VERY difficult to rate
Wildfire | UK | 02/12/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)
"As an eighties poppy-pop girl-band record, this is well produced with plenty of zippy beat about it. Give it 5 for that. But I fear that it may have been the downfall of Strawberry Switchblade as such. They were forced into a mould they really didn't need in my view. It is no match for the PURE Strawberry Switchblade of the 1983 "Trees and Flowers" and "Since Yesterday" singles. These showcased their beautifully light voices in gorgeous harmony, their vivid, sometimes sad renderings of their own songs. They were charged with expression and truly reached out to the listener.
Sadly, such songs had to sterilised for this mass-market album, with very accurate if clumsily overbearing percussion, ridiculously drooling synthesised violins and a barrage of effects units etc. Take track 8 as an example: "Go away". Those who know the half-lit despair of the poem will probably turn this album off here. Go Away was first presented unaccompanied and so expressive of the poem. It brought out goose bumps. On this album it is underpinned by percussion that sounds like kids bashing nursery toys and someone whacking a fake piano with all the delicacy of an elephant trying to repair a watch. The expression has gone. Surely the producers KNEW what they were taking away from the original interpretations?
So, it's a nice album that tried to normalize Strawberry Switchblade to any other average marketable band. It's a shame that those original singles were never issued in their original form on a CD."
Surprised
04/09/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I was expecting a gloomy gothic production or something in the vein of Danielle Dax. However, I was surprised by the poppy-ness of this CD. The standouts for me were the Dolly Parton cover of "Jolene," "Since Yesterday," "Who Knows What Love Is?," and "I Can Feel," (I actually remembered this one played in the goth clubs in the late 80s). As for the other tracks, it took a while for them to sink in. Would really like to hear this group without the Belinda Carlisle-ish poppy production."