i was tricked into buying this by my friend when i was 14, so i'm pretty well acquained with it cos at that age you listened to anything you bought 100 times in an effort to make yourself love it even if it was completely awful. revisited it recently and yes, nice production, but these guys are the dictionary definition of wet blanket. if i had to chose, i would say 'you did cut me'
― plp will eat itself (NickB), Thursday, 7 September 2017 12:37 (six years ago) link
It's either 'Strength of Character' (love the dual-snare thing) or 'You Did Cut Me' for me...
...but it could easily have also been 'Black Man Ray', 'King in a Catholic Style', 'Bigger the Punch I'm Feeling' or 'The World Spins, I'm Part of It' ... the whole album is pretty much a secret '80s favourite of mine.
― more Allegro-like (Turrican), Thursday, 7 September 2017 14:39 (six years ago) link
i really don't know this album but going to give it some time as this poll will be open for awhile.
― Bee OK, Thursday, 7 September 2017 23:47 (six years ago) link
this is the most competent album I've ever heard in my life
― the old rugged crocs (unregistered), Friday, 8 September 2017 00:40 (six years ago) link
China Crisis is underrated, imo. I only discovered them looking for an 80s Kinks song years ago. Pleasantness to near perfection.
― carpet_kaiser, Friday, 8 September 2017 00:49 (six years ago) link
Though personally I like Working with Fire and Steel better than this one, Becker production or not.
― carpet_kaiser, Friday, 8 September 2017 00:57 (six years ago) link
Working with Fire and Steel is all time with me, but this is good.
― felix! phelix! ghelix! (Hunt3r), Friday, 8 September 2017 02:11 (six years ago) link
the album i know by China Crisis is Working with Fire and Steel. this one sure is slick isn't it?
― Bee OK, Saturday, 9 September 2017 01:13 (six years ago) link
calling them "wet blanket" is unfair. listening to this album for the first time, theres an ache to their music that i really dig
― Well bissogled trotters (Michael B), Saturday, 9 September 2017 01:43 (six years ago) link
Yeah re listened to this today a couple times while riding- now I remember my dislike of that breezy chool 80s sax that showed up. Not a bad collection, but I prefer wwfas.
― felix! phelix! ghelix! (Hunt3r), Saturday, 9 September 2017 03:09 (six years ago) link
For me, when it comes to '80s sax I usually go either one way or the another - either it's so obnoxious and badly used, or it blends in well with the music and is well used and I can enjoy it. I think the sax is well used and enjoyable on this record.
Yeah, it's a slick production, but it's very well recorded and engineered and sounds fantastic to me on headphones.
― more Allegro-like (Turrican), Saturday, 9 September 2017 10:53 (six years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Wednesday, 11 October 2017 00:01 (six years ago) link
Are we not happy in our own way
― velko, Wednesday, 11 October 2017 04:39 (six years ago) link
i don't know if i've ever heard this band, but flipped through a ton of their records over the years looking for alex chilton and the chills. most bins went straight from chilliwack to china crisis.
― mizzell, Wednesday, 11 October 2017 16:00 (six years ago) link
Voted 'Strength of Character'
― more Allegro-like (Turrican), Wednesday, 11 October 2017 19:17 (six years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Thursday, 12 October 2017 00:01 (six years ago) link
'The World Spins, I'm Part of It' could have done with a vote, but otherwise I can't really complain.
― more Allegro-like (Turrican), Thursday, 12 October 2017 17:02 (six years ago) link
so were American college students grooving to this in '85
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 6 May 2021 20:22 (two years ago) link
lol I asked already
I still remember that King In A Catholic Style was playing on CFNY when we drove into Toronto in 1985. Guess it resonated enough in some way to remain memorable.
― doug watson, Thursday, 6 May 2021 20:30 (two years ago) link
I was definitely that kid, the answer is no, but I wanted to like it because the previous was quite good
― Hunt3r, Thursday, 6 May 2021 21:24 (two years ago) link
Another Toronto anecdote: this was on the CHUM-FM countdown at the time, as well. So it had an alternative as well as a soft-rock audience here, at least.
― Halfway there but for you, Thursday, 6 May 2021 21:31 (two years ago) link
picked up a 2cd of their stuff recently.not given it much time as its a bit too mellow for my needs.perhaps i need to give it more time ?
https://www.discogs.com/China-Crisis-Collection-The-Very-Best-Of-China-Crisis/release/932293
― mark e, Thursday, 6 May 2021 22:05 (two years ago) link
I was still in high school in '85 but a friend of mine had a China Crisis t-shirt w/ that design, so maybe
― Josefa, Thursday, 6 May 2021 23:28 (two years ago) link
never heard this and it sounds exactly like Walter Becker producing a synth pop group
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 7 May 2021 02:43 (two years ago) link
i was def grooving to this my sophomore year, had it on cassette, natch
― buzza, Friday, 7 May 2021 03:38 (two years ago) link
it was popular on WLIR which is where i first heard it
― buzza, Friday, 7 May 2021 03:47 (two years ago) link
on one of those trackers out there, someone recently posted a WLIR broadcast of a 1985 concert of theirs at the malibu nightclub in lido beach. it doesn't sound like there were too many people in attendance, but the ones who were were screaming like it was the beatles.
01. Wall Of God02. Gift Of Freedom03. Tragedy And Mystery04. Wishful Thinking05. Black Man Ray06. You Did Cut Me07. Bigger The Punch I'm Feeling08. Strength Of Character09. Seven Sports For All10. King In A Catholic Style (Wake Up)11. African And White12. Highest High
― Thus Sang Freud, Friday, 7 May 2021 09:15 (two years ago) link
https://www.mixcloud.com/sinlopez/china-crisis-1985-07-16-malibu-nightclub-lido-beach-ny-usa/
― Thus Sang Freud, Friday, 7 May 2021 09:20 (two years ago) link
Not "grooving" ..... pleasantly bobbing the head perhaps at most
It holds up surprisingly well
― firehorse, Friday, 7 May 2021 13:14 (two years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuWyCjIY4zc
― MaresNest, Sunday, 6 August 2023 11:14 (seven months ago) link
my 19 y/o strolled by as i checked this and said barely slowing, "so uh, that's like some off-brand tears for fears"?
― toenail fungus (Hunt3r), Sunday, 6 August 2023 16:20 (seven months ago) link
Hey, I like this album well enough but wow, what a snoozy live show that would have been to witness
― sawdust lagoon, Sunday, 6 August 2023 20:08 (seven months ago) link
lately i've really been enjoying this dub flute cod folk synth reggae pop thing from their second album...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lejAl7SX2SQThe Gates Of Door To Door
― NickB, Sunday, 6 August 2023 20:15 (seven months ago) link
This is great, thanks for sharing
― Bee OK, Sunday, 6 August 2023 23:59 (seven months ago) link
I fuckin love that album so much. I went looking for my original cassette of it for funnys a couple years ago, but it’s in the great pacific trash gyre somewhere i spose.
― toenail fungus (Hunt3r), Monday, 7 August 2023 00:07 (seven months ago) link
ha i didnt like the dan much when they went to becker, respected enough they could and did, the results were a bit of meh to me
― toenail fungus (Hunt3r), Monday, 7 August 2023 00:10 (seven months ago) link