There was once a time when New Wave was new...
Noam D. Plume | Florida, USA | 06/14/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Poetic, operatic and uniquely surreal are the adjectives that come to mind when one asks, "...tell us of Kissing the Pink..." The album "Naked" is especially sought after, since it had never been released in the US on CD and the vinyl LP's are beginning to show the ravages of time. All in all, a masterpiece as magnificent as this has been well worth the wait. A rare gem for any 80's New Wave aficionado, if your collection lacks this work, you may need to re-evaluate your viability as a human being."
Snookered by misfit neo-romantics
A. Dutkiewicz | Norwood, South Australia Australia | 01/25/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I'm not a follower of pop music much these days but I have a soft spot for some of the pop music of the 1980s, especially from the UK. For inventiveness and musicality I place this record very high on the list of best albums of that vintage.
It has superb musicianship, with a big range of instrumentation - six players using standard rock instruments plus violin, dual keyboards and saxophone. Furthermore, there are interesting vocal ranges, with Josephine Wells' crystal vocals overlaid often over the steadier vocals of the five males.
The lyrics are very interesting, often having surreal and political imagery, not your usual love songs and laments. Tracks like "The Last Film" (I ever saw) demonstrate Wells' vocal talents, while "Big Man Restless" and "In Awe of Industry" indicate the subject range of this dynamic album.
There are lots of interestings sounds and rhythms here, and the total effect is like an all-you-can-eat smorgasboard. It bops and soars and funks, sometimes all in the same track. To my jaded ears and cynical tastes this one is still outstanding."
Another blast from one of pop music's golden eras
Bobby W. | USA | 09/30/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"
I'm a big fan of the wonderful pop music some bands were creating in the 1980's, especially the years '82-'84.
I think much of today's "alternative" music owes a debt to these pioneers of what was called "new music", acts that broke the AOR mold and got me to stop listening to much of the mainstream crap that's being played on commercial radio to this very day.
Anyway, one of the more obscure recordings in my (then) vinyl collection was Kissing The Pink's "Naked".
Who had ever heard anything like "Big Man Restless" before?
It was a bizarrely enjoyable mix of sax, synths, tribal drums and chanted vocals.
This wasn't three chord fodder. Pop music was becoming unpredictable and fun again.
After years of searching, Naked has finally been released on CD.,
Alas, unlike some other albums from that time, like The The's incredibly
fresh sounding Soul Mining, much of "Naked" does sound dated, primarily because it uses a lot of synthesizer sounds and techniques that were cutting edge back then but come off gimmicky by today's standards (which leads us back to what Matt Johnson accomplished with a more tastefully restrained mix of electronics in Soul Mining).
Still, no 80's pop collection should omit this album.
Aside from "Big Man Restless", "Naked" is worth it for "Love Lasts Forever", which held up beautifully.
"
Track Listings (17) - Disc #1