Essential Clarke
Jeremiah J. Fritz | Brea, CA | 01/25/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Love this CD, in fact, I like it better than the Hit Situation from Yazoo. Gives me a kind of nostalgic feeling. Worth the purchase I say! Only for big Clarke fans though!"
The Real Review
Justin Waters | Los Angeles, CA United States | 11/25/2008
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I'm not sure why the other reviewer said he likes this CD better than "Situation." It's like comparing apples and oranges; "Situation" is an upbeat dance song. Both of the songs on this CD are mellow; in the same vein as "Never Never" by another Vince Clarke (V.C.) project The Assembly. Only not nearly as catchy.
The other reviewer was right on about one thing - this is only for the serious V.C. fans. If you are looking for something that sounds like fun Yazoo or Erasure, this isn't quite it. Listening to these songs, you hear tell-tale elements that confirm this is a V.C. production. But the singer sounds so mauldlin, so lacking of any emotion, but misery, it really brings the songs down. I wanted to find something (anything) that gave him a distinctive sound, but his voice is just so bland, I was kind of glad there were only two songs on here. And the "extended" versions of the two songs are somewhat unnecessary. Nothing really interesting or exciting was added; they are just longer versions of these dreary songs.
I guess there are three types of V.C. songs - the catchy (Yazoo, Erasure and Robert Marlow), the mid-tempo and questionable (this, Family Fantastic) and the "What The Hell??!!" variety (his collaborations with Martyn Ware of Heaven 17). Maybe these two songs will grow on me and I'll someday see the appeal, but at the time this review was written (the day I received it in the mail), it only warranted two full listens. It's interesting to have, but I'll be filing this away. I must stress that it's not that it's bad, but if I want to hear his early 80s side project moody music, I'll put on The Assembly which, while it's a song about loneliness, is much more enjoyable."
Track Listings (4) - Disc #1