Search - Paul Haig :: Then Again

Totally uneven collection of remixes and B-sides...misses al

Daniel W. Kelly | Long Island, NY United States | 02/02/2007

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This collection of Paul Haig's synth-driven 12"s and b-sides could have been much stronger had it focused more on the 12" versions from his two mid-80s solo LPs, "Rhythm of Life" and "The Warp of Pure Fun," both of which only get a hint of recognition here, although, those mixes alone make this a crucial buy. The biggest problem is the omission of Paul's first 12" single "Running Away", which was not on any of his albums. It should be here, considering they included "Time" the b-side to the original track! This collection takes us all the way through the 80s and even has some horribly out of place singles from the 90s. Here's a breakdown:



1. Time (5:51) very mellow new wave synth feel and vocals, sounding more like one of those songs recorded in the late 70s before new wave artists really tapped into the power of the synthesizer.



2. Chance (5:56) really annoying song, with a funky bass, very few vocals, and not quite catchy vocals at that. Sounds very experimental.



3. Blue For You (interference mix) (5:00) Very different than the versions on the rhythm of Life CD. It's a funky synth dance track--kinda reminds me of Gang of Four's more danceable stuff.



4. Change of Heart (5:07) Synth explosion! This one is all about keyboard sequences, with the vocals taking a backseat. Gets a little grating after a while.



5. Fear and Dancing (3:36) A catchy track with pulsing bass line and a Blancmange feel and vocals.



6. The Executioner (5:19) An experimental synth track with no singing, just spoken voice samples. This could have been exchanged for "Running Away!"



7. Love Eternal (5:12) nice 12" version of this synthpop ballad from Paul's second LP.



8. The Only truth (7:09) Awesome new wave synthpop--but the 12" mix doesn't remix it to make it a dance version. What a shame.



9. This Dying Flame (6:33) A fantastic mellow new wave synth gem reminiscent of New Order, but I'd hoped the 12" version was a dance mix, which could have made this a huge club hit. It's not. It's just an extended version.



10. Heaven Help You Now (mantronik mix) (4:09) this is a painfully bad mix of a fantastic synthpop gem from Paul's "the Warp of Pure Fun" album. I wish they would have used the 8 minute 12" mix. This Mantronik mix has a funk bass line and a horribly clunky beat that robs the song of its gentle flow.



11. Reach the Top (5:16) recorded in 1987 and it shows. Catchy song with great new wave hooks, but it's missing that dance driven drum machine charm of earlier new wave tracks.



12. Swinging for You (4:28) a gloomy synth ballad that picks up a little at the end--actually gets sorta overdramatic.



13. the Electrician (6:33) Total experimental synth ambience from 1998. It's out of place on this collection, which should have stuck to the 80s music! Not much vocal.



14. the Shining (5:36) Same miserable story as track 13. Even less vocal--and not melodic vocal.



15. Psycho San Jose (2:10) Simply bizarre noise that sounds like it could have been used in an artsy western movie in the late 80s/early 90s. What a waste of disc space.



Personally, I would have replaced the tracks I trashed above with the 12" versions of "running away," "big blue world," "heaven help you now," "Justice," and "Never Give Up.""