there with Groovefunkel.
Hope the new job goes well!
Yes yes! Great stuff. I have that and all the rest of VMM's mixes.
DeleteI LOVED this album when it came out. Still do. I was near the end of my senior year of high school at the time, and it was the record that I most listened to when I was studying for my final exams. (Pssst .... it came out in the spring of 1982, not 1981.)
ReplyDeleteAnd as far as Paul Reynolds' glasses .... I may be the odd girl out here, but I had a big crush on him. Hey, what can I say? I always liked the geeky guys, even before it was the popular thing to be into the geeks. And damn, the guy could play guitar!
You are right on the release date, angsty, but I put it in as 1981 because I included a lot of bonus material from the 1981 singles.... other than that, you are correct.
DeleteI was and still am a big fan of the group. Well,the original group,that is. After the Flock's fortune declined following their third great album,Story of a Young Heart,and Paul Reynolds left,they went all bubble gummy and just embarassing. The singer still carries the band's name for what it's worth and still tours. But yeah,the band just never goes away since they were name-checked in Pulp Fiction years ago. Get their first three albums,ignore the rest. Cherry Pop did just put out a remix and rarities cd. That looks worthy.
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