Lost/Forgotten Album #12

[Jon]

 

 

 

Before you condemn me for featuring the above album this week, do yourself a favor and listen to it first. Then condemn me if you must.

 

Remember watching MTV back in 1982 and seeing a video for a song called "The Look Of Love" from a new band named ABC? I did. And thought it was the ________ thing I had ever seen or heard. Stupid, crappy music. Stupid video. Yeah, like I'd ever buy anything from these guys, cause me like ROCK. 

 

(For those that forget, you can see the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcchCQuXrH8)

 

Plenty of other people bought it though, with the album spawning a couple hits in America and four in England. So these guys hit the big time, time to wait for the next album.

 

This is the beauty about the whole thing....instead of following up with a similar sounding album as the debut, they decided to make an album that rocks. Only one single was released and a vast majority of ABC fans were turned off by the path they were taking.

 

WHen this album cae out, I could have cared less. It was ABC for crying out loud! But a few years ago, while watching VH1 Classic, I stumbled across a show called "Bands Reunited" where an attempt was made to reunite 80's bands. I watched a few episodes featuring Kajagoogoo, Scandal, Vixen and ABC and the one that I got drawn into was ABC. Don't know why, it just happened. 

 

Then began my ABC kick and I just had to have the debut album, but while reading about followup albums my curiousity was piqued when reading about their second album, "Beauty Stab". Everything I read was about how different the album was from the debut, how much it rocked.

 

So I had to get it.

 

I was definitely impressed. What was written was true (finally!). Total departure from "The Lexicon Of Love" for the most part. Sure, there's some songs that remind me of the debut, but with a much harder edge. Also Martin Fry is a fantastic vocalist, reminds me a lot of Bryan Ferry.

 

(Sidenote: I'm kind of leery about reading about how a band "rocks out" when they normally don't. I've been suckered into buying "rock" albums by Spandau Ballet and another from Pseudo Echo that someone likened to a Van Halen album. Both way off the mark.)

 

I also picked up "The Lexicon Of Love" and you know what? No matter how ______the video is/was, it's a fantastic album. Shows what I knew back in '82.

 

Again, give it a listen before judging. You might find some really interesting stuff here.

 

 

Beauty Stab  

 

1. That Was Then But This Is Now*

2. Love's A Dangerous Language*

3. If I Ever Thought You'd Be Lonely*

4. The Power Of Persuasion*

5. Beauty Stab*

6. By Default By Design* 

7. Hey Citizen!*

8. King Money* 

9. Bite The Hand*

10. Unzip*

11. S.O.S.*

12. United Kingdom*

13. Vertigo  

    

 

 

Availability: Around 4+ bucks.

 

 

MSoTW: Last week was Battlelore. Suprised nobody got it. This week I promised something more mainstream, so it's a band everyone has heard of.

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

  

 

[Scott]

Battelore? Never heard of them, would be surpirsed if anyone else has...

I'm drawing a blank on the MSoTW, but not giving up, the voice sounds really familiar.

The ABC is interesting. Not what I was expecting. Didnt really get into the first three tracks. But starting with The Power of Persuasion, it got much more interesting and for the most part I liked what I heard.

Could have done without the Spandau Ballet reference in your note. Now that stupid TRUE song is stuck in my head...

[Niels (Mod)]

I've heard MSoTW#12 before, but I can't really remember when or where. It sounds vere familiar. Could it be Uriah Heep?

[Jon]

I wll put you down as guessing Uriah Heep. You sure you don't want to change your mind?

[Niels (Mod)]

Not, when you put it that way, no............

[Jon]

Well, you picked Uriah Heep so I think you're stuck with them. Unless you REALLY want to change your mind.

[Niels (Mod)]

I think, I'm happy to be stuck with Uriah Heep.

[RJhog (Admin)]

The player didn't work past MSoTW for me the first time. Mystery artists makes me think of Asia.

Finally, the player started working.

First, I agree with that Scott dude, it got better at track 4. I really liked By Default By Design. Very cool song.

Second, I agree with Jon, the vocalist is pretty good.

Third, I agree with Niels, although he didn't really comment on ABC.

Fourth, I agree with myself. This is very decent. It still sounds like 80's pop to me, but I love 80's pop. Pop music was still cool back then.

[Niels (Mod)]

I agree.

[Jon]

Check out their first album and then compare it to this. The difference is a bit staggering. Or am I drunk?

[Scott]

So I took your advice and went back to listen to the Lexicon of Love, the previous release to Beauty Stab. Stocked to the brim with cliche 80's top 40 dance/new wave/pop. Interesting to note that there is a Look of Love Part 1 and Look of Love Part 4. I'm curious if parts 2 and 3 werent good enough to make the album. Also, I had flashbacks when listening to Poison Arrow, its still a really bad song.

But then I spotted "How to Become a Zillionaire" and it appeared to be a follow up to Beauty Stab. I ignored the horrifically awful album cover and was excited listen to it thinking it would be a nice progression from Beauty Stab, but alas, it sounds more like an attempt to return the top 40 charts than the band on Jon's post.

Onto the MSoTW. I'm crying UNCLE for the second time in a row. But I do have to say, RJhog may be onto someting with the Uriah Heep guess, that voice, if not UH, is super close...

[RJhog (Admin)]

Credit where it's due...Niels guessed UH.

[Scott]

Sorry Neils! You da man!!! What the title and album that track came from?