GET YOUR NEW WAVE ON IT'S THE HUMAN LEAGUE - DARE POLL 1981

I can't choose between "Seconds" (that moment after the first gunshot: when Oakey sings "Your mouth was white as your fingers curled" his detachment is chilling) and "Do or Die," which I put on a mix I compiled for my sister last month and sounded GRATE, especially the synth breakdown in the middle.

If Seconds (my vote) wins this, I'll be delighted. But really: it's almost a perfect album, isn't it? Much weirder, way more unsettling and far less obviously of its time than -- I think -- received wisdom has it. I've read countless articles about how it came about, and I'll not deny the genius-level input of Martin Rushent -- but I think the key thing is that the departure of Ian C-M and Martin, and the arrival of Ian B and Jo, got rid of a lot of the self-consciousness and simply gave rise to an eight-legged tune-making machine. I still prefer the MkI League, but Dare is the sound of a slightly unlikely collection of songwriters absolutely nailing the moment; music-box melodies with no musicianship.

given that Marsh and Ware had left Oakey to the contract on his own

Adrian Wright's lack of recognition saddens me enormously!

One more for Seconds

Surely it's "Your knuckles white as your fingers curled"?

voting for the elephant under the sofa. record takes me back, cuz it reminds me of being excited about electronic music. which is weird.

"Love Action," people!!!

Well, sure, but maybe people are avoiding that one the better to rave about the lesser known equally good ones. The two that really got me back then were 'Sound of the Crowd' and 'The Things That Dreams Are Made Of'. I liked their tough, strident rhythms and highly musical use of sound effects. Phil's voice has always had a slightly cold, brutal quality that went with the music. But fundamentally, yeah, great rhythms and sounds. 'Seconds' - soppy, slightly unchallenging chords, cliched lyrics and perspective (not as weak as Dolores O'Riordan Cranberry's effort on the same subject, good song compared to a lot of synth pop at the same time though, and a big warm production. Hmm yeah, but Do Or Die, a modernist classic of early techno. Melodically so obvious as to be oddly not obvious, especially when carved in the blaknk grey slate sounds of that big System 700 or whatever it was. In 1981 I found that track a bit of a challenge, but nowadays it's just a kickass piece of modernist synthpop. I'm with you Geir! Except I am a little surprised you like it, being as how it's not exactly brimming with melodic invention, relying more on subtle textural, arrangement and rhythmic shifts to hold interest. I mean, basically, it's a groove, once Phil's alarming/alarmed and thrusting vocal section ends. Hilarious lyric - 'Alsatians fall unconscious at the shadow of your call'. How does he come up with this stuff?

<3 Darkness

this album doesn't have their electrohiphop remix of fascination, therefore i must abstain

though the lightness of touch in 'don't you want me' never fails to astonish: i think it wasn't until i heard the 12" dance mix that i even noticed how bright the chorus is.

Do you mean the version on Love and Dancing? That was a revelation for me: because it's mostly instrumental, the sophistication of the music is more apparent. The chord voicing is particularly nicely done, and adds greatly to the song's sense of drama. I'd like to know whether that was the work of Rushent or Jo Callis.
My vote goes to Things that Dreams Are Made of. Love, love, love the riff, and Wright's fab lyrics.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Sound of the crowd got way stiffed, but happy with the results

Yeah, Love Action was my fave when I first bought it, so I'm happy with the results, too.

Check the song called DARKNESS

It's just gratuitous goth-ness, I know. Not anywhere near the best track on this album, but still unavoidably goth.

But man, that loooove action...[Barry White voice]

not enough love here for Open Your Heart!

poor sound of the crowd!

"i am the law" wuz robbed

and "sound of the crowd" too!

To read this thread, you'd think "Seconds" was the clear winner. I guess everyone who voted for it posted about it. Oh well.

"love action" is great but SO not the best song on dare.

I played Seconds last night and I still stand behind that one.

If I'd voted in this poll, 'Seconds' would have been my immediate pick. I just love those sustained synth chords.

"Sound of the Crowd" and "Open Your Heart" scored crazy low in this poll!

The synth jam on "Do or Die" is fabulous. I wonder to what degree Rushent arranged it.

"Sound of the Crowd" is the key banger on this one but man "I Am the Law" is such a bizarre track, think it sorta got underrated in here

"Sound of the Crowd" and "Open Your Heart" scored crazy low in this poll!

― justfanoe (Greg Fanoe), Monday, September 17, 2012 9:05 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

'Open Your Heart' is my second place pick after 'Seconds'. Gorgeous song!

Marcello gives Dare and the genesis of New Pop its due: http://nobilliards.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/the-human-league-dare.html

http://www.flipflopflyin.com/g/musicflowchart.png

Dare, one of my favorite albums, deserves the praise it still gets. Heaven 17 too. My list of their best.

not enough love for "darkness" itt

'Darkness' rules. I love the way that Dare sounds, every synthesiser sound and part is so well thought out and the overall sound/mix is so crystal clear. It's an absolute pleasure to listen to.

'Play To Win' undoubtedly my least favourite song Heaven 17 put out on their first three LP's.

The absence of 'Five Minutes To Midnight' and 'And That's No Lie' completely inexcusable.

This fucking album.

Ha i know and like the top three in poll, never have listened to the album. I just checked “seconds” and while i would immed know who it is, I don’t know it.

spose this is where I look at my lifetime musical heuristics and vote myself off the island. maybe i can listen and swim back.

I only came to love this album truly madly deeply this year

The second half is just astonishing

I Am The Law stops me in my tracks

Sound of the Crowd" is the key banger on this one

Was at an old-school new-wave club and this came on around 2 a.m. and it was the best thing.

Marcello gives Dare and the genesis of New Pop its due: http://nobilliards.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/the-human-league-dare.html

Bloggers just don't write novellas loosely associated with albums they like anymore do they. Interesting elegy for Lester Bangs but that's as far as I made it.

Aside from Don't You Want Me the only song I know here is The Things That Dreams Are Made Of, which I've had in heavy rotation for a while, seeking out all the different versions and remixes because it was featured in one (electroclash?) DJ mix I found recently, which highlighted its unique appeal very effectively. I think it may have actually been the album version but the way it fits into the mix is exceptional.

the intro to “darkness” always gives me chills

viborg, what mix was that?

‘The Things Dreams Are Made of’ is phenomenal…fantastic lyric too…”Everyone needs two or three friends’ is peak England