Search - Visage :: Beat Boy

25 Years Late, But Worth The Wait

oxxo | san francisco | 04/18/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"OK, so if we generalize and say that New Wave music basically ran from 1977 to 1985 (quiet in the back), and we also acknowledge that it had a tremendously defining effect on those of us labeled Generation X, then one has to wonder why it has taken twenty-something years for so much of it to be released on CD (ironically, just as the CD format itself is waning.)



The reason is that us Gen Xers are gettin' old (I regret having scoffed so at "The Big Chill") and we're apparently the only ones still buying CDs.



The good news is that reissues are now typically remastered and expanded to include b-sides and/or remixes. Beat Boy is no exception, having four extra tracks. Cherry Red is one of the foremost reissue labels--and while many record nerds nit-pick them to death--the label does have a rapidly expanding catalog of New Wave era reissues. Another plus for Cherry Red is that their titles tend to stay in print awhile, unlike EMI and Polydor.



If you're one of those record nerds (like me), yes Beat Boy is mastered ONLY from the Universal original master tapes--no vinyl. That said, I can't say that the mastering is especially good, being only slightly better than Cherry Red's "Anvil" release (which has to be the flattest, deadest mastering ever.)



This is Visage's third and final album, and there's not a real stinker on it. Admittedly, four minutes of Steve Strange chanting "Only The Good Die Young" isn't brilliant material, nor is "Give Me The Love Glove/I'll Give You Love", but they're appealing nonetheless. And while Love Glove and Beat Boy were the singles, the real standout track for me is Yesterday's Shadow.



Note that at time of writing, the CD ships with a different cover than the one pictured. I'll post the actual cover image as well. The alternate cover (without wording) is included in the booklet.

"

One Album Too Many?

Coincidence Vs Fate | Warwickshire, UK | 05/29/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Like the previous reviewer it's hard to believe that I bought this album and it's associated singles a quarter of a century ago.



Visage were a shining light in the early 80s. Their first two albums, the self-titled debut and the superb underrated "Anvil" were both chock full of catchy singles and killer album tracks.



Maybe I'm being a little unfair but "Beat Boy" suffers from the departure of the main creative forces of messrs Ure and Currie. The lead single "Love Glove" was a pale imitation of previous singles such as "The Damned Don't Cry", "Night Train".



This album does have it's moments, but it really just makes the listener hanker for the relative safety of the first album.



Cherry Red do deserve credit here though. Over the last few months they have unearthed some great 80s nuggets and hopefully this is the first of many more released over the next few years.



For those who have never heard "Beat Boy", I would certainly recommend you buy it and give it a listen, but don't expect to hear anything up to the quality of the first two albums."