This remastered album was originally recorded for the Resident's label Ralph Records in 1981 and contains the seminal singles 'Bostich' & 'Bimbo' and also contains 5 bonus tracks, 4 on CD for the first time including '... more »Thrill Wave' (from the soundtrack Jetzt und Alles), 'I.T. Splash' (single B-side), 'Gluehead' (single B-side) & 'Smirak's Train' (also from the soundtrack Jetzt und Alles) plus 'Bostich' (N'est-ce pas) from the Yello Essential CD. 19 total tracks. Universal. 2005.« less
This remastered album was originally recorded for the Resident's label Ralph Records in 1981 and contains the seminal singles 'Bostich' & 'Bimbo' and also contains 5 bonus tracks, 4 on CD for the first time including 'Thrill Wave' (from the soundtrack Jetzt und Alles), 'I.T. Splash' (single B-side), 'Gluehead' (single B-side) & 'Smirak's Train' (also from the soundtrack Jetzt und Alles) plus 'Bostich' (N'est-ce pas) from the Yello Essential CD. 19 total tracks. Universal. 2005.
CD Reviews
WOW YELLO
J. Wilson | San Francisco Area | 02/03/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you are a fan of Yello, you gOTTa have this record.
I play it regularly and it is permanently on my iPod.
There are 6 Yello CD's in the remastered release series, I have and recommend buying them all. It's a great montage of Yello with this album being the first of the bunch.
{The rest are: 2.Claro Que Si; 3.You Gotta Say Yes To Another Excess; 4.Stella; 5.One Second; 6.Flag.}"
Yello's best!
J. Gustavson | Travelling | 04/14/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This album was, I think, first released by the residential Ralph label in 1980 (correct me if I am wrong, but at least they DID release it)! At first listening me as a Residents fan was pretty much disappointed and began to have suspicions that Ralph was turning "disco" or "commercial" which would have been anathema. Even though the flip side of the first 7" was no problem the rest seemed a little too "trendy" to suit the Ralph league.
After repeated listenings however i discovered the innovativeness and the daring avantgardish mixes and ideas, even though the beat in some instances still disturbed me. After the many years that have gone by the ideas are not new anymore, neither is the way of creating music as Yello did new. These recordings today are but historical archives of a synthesizing pop culture that has turned over into digital sampling. Although these pieces are very 80ish in most regards, they have that playful and respectless attitude with them that signified the Ralph artists. And that's the thing with them that keeps them up.
I never became a big fan of Yello although I bought all I could get of them up until '86. But the first one, Solid Pleasure, is definetely the place to start as for early Yello - and it is still their best album to date."
It's pretty good, but not their best.
Bob | Vancouver | 03/22/2006
(3 out of 5 stars)
"This album is certainly a fun listen, as with all of their albums. But it lacks a certain thickness their later albums such as 'You Gotta Say Yes' and 'Stella' have. A lot of the songs are very short, at least, and it keeps you listening with an interest when the songs change frequently. Bostich is the highlight, with it's innovative rhythms and Macereana like verse. This album is for true fans only, if you like bostich get it on one of their greatest hits (Essential, New Mix in one go)."
Superb debut from one of New Wave's most eccentric bands
Catfood03 | in front of my computer typing reviews | 10/05/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Yello doesn't get much weirder than they did on their first two records. Claro Que Si, and it's predecessor Solid Pleasure, are both rich with outlandish soundscapes and musical ideas. If you've never heard Yello before "Oh Yeah" then you're sure to be in a shock hearing the band's earliest material.
The creative interaction between these two men makes for an intriguing musical juxtaposition. If Boris Blank seems intent on conjuring otherworldly sound effects, it's lyricist/ vocalist Dieter Mier who keeps matters down to Earth with character studies in the lamenting loser study of "Bimbo" and "Rock Stop". "Bananas to the Beat" is pure goofball fun.
Side One of Solid Pleasure (I still think of this as the cassette copy I used to own) is a suite of sorts of miniature pieces stitched together like the second side of The Beatles' Abbey Road. This section contains some freakishly dark ambient moments ("Magneto", "Massage", "Assistant's Cry"), as well as some slick dance tracks ("Night Flanger" and "Bostich").
Unlike most re-releases that tack on ho-hum bonus material, the bonus tracks to this remastered edition are all welcome additions that deserve repeat listens. "Thrill Wave" and "Smirak's Train" are two selections from a movie soundtrack that would have fit quite nicely placed in the above mentioned ambient suite. There's also an extended mix of "Bostich" that is much superior to the slight album version. "Gluehead" is simply one of the most insane Yello tracks I've heard.
The CD comes in a digipak case with a booklet of lyrics, band photos, video stills, and various album art and memorabilia from this time period.
Track Listings (19) - Disc #1