Flock Of Seagulls C/D?

FoS sure knew how hard to push the reverb button.

IT IS HOLY WRIT.

Great band, yes.

classic.

I need to hear more FoS.

but that doesn't take away from their eighties greatness, of course!

Leaked footage of "I Ran" from Guitar Hero Rocks the 80s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTmJPVH2uuw

they never made a consistent album

Horseshit. They made TWO - three if you count the Greatest Hits. (Four if you count a couple different Greatest Hits!) More fun than New Order, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, Human League, Soft Cell, or Yazoo (all of whom have some records that I like a lot.)

I reaffirm that the "Space Age Love Song"/"Wishing"/"The More You Live The More You Love" troika remain one of the most astounding musical statements from the land of wuss ever

The truest thing Mr. Miccio ever wrote.

A quarter-century on, and I STILL haven't heard "Space Age Love Song" or "Wishing"! (Except for the Big Dipper cover.) And I listened to the radio a lot in those days. Maybe ("I Ran" aside) they just never got a lot of Canadian airplay, for some reason? That would be consistent with Sundar's unfamiliarity with those same songs, so it's plausible...

Whatever. I'm sure I've been depriving myself, and should check 'em out someday.

I'm sure I've been depriving myself

Yes you have.

still haven't heard Listen but I've always been curious as it was produced at Conny Plank's studio. and this 12" had two unbelievably strange b-sides where Plank joined in that remind me of Moebius & Plank's Rastakraut Pasta or even Zero Set more than anything by Seagulls

http://www.discogs.com/release/548219

if I could find the CD version of Listen that had those b-sides, I'd buy it

sorry, this is the link to the 12" I meant to post. this must have been one of the first 20 things I ever bought getting into music

http://www.discogs.com/release/489625

http://www.80smusiclyrics.com/images/afos.jpg

Listen is far more grand and atmospheric than most people would expect -- which is odd, since its lead single was kind of an apex of "grand and atmospheric." Guitar players of the years before this get a lot of credit for creative early uses of digital delay and such, but there's a lot going on with Paul Reynolds on this: the mechanical new-wave rhythm section covers enough ground to let him play with his tone all around it, and he's both slick and Robin Guthrie-level interesting with his little harmonics and squalls and whatnot. The second side of this gets increasingly spy-movie 80s-atmospheric and frequently displays shades of contemporary Cure stuff, which is where it really starts to rule. Breakdown from memory:

1. Wishing - Moroderized synth-bath combines grand pentatonic leads with new-wave disco trudge, totally epic. Even the fade-out seems like it's about 8 minutes long. (9.8)

2. Nightmares - "Don't Fear the Reaper" meets "10:15 Saturday Night." (7.9)

3. Transfer Affection - This is kinda Howard Jones-y -- sunny, 2% "soul" -- which these guys are not bad at, but doesn't entirely compete with their new-wave "HAI DERE BTW WE LIVE INSIDE ROBOTS" thing. (4.6)

4. What Am I Supposed To Do - So this has this ridiculous rapid-fire slappy bassline driving it, with total non-human precision, so it doesn't actually need anything besides like two sections and repeating melodies to work -- there are bits where the bassline changes to something more natural and it's like the world has stopped to catch its breath until that bassline can afford to come back. (7.3)

5. Electrics - There's something really sassy about this one, though I'm not sure what. (Is it handclaps?) The rhythm section still goes dm-dm-DM-dm-dm-dm-DM-dm, but Reynolds gets to pin it all down on a guitar riff, instead of the synths. Also Mike Score talks about "electrics in my hair," as seen in picture above. (8.1)

6. The Traveller - This has a siren-like guitar lead, and Score is calling out in a funny totally-80s monotone -- "I AM THE TRAVELER ... I AM ARRIVING ... IN A NEW PLACE ... WITH A NEW FACE" -- and then there's another one of these breakdowns -- they do this a lot -- where everything gets all hushed and maybe comically pouty (in this case with the aid of Dramatic Vocal Echo). This turns out to make them basically identical to the Church, actually -- i.e., they like guitar effects pedals and act like they're allowed to wear cloaks. (7.0)

7. 2:30 - If I'm remembering correctly, this was just an insterstitial thing of guitar echoes and bells? (6.9)

8. Over The Border - Obviously another dramatic/soaring number, because that was apparently Score's only real vocal style apart from the Howard Jonesing. It works mostly on atmosphere, really, but there's a good climactic moment where "SHE'S OVER THE BORDER" gets treated with some more Dramatic Vocal Echo and the synths go long and it's pretty okay. (P.S. I always thought this started off "I'm tired of living in anger," but then it turned out these are sensible, literal-minded people, and it begins with the much-worse "I'm tired of living in Asia." This becomes really geographically confusing when this border-crossing is happening via water.) (6.5)

9. The Fall - Okay, this one is SO CURE, total Gallup snakeskin bassline, slow creeping, synths for air/atmosphere, Score kinda moaning and echoed in total Robert Smith style. Total Faith-era stuff going on here, only shinier. (10.0)

10. (It's Not Me) Talking - This is hyperactive in that "What Am I Supposed to Do" way, and about computers and communication (like every new-wave song that wasn't about Japan or nuclear weaponry), but I never liked it and can't remember why. (2.3)

Telecommunication is playing on the speakers as I type. Great, Great song.

I totally dug Story Of A Young Heart back in college, played it on repeat ad nauseum...would like to revisit, but am afraid to see how the years have treated it...

saw them as a headliner way back when...The Fixx opened...god, seems like yesterday...

from wikipedia:

(a flock of seagulls) gained exposure by touring the US extensively to support the single, including a supporting slot on Squeeze's 1982 US tour.

not quite jimi hendrix upstaging his headliners the monkees ... but still, WOW

o_O

"Space Age Love Song" shits all over "I Ran," by the way.

Just as "Wishing..." shits on both of them.

I remember FOS being douches on that VH1 Bands Reunited show!

I don't remember them being douchey at all on that show. I thought the lead guitarist in particular was very cool and laid back.

2. Nightmares - "Don't Fear the Reaper" meets "10:15 Saturday Night." (7.9)

^^^^^^ this song deserves at LEAST a 9.4 and another couple sentences imo

I loved this band when about 13 or 14. Never could stomach the hair, though.

mumma mumma I keep having nightmares
mumma mumma mumma am I ill
mumma mumma hold me hold me tightly
mumma mumma do you love me still

You--Flock of Seagulls--you know why we're here?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE9Qm8mShik

the "Nightmares" 12" single is one of the pinnacles of music

still haven't heard Listen yet either, seen it around a fair few times but keep passing it up. is it as weird and great as the "Nightmares" single?

still haven't heard Listen but I've always been curious as it was produced at Conny Plank's studio. and this 12" had two unbelievably strange b-sides where Plank joined in that remind me of Moebius & Plank's Rastakraut Pasta or even Zero Set more than anything by Seagulls

http://www.discogs.com/release/548219

if I could find the CD version of Listen that had those b-sides, I'd buy it

There are a number of B-sides included on the Cherry Pop reissue from 2010. I guess they are among them.

I agree "Listen" is the one here. Not that there's anything wrong with the other albums (at least the first and third), but "Listen" is still the one that sticks out.

Anyone who can't hear the simple genius of both "I Ran" and "Space Age Love Song" is my enemy.

True then. True now.

I'm generally anti-long song, but if a 30 or 40 minute version of Space Age Love Song existed, I'd listen to it.

my dad had 'Wishing' as a single when I was growing up, but some absolute ledge put 'I Ran' on at New Years and I've been addicted to it ever since. They've got such a great sound.

I Ran is on Rocksmith DLC, quite fun to play, it's not too difficult.

I'm generally anti-long song, but if a 30 or 40 minute version of Space Age Love Song existed, I'd listen to it.

― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Thursday, March 9, 2017 1:27 AM (ten hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

YES!

I have listed to that and "Wishing" more than any other songs for like the past year or so. SO FUCKING GOOD.

Space age love song is an 80s crest for me it's just so motherfucking good

Maybe Oneida can play a 40 minute cover of it

So did you guys see Mike Score reunited the original 4 members for an album of re-recordings with orchestral accompaniment? I mean, whatever, but OMG Paul Reynolds un-retired!!

"Space Age Love Song" was made for scenarios like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU-NVdn9HXA

every time this band's name comes up I end up going on a Kajagoogoo/Nick Beggs binge

all the best songs have laser battles in them