Could have been a major player in the 1985 synthpop scene...
Daniel W. Kelly | Long Island, NY United States | 02/02/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Paul Haig left the world of punk behind, kept some light guitar, and filled it in with a whole lot of synthesizer and drum machines on his solo projects. His vocals offer that monotone, bored feel that was all the rage back then with new wave bands, from New Order to OMD. This 1985 offering is much more pop oriented in terms of the arrangements--the drum tracks are light and airy more often than the programmed, pulsing and dance-ready drum machine sound. Collaborators on this CD include members of New Order, Cabaret Voltaire, and A Certain Ratio, making this a hot commodity for collectors of all these new wave acts. Here's a breakdown of tracks:
The original album tracks:
"Silent Now" starts the CD off with melancholy orchestration and moody vocals in the style of Depeche Mode tracks like "A Question of Lust."
"Heaven Help You Now" is the epitomy of synthpop from the day, with electronic sequences swirling throughout.
"Love Eternal" is a classic synthpop ballad--think Fiction Factory's "Feels Like Heaven."
"This Dying Flame" opens with a New Order style pulsing bass line, and while the song is filled with great synth flourishes and great melody (sometimes over-the-top pop), it would have sounded fantastic with a dance mix for the clubs. The 12" version on Paul's "Then Again" CD reveals that it was not remixed for clubs, simply extended. Bummer.
"Sense of Fun" is serious synthpop perfection. This could have been a new wave classic in the US had it gotten airplay. And again, a club mix could have made this one a smash, because the beat just isn't danceable enough. One of the best songs on here.
"Scare Me" has more of a goth rock feel with a total New Order flavor thrown in for good measure.
"Big Blue World" takes a more upbeat, Blancmange direction. VERY commercial. It would have been great to have the 12" version as a bonus track.
"The Only Truth" is another great new wave synth track with a fantastic chorus, ripe for a club remix. Unfortunately, the 12" mix, which is on Paul's "Then Again" CD, doesn't remix it as a dance track, just extends it.
"One Lifetime Away" is another synthpop ballad. With its icy synths, it reminds me of something from a 1980s Giorgio Moroder movie soundtrack. The female vocals at the end are a little much.
"Love and War" is one of those clunky, almost experimental sounding arrangements, with a droning, dragging vocal--which even features some robotic effects.
The b-sides
"Ghost Rider" is not electronic at all--it's got a rockabilly/60s surfer music feel. Sorta Stray Cats, Sorta B-52s, sorta theme to the Munsters.
"Endless Song" keeps more in tone with the slower songs on the original album, but sounds a lot less electronic, and more goth rock.
"Shining Hour" starts off with a drum track that leaves you expecting Michael Jackson to start singing billiejean. But it quickly turns into a hot goth-synth pop track. Unexpected female background vocals during the chorus. This song reminds me more of Heaven 17.
"Trust" features more simple synth lines like earlier experimental synth music, with some acoustic guitar, but the vocal is all-out droning new wave.
"Dangerous Life" is airy synthpop with a Blancmange feel.
"Closer Now" is the most dance-ready song on here. The arrangement has more of a street beat feel. I could totally see guys in parachute pants popping and locking to this one.
"World Raw" is total experimental ambience. No sung vocals, just lots of choppy spoken voice samples.
If you thought you'd run out of synthpop new wave acts to discover, you've found a good candidate in Paul Haig. Also check out his "Rhythm of Life" CD, original recorded in 1983."
Track Listings (17) - Disc #1