10 Near Perfect New Wave Albums With One Bad Song
Thank god for the skip button.
Emerging in the waning punk years, new wave became the sound of the '80s. Punk captured peoples imagination. It proved that raw musical talent was not necessarily a prerequisite for making enjoyable music. If you had an attitude and could master three chords, you were good to go. However, thrashing around, with a general sense of loathing for everyone and everything only got you so far. Punk burned hard and fast, and so did its popularity.
But the ethos of punk, was carried on. With the development of the synthesiser - as a mass produceable and more affordable instrument - creating melodies was as simple as turning a few dials, and pressing the odd key in sequence.
Although the use of more modern instrumentation was an overriding feature of the sub-genre, the groups who emerged, were as varying musically, as you could imagine. A plethora of new acts came to prominence, all with a distinctly modern sound. A rabble of fame seeking hopefuls, jumped on the trend, spawning some of the most innovative creations in modern music.
These albums are all considered to be brilliant entries in the genre of new wave. Many stand as iconic musical monoliths of the late '70s and '80s. But if we're being honest, they all contain that one track, that is awfully tempting to skip over.
10. Welcome To The Pleasuredome - Frankie Goes To Hollywood (1984)
The debut album from Frankie Goes To Hollywood was massive, both in scope and popularity. These guys had a vision, even if they weren't always concise in their delivery.
At times, the record is inundated with bizarre samples and risqué references; but for all the bird squawks and jungle sounds, you can't help but love it. When anyone mentions this band, your mind will either jump to, The Power of Love, or Relax, both of which can be found on their debut. But track two, in particular, is as equally brilliant. Thirteen minutes of constantly building dance beats, and references to debauchery, make it perfectly suited to chemically induced dance nights.
The album is punctuated by a number of weird segues, most notably the unlisted track TAG. It's a strange mix of grand classical music, playing behind a rather posh sounding gentleman, waffling on about orgasms - it's all a bit odd, but suits the tone of the record. San Jose ( The Way,) is the only number that feels out of place. It doesn't really lean into the dance energy, instead, it just serves to punctuate the album with a rather dull interlude.