Search - Mike Mareen :: Let's Start Now

Really different to listen to

Vladimir | Krasnogorsk, Moscow suburbs, Russia | 09/03/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I must admit I like Mike Mareen. If you knew me you would be surprised, since my weekly music menu includes such happy-go-lucky albums as 'Metamatic' by John Foxx, 'The Pleasure Principle' by Gary Numan, 'Reproduction' by the Human League, 'Vienna' by Ultravox, 'Replicas' by Tubeway Army and so on. But having grown up listening to Eurodisco I decided to pay homage to my naive youth (I'm 21 years old now) by reviewing this album.
Mike Mareen is my favourite Eurodisco singer - and the only one that I can listen without feeling of sickness and confusion. Why is it so? Maybe because he sounds so different to other sweet-(or not so sweet-)voiced pretty boys like Thomas Anders and the peers and his music reminds me of the good old days on New Wave more than sugary sounds of Modern Talking and the likes ever dared to. Mike's voice is deep, rich and commanding baritone (not unlike Phil Oakey of the Human League) and even banal lyrics sounds like it is serious enough and full of hidden meaning when he sings it. His songs are also rather different among the other Eurodisco production - based on heavy insistent relentless rhythms, full of stereo effects and generally more electronic, his music has almost anthemic quality to it at the same time.
The common problem of dance music is its lyrics. Mostly, dance songs talk about nothing. It's not to say that Mike's lyrics is intellectual - his first album (which includes his greatest and - I think - best hit 'Love Spy') comprises of songs that have this usual love themes in them. But seems to me that it's music that made to attract listener's attention - long, almost 'epic' (for want of better term) compositions practically commanding to dance. Mareen's second album 'Let's Start Now' continues in the same musical vien, but lyrics seems to be more 'thoughtful' now. Mike decided to pay attention to the problems and evils of our world and this album became his 'social statement'. Of course, lyric themes are rather naive and not nearly as serious as, say, Pink Floyd's poetry, but don't expect too much philosophy from a purveyor of dance music.
Here we have `social hymns' like 'Stand up' and the title song, ecological 'Heavy Water', 'Africa', dedicated to the state of affairs on said continent, 'Germany', dedicated to the reunion of the East and West parts of the said country, 'Don't Talk to the Snake', in which Mike warns the listener 'of shiny things that look so good at first' and other traps of life, and 'Agent of Liberty', which seems and sounds like a sequel of 'Love Spy'. The only 'love' song on this LP is 'Don't Leave Me Now', performed by Mike and his associates - co-authors and studio musicians. Really different to listen to. The album closes with the 'Powerplay Mix' of Mike's biggest hits - `Agent of Liberty', 'Love Spy' and 'Dancing in the Dark'. Not only synths and electronics are presented in album's compositions, but sometimes you can also hear guitars, saxophone, tribal rhythms and so on, albeit they don't make much weather.
I should note some interesting things about this album's songs. Main melody for 'Germany' is almost identical for the melody of the song 'Aliens', which was a hit for Italodisco band Radiorama - strange, and it becomes more strange because there are different authors for each song (both songs are quite good, though). And the high-pitched backing vocals for 'Heavy Water' resembles the same thing in Modern Talking repertoire.
Overall, this is a good disc. It's not terribly original or innovative, but if you like 80's music (especially Eurodisco) and can stand 6+ timing of almost every song on this album and its rather monotonous (but very cathcy, melodic, hi-energy, effect-ridden and -laden) structures, and if you like singers with strong powerful voices you're likely to find this disc worth your attention."

Mike Mareen

Vladimir | 03/15/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have it since 1987.Good choice.Only the first track is a little bit long and the track `heavy water` sounds like a coverversion (den harrow)"