From Amazon.com
There was a time when you couldn't step into a dance club without hearing at least part of this recording booming over the sound system. The often over-played hit, "Situation," was a bubbling caldron of nasally synth noodlings, a whopping bass line, and drum machine wallops. Alison Moyet's looped laugh in the middle of the song ended up as a sample, over-used a thousand times over. Yaz was an interesting blend of Moyet's smoky blues and jazz tinged vocals with Vince Clarke's digital disco. Moyet's voice alone was instrument enough, and the melodies here perfectly showcased her incredible range.
Upstairs easily moved between energetic dance floor exuberance ("Don't Go" and "Good-bye Seventies"), blues-inspired wailers ("Midnight"), and icy electronic minimalism ("Winter Kills"). It was an explosion of a debut, touching upon '80s gay disco, synth pop, and diva-ism in one fell swoop. The CD closes with the overlooked "Didn't I Bring Your Love Down," an infectious barn burner with a call/response break that blows the roof off of
Eric's little techno-pop room. --
Steve Gdula
Album Details
2008 digitally remastered reissue of the Synthpop duo's debut album coinciding with their reunion tour. Originally released in July '82, the album from former Depeche Mode songwriter Vince Clarke and vocalist Alison Moyet explored the pair's unusual potential to stunning effect. From the raunchy Synth Funk of 'Goodbye 70s' to the chilling darkness of 'Winter Kills', it was one of the most complete debut albums to have emerged throughout the decade as a whole, with the cover image of dismembered showroom dummies echoing the music's sense of dislocation from the standard pop formula. Features the hit singles 'Only You' and 'Don't Go'. Mute.
