Book Review: Sweet Dreams - The Story of the New Romantics

Sweet Dreams: The Story of the New Romantics provides an in-depth look at a decade-long period of the music and cultural scenes of Britain. Author Dylan Jones zooms in on the period from 1975 to 1985 and the second invasion of British music. This study goes from the heyday of punk to the peak of new-wave, through the birth of MTV and the culmination of Live-Aid.

Written in a style reminiscent of a documentary script, Jones presents the reader with an eye-witness account of this period by those who were key to it. Through interviews, the reader hears from the likes of David Bowie, Bryan Ferry, Adam Ant, Martin Fry, Malcolm McLaren, Sade, the members of bands like Culture Club, Duran Duran, the Eurythmics, Heaven 17, Spandau Ballet, and so many more.

For someone like me who is a music-nerd that came of age during this particular decade, this book is a fascinating read. Even if you think you know a lot about these artists and their albums, I can guarantee you will find a number of interesting nuggets of trivia within these pages. It might even inspire you to revisit some of your favorite music from this period.

ABC - The Lexicon of Love II

Last week (May 27th) marked the release of The Lexicon of Love II, the ninth studio album from ABC (now consisting of singer/songwriter Martin Fry and orchestrator Anne Dudley). And if the name and album cover design (down to the graphical layout, the use of lyrical poetry beneath the title, etc.) evokes memories of the band's 1982 debut album The Lexicon of Love, then that arrow has not gone wide from the mark.

ABC - How to Be a...Zillionaire! (30th anniversary)

This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of How to Be a...Zillionaire!, the third studio album from ABC. The album spent forty-one weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 30.

For the full review of this favorite of mine from 1985, click here.

For more from ABC, click here.

ABC - Beauty Stab (30th anniversary)

This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of Beauty Stab, the second studio album from ABC. Back in late 1983 and early 1984, the album charted at number 69 on the US Billboard Album chart, number 58 in Australia, number 50 in Germany, number 42 in New Zealand, number 36 in Canada, number 34 in Japan, number 32 in Sweden, number 29 in the Netherlands, number 22 in Finland, and number 12 in the UK.

For my full review, please click here.

ABC - The Lexicon of Love (30th anniversary)

Today, June 25th, also marks the 30th anniversary of the debut album by British pop band ABC. The Lexicon of Love was an early 80's classic.

For my review of this album, please click here.

This is one of my favorite albums from 1982 and to celebrate I plan to cue it up on my iPod to enjoy it once more.

ABC - How to Be a...Zillionaire!

Happy fifty-fourth birthday today (March 9th) to singer/songwriter Martin Fry.

After their smash selling debut The Lexicon of Love in 1982 and the follow up Beauty Stab in 1983 (click here and here respectively for my reviews of those two), ABC released their third album How to Be a…Zillionaire! in October of 1985. The album went to number 36 in Canada, number 28 in the UK and number 30 on the US Billboard Album chart.

ABC - Beauty Stab

After their very successful debut record The Lexicon of Love (click here to see my review of that one), ABC decided to switch things up for their 1983 sophomore release. Where their first album had a more styled production, Beauty Stab leaned more towards a guitar-based sound. Did this change cost them? The album did not sell nearly as well and only reached number 12 on the UK album charts and number 69 in the US.

ABC - The Lexicon of Love

On June 25th, 1982, the British pop band ABC made their amazing debut with the album The Lexicon of Love. It is one of the "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die", and, in my opinion, well worth looking into it if you've never heard it before.

Martin Fry has soulful vocals in the grand tradition of some of the 60's greats, perfectly suited for singing about the quest to find true love and the frustrations of not achieving it. David Palmer provides the precise percussion, Stephen Singleton serves superb sax, and Mark White rounds things out with guitars and keyboards. There are also many guest musicians who further add to this album's lush orchestration and sound.

The release went to number 1 in the UK, New Zealand and Finland.  It reached number 3 in Canada and Sweden, and in the US it went to number 24 on the Billboard Hot 200.  It produced four Top 20 hits in the UK and two top 25 hits in the US.