Dead or Alive Albums (6)
What The Critics Say
With the resurgence of '80s nostalgia reaching a feverish pitch in the late '90s (ex-Culture Club reunion, package tours of '80s artists, etc.), it should come as no surprise that '80s cross-dressers Dead Or Alive have returned with Nukleopatra, their first release in over a decade. Even if the band couldn't resist including two remixes of their huge '80s smash "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)," they've made a successful transformation toward '90s dance music. Originally released on Sony Japan in 1995, the '98 U.S. reissue of Nukleopatra includes several new tracks not found on the Sony Japan version. Flamboyant singer Pete Burns has not mellowed over the years in the slightest; his vocals remain unpolished and in your face, as a dance cover of David Bowie's "Rebel Rebel" proves. Also present are a cover of Blondie's "Picture This," the opening technoid title track, and two versions of "Sex Drive" (one of which is included as a U.S.-only bonus track). ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
In the 1980s, the Stock/Aitken/Waterman team was to British dance-pop what Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, or L.A. Reid and Babyface, were to urban contemporary. Producing hits for Bananarama, Rick Astley, Samantha Fox, and others, the threesome was despised by many rock critics. But critics can say what they want -- Stock, Aitken, and Waterman knew how to deliver the hooks -- and many of the songs they produced were undeniably infectious. The team also produced some of Dead or Alive's best work, so when Dead or Alive quit working with them, fans were understandably apprehensive. But on Nude, which was produced by Dead or Alive members Pete Burns and Steve Coy, the group demonstrated that they could get along without Stock/Aitken/Waterman. Though not among the band's essential releases, this is a respectable, if uneven effort, that has a lot to offer from both a dance-pop/Hi-NRG/Euro-disco perspective and a pop-rock perspective. No, there isn't another "You Spin Me Round," or another "Something in My House," but cuts like "Turn Around and Count 2 Ten," "Come Home With Me Baby," and the early-'60s-influenced "Stop Kicking My Heart Around" aren't anything to be ashamed of either. If you've never experienced the pleasures of Dead or Alive, Rip It Up would be a better starting point. Nude is, however, easily recommended to the group's diehard fans. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
'Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know'
Release Date 1/1/1986
Tracks 9
Label Epic
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Switching to the noted Stock/Aitken/Waterman production team, Peter Burns and crew brought it all together on an undisputed-'80s classic. Though arguably the singles hold up better in the end than the album does, there's no question that in terms of sheer hooks, fun, and drama, Youthquake is a pure pop delight by any measure. No question that the band's over the top image had a lot to do with it -- Burns in particular dressed and posed in the kind of outfits and presentations that made Boy George look like a missionary -- but all it takes is the first song to get any party going. "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" has an instantly catchy chorus, bright, kicky synth tones, and fantastic delivery from Burns, right from the opening: "And I!" No less great is the other huge single, "Lover Come Back to Me"." When Burns commands at the end of the chorus, "Kick it right down, right down!" it's as memorable as mass media pop of any stripe ever gets. The Stock/Aitken/Waterman crew doesn't do all that much different per sé on this album than Zeus B Held did on the previous one. While once or twice the trio's tendency towards relative blandness gets the better of the material, most of the time it's a good marriage between Burns' overarching sense of style, and his projection and commercial aims. Where things falter is when the clichés creep in. Orchestral stabs weren't anything new by the time "I Wanna Be a Toy" was littered with them, while everything from sampling stutters to drum pads inevitably call to mind everyone who tinkered with them first. But just let Burns crank up his theatrical wail and amiable sense of sleaze over a good beat and melody, like the string-tinged Philly disco sweep of "In Too Deep," or his desire to "send this sloppy kiss to you" on "Big Daddy of the Rhythm," and the results beat out all objections. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Whether or not Dead or Alive was the first synth-goth band in history is a bit open to debate, but they were unquestionably in on the ground floor somewhere. Burns and his crew created a weird sort of landmark with Sophisticated Boom Boom, though ultimately it's a bit more memorable as being the dry run for later successes as opposed to being fully notable on its own. By this time, the murky gloom of earlier singles was starting to give way to a more freely mainstream approach, though the combination of Burns' outrageous appearances and his utterly over-dramatic singing style helped ensure they never went down totally easy on the charts. Pretty much everything on the album came from somewhere else: the squiggly early-'80s keyboards/beat neo-disco production, the occasional blasts of clattering drums, the gang shout choruses, and the overall air of sex, sex, and more sex. If anything was the role model, clearly Duran Duran's massive success had gone to Burns' head, from the dry slap-bass to the synth melodies. The end result was nicely assembled, though, and the help of the Kick Horns on brass, Zeus B. Held's production, and Tim Palmer's engineering resulted in a nice sounding package. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the best effort comes via the cover of "That's the Way (I Like It)," even though the end result is unforgivably stiff in comparison to the original. Burns himself, meanwhile, is the understandable centerpiece to everything, rolling his "r"'s, hyping himself just by breathing, and finding ever more ways to project and project again. As for what it's all about, the song titles make that much clear: "What I Want," "Do It," "You Make We Wanna." It's terribly amusing in context to hear Wayne Hussey's guitar playing crop up, as on "Misty Circles" -- the eventual feel of his work in both the Sisters of Mercy and the Mission is there, just in a quite different setting. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
