Search - Human League :: Hysteria

Dare II

Lucas | Holland | 11/21/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"From the look and the sound, this is really Dare II for me. The drum sounds on most of the tracks is typical Human League. I like the songs a lot, just like Dare. What made this album worthwhile to purchase is the complete set of 5 bonustracks that were missing from the initial cd release. I still own the maxi singles (The 3 L's ;-)) from 1984 (The Lebanon, Life On Your Own & Louise) on which the beautiful Thirteen, The World Tonight and The Sign (Extended Version) stood. Louise came with a superb poster of the band. The one thing that wasn't included here was the instrumental version of The Lebanon, but we don't miss that one that much. Because of the remastering it's still 5 stars ;-) Nice to have..."

Classic Album Remastered with Extra Tracks

G. Joseph Evans | Port Jefferson Station, NY USA | 09/11/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The fourth Human League album from 1984 has finally been re-released. This version has been digitally remastered and has 5 bonus tracks that were previously only available on deleted vinyl. Human League fans will love this..



Bonus Tracks:



1. Thirteen

2. The World Tonight

3. The Lebanon (Extended Version)

4. Life On Your Own (Extended Version)

5. The Sign (Extended Version)"

An Overlooked Gem

G. Joseph Evans | Port Jefferson Station, NY USA | 04/26/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In 1984 The Human League finally came out with new material after a two-year hiatus. "Hysteria" blends the synth-pop style from 1982's "Dare" with guitar and bass. The result stunned many diehard fans, who felt that the band had changed the formula too much. Therefore the first single "The Lebanon" was virtually ignored. Well in the United States anyway. It made the top 10 in the U.K along with it's other two singles "Life On Your Own", and "Louise". "Hysteria" seemed to be a very natural progression from "Dare" as each album had been from the one before it. Fans however, may not always be willing to grow with a band, which unfortunately forced this album to flop rather dismally. Still it is what it is, a collection of synth-pop songs that are socially relevant, intelligent, sincere, political and catchy at the same time. The best songs, other than the singles, are the reworked "I Love You Too Much" (the original all-synth version appeared only on the 1982 EP "FASCINATION!"), the beautiful "Betrayed" about the survivors of a war, and the lovesick anthem "So Hurt". "Don't You Know I Want You" was also a radio hit but never made the charts either in the U.S. or in the UK. All of these tracks remind us that singer/songwriter Philip Oakey is truly one of the most poetic lyricists of all-time. The only dud song on the album is the League's rather annoying attempt at disco with the cover version of "Rock Me Again, and Again, and Again, and Again, and Again, and Again (Six Times)"...and that's exactly how it appears on the album.Hysteria was also the second and last album for this particular lineup of The Human League (known to fans as "the "Dare" lineup"). Jo Callis left the group shortly after this album was released, although he did collaborate with the band on their 1995 album "Octopus". "Hysteria" was followed in 1986 with the album "Crash"."