 Alphaville
"Crazyshow" 4- CD box set
BMG
Genres: soft rock, synth pop, eighties pop
Aug 25 - 31 2003 |
Alphaville,
huh? That name sounds familiar, doesn't it? Perhaps more familiar to
certain individuals than to others. But yes, this is THE Alphaville,
who had hits with "Forever Young" and "Big in
Japan" in the eighties. And they're back - or rather, they were
never really gone; their fanbase has remained strong in Germany and
Scandinavia since they faded out of the North American radar.
Crazyshow is a limited edition 4-disc boxset of Alphaville's
online output from 2000 and 2001. At eighty dollars, it ain't cheap,
but fans of their brand of infectious synth-pop influenced soft rock
will no doubt be pleased with what they've come up with here.
The best song in my opinion is "Shadows She Said (Omerta),"
which is also the most immediately catchy. Marian Gold's gruff,
"legendary" voice carries the chorus well, making the song
catchy in an 80s synth-pop sort of way. Other solid tunes include
"State of Dreams" and "Carry Your Flag." The
band's cover of Klaus Schulze's "Crazyshow" is
another highlight; it's a very passionate, strong rendition, with a
relaxing, spacey feel. It's also proof that the band have an
appreciation of music beyond the reaches of simple pop material.
"On The Beach," a ten minute track, is Crazyshow's
epic, a strong, memorable pop tune with a climactic ending.
All in all, this is probably only going to sell well with fans, due
to the hefty price tag, but those who make the investment won't be
disappointed.
83%
Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: distributed by the
band, released 2003] |
