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!
― Special topics: Disco, The Common Market (grimly fiendish), Sunday, 22 February 2009 18:59 (fifteen years ago) link
One more for Seconds
― kornrulez6969, Sunday, 22 February 2009 22:09 (fifteen years ago) link
Surely it's "Your knuckles white as your fingers curled"?
― fit and working again, Monday, 23 February 2009 00:21 (fifteen years ago) link
voting for the elephant under the sofa. record takes me back, cuz it reminds me of being excited about electronic music. which is weird.
― welcome little swetty (contenderizer), Monday, 23 February 2009 02:57 (fifteen years ago) link
"Love Action," people!!!
― ilxor, Monday, 23 February 2009 03:00 (fifteen years ago) link
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?
― moley, Monday, 23 February 2009 05:20 (fifteen years ago) link
<3 Darkness
― Ein Herz für Briten (Trackpants Tree), Monday, 23 February 2009 07:13 (fifteen years ago) link
this album doesn't have their electrohiphop remix of fascination, therefore i must abstain
― messiahwannabe, Monday, 23 February 2009 07:45 (fifteen years ago) link
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.
― Former Golden Boy, Monday, 23 February 2009 18:38 (fifteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Friday, 6 March 2009 00:01 (fifteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Saturday, 7 March 2009 00:01 (fifteen years ago) link
Sound of the crowd got way stiffed, but happy with the results
― bacon = bad for the face + magic for the moobs (Mackro Mackro), Saturday, 7 March 2009 01:59 (fifteen years ago) link
Yeah, Love Action was my fave when I first bought it, so I'm happy with the results, too.
― Still More Goth Than Your Cat's Asshole (Bimble), Saturday, 7 March 2009 02:21 (fifteen years ago) link
Check the song called DARKNESS
― Goth As A Moth (Bimble), Saturday, 7 March 2009 09:55 (fifteen years ago) link
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]
― Goth As A Moth (Bimble), Saturday, 7 March 2009 10:14 (fifteen years ago) link
not enough love here for Open Your Heart!
― dan selzer, Saturday, 7 March 2009 14:52 (fifteen years ago) link
poor sound of the crowd!
― stirmonster, Saturday, 7 March 2009 14:55 (fifteen years ago) link
"i am the law" wuz robbed
and "sound of the crowd" too!
― the pelvis of a mammoth (get bent), Saturday, 7 March 2009 15:58 (fifteen years ago) link
To read this thread, you'd think "Seconds" was the clear winner. I guess everyone who voted for it posted about it. Oh well.
― Naive Teen Idol, Saturday, 7 March 2009 16:09 (fifteen years ago) link
"love action" is great but SO not the best song on dare.
― the pelvis of a mammoth (get bent), Saturday, 7 March 2009 16:15 (fifteen years ago) link
I played Seconds last night and I still stand behind that one.
― Goth As A Moth (Bimble), Saturday, 7 March 2009 17:12 (fifteen years ago) link
If I'd voted in this poll, 'Seconds' would have been my immediate pick. I just love those sustained synth chords.
― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Monday, 17 September 2012 20:52 (eleven years ago) link
"Sound of the Crowd" and "Open Your Heart" scored crazy low in this poll!
― justfanoe (Greg Fanoe), Monday, 17 September 2012 21:05 (eleven years ago) link
The synth jam on "Do or Die" is fabulous. I wonder to what degree Rushent arranged it.
― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 17 September 2012 21:10 (eleven years ago) link
"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
― fadanuf4erybody, Monday, 17 September 2012 21:20 (eleven years ago) link
― 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!
― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Monday, 17 September 2012 22:18 (eleven years ago) link
Marcello gives Dare and the genesis of New Pop its due: http://nobilliards.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/the-human-league-dare.html
― the little prince of inane false binary hype (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 22 April 2013 00:13 (eleven years ago) link
http://www.flipflopflyin.com/g/musicflowchart.png
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 9 October 2013 16:30 (ten years ago) link
Dare, one of my favorite albums, deserves the praise it still gets. Heaven 17 too. My list of their best.
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 13 March 2017 01:47 (seven years ago) link
not enough love for "darkness" itt
― a but (brimstead), Monday, 13 March 2017 02:04 (seven years ago) link
'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.
― Coolio Iglesias (Turrican), Monday, 13 March 2017 20:36 (seven years ago) link
The absence of 'Five Minutes To Midnight' and 'And That's No Lie' completely inexcusable.
― Coolio Iglesias (Turrican), Monday, 13 March 2017 20:37 (seven years ago) link
This fucking album.
― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 30 November 2019 15:35 (four years ago) link
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.
― and i approve this message (Hunt3r), Saturday, 30 November 2019 17:01 (four years ago) link
I only came to love this album truly madly deeply this year
― L'assie (Euler), Saturday, 30 November 2019 17:40 (four years ago) link
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.
― ... (Eazy), Saturday, 30 November 2019 20:28 (four years ago) link
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.
― viborg, Saturday, 30 November 2019 22:46 (four years ago) link
the intro to “darkness” always gives me chills
― brimstead, Sunday, 1 December 2019 00:46 (four years ago) link
viborg, what mix was that?
― lukas, Sunday, 1 December 2019 02:50 (four years ago) link
‘The Things Dreams Are Made of’ is phenomenal…fantastic lyric too…”Everyone needs two or three friends’ is peak England
― X-Prince Protégé (sonnyboy), Thursday, 12 August 2021 15:49 (two years ago) link