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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2010 10:34:06 GMT
Compulsory listening for all hi fi people. Top notch band. Top notch examples of electronic music taken to the edge of technology, combined with live performance work.
1980 Solid Pleasure Ralph Records (re-issued by Mercury Records/Vertigo Records) - - 1981 Claro Que Si Ralph Records (re-issued by Mercury Records/Vertigo Records) - - 1983 You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess Stiff Records/Elektra Records (re-issued by Mercury Records 65 184 1985 Stella Stiff Records/Elektra Records (re-issued by Mercury Records) 92 - 1987 One Second Mercury 48 92 Featuring Billy Mackenzie and Shirley Bassey 1988 Flag Mercury 56 152 1991 Baby Mercury/PolyGram 37 - 1994 Zebra Fourth & Broadway - - 1997 Pocket Universe PolyGram - - Featuring Stina Nordenstam on "To The Sea" 1999 Motion Picture Polygram - - 2003 The Eye Motor Music - - 2009 Touch Yello Polydor - -
Other albums Year Album Label UK US Additional information 1986 1980–1985 The New Mix in One Go Mercury - - Remix album 1992 Essential Mercury - - Compilation album 1995 Hands on Yello Urban Records/Motor Music - - Remix album 1999 Eccentrix Remixes Mercury - - Remix album 2007 Progress and Perfection - - - Audi A5 promo album
Ian
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elysion
Been here a while!
Team Anti M$ AND Facebook.
contra torrentem
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Post by elysion on Apr 3, 2010 10:55:25 GMT
YES, YELLO are perfect I love them too.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2010 13:54:19 GMT
SOLID PLEASURE - 1980We're talking 1980! Look at what else was happening at this time and compare. From the start - streets ahead. BimboListen to the drums - synthetic and the chromatic scale on the old analogue synth at the start behind the slow rap. (in English) Riff driven bass lines with rapping over the top. Listen carefully and you'll hear a delicate little 'glassy' sound above all this rhythm stuff. Complex mix of sounds. Quite a commercial sound at the time. Zappa like sense of humour in use of voice. Massive influence on UK electronic commercial bands at the time. In the hook - backing in one key - vocals in another key. A kind of polytonality. Fade out at the end - proabably seen as their single ..... They sound young. Night FlangerChange of sound. heavier. Real drums and bass alongside electronics. (Very low pitched snare drum similar to Pink Floyd snare) Reminds me of Holger Hiller in some respects. (Also around at the time) Again, riff driven but heavier in sound than track 1. Strange chords in synth behind the vocal. Real catchy hook and a beautifully played guitar solo in the middle. Gorgeous tone. Stringy and mellow. (Lots of British Electronica totally turned their backs on guitar - a mistake) It really adds an 'expressiveness to the electronic sound. For 1980 - deep bass. Even in the remixed version! There is a sense of the future drama of their following albums in this. Reverse LionBass riff with synth sounds and backwards samples. Downtown SambaMagneto Massage Assistant's cryNot a samba but using elements. (Rhythmic) plus whooshing sounds at start and the drums start to play kind of in a different time signature to the opening which kind of displaces the sound for a short while. Riff driven with faded/backwards samples. Elements of Latin American percussion next and a sax section. Great sense of humour. In the main section, the bass plays a typical Latin American bass line (Cross rhythms) with all sorts of mayhem going on above. (including Spanish speaking voices - Mexican I think) This all clears away for a dramatic swirling chord with some deep bass thuds. Very Doctor Who - this is not commercial. More Pink Floyd type of sounds. Basically a drone effect with samples fading in and out and a low beat on a bass drum in the background. The beat starts to come forward and the drone becomes more focussed onto a note. Almost BBC workshop type stuff. A new drone introduces a 'chant' on voices. Very dramatic. Background samples introduced. Drone moves higher. This is almost DSOTM like in intensity. Spoken voices. Illustrating screams in the backgrounds. This is a real electronic soundscape. BostichAmazing mono-tone rap. Gotta be heard to be believed!! They have performed this all of their career. Brilliant. Rock StopReggae opening with electronic sounds. Typical 50's rock sequence. Hammy guitar solo. Great humour. Surprisingly - no bass guitar sounds. Synth led. Coast to PolkaAlmost like an 'oom pah' band played on electronic instruments. Synth solo up top with again, all sorts of samples jumping in and lots of electronic 'phasing' Blue GreenMore serious in contrast to the 'comic' 'Coast to Polka'. Congas, drones, guitar, wind sounds. Bass line played by synth, continuous dotted rhythm. It almost reminds me of Jean Michel Jarre's stuff as far as the body of the sound goes. The guitarist's phrasing is really good over the top of swirling synths. An extended guitar solo with synths and vocals underneath. Eternal legsQuite 80's sounding. You can hear the influence that this stuff had on British Electronic music. More commercial for that time. Thinner texture than the other stuff - almost minimalistic in production. There is a 'sawtooth' synth solo that reminds me so much of Pink Floyd keyboard solos that move above a fixed bass line. It breaks down into electronic/industrial sounds. StanztriggerIndustrial sounds and samples. It starts with a soundscape and a bass drum rhythm underneath. Sounds come and go into the mix. The beat keeps going. very strong left/right info, so can be uncomfortable for headphones. A mad track. Bananas to the BeatLatin American beat with a comic vocal line. Strong synth bass. Funnily enough, this could have been a commercial type number, but it's not. Sort of off the wall. Good hook line though. Thrill Waveback to serious business with a faded in synth drone. If you listen really carefully, there are harmonics in the sound that appear as it grows. It gradually builds in texture and dynamic and then fades away. I.T. SplashHeavy bass riff led. Reverb ridden vocals. Latin American type beat on the kit with traffic noises! Wailing guitar. GlueheadAlmost manic!! No bass. Drums, distorted guitar snips, and distorted vocals. Compared to later, their voices do sound young! The voices seem more part of the mix than at the front. Lots of wailing and distortion. Smirak's TrainYou can hear the train coming at the start in the music. They kind of imitate a train engine in music. (A modern train) Ostinato rhythms (keep repeating) All bassed on the one note - similar to a technique used by Frank Zappa in some of his extended solos. Lots of echo on the guitar sounds so they repeat and fade away in the mix. More like an improvisation over a drone with synths (and voices) drifting in and out of the mix. Bostich (N'est-ce pas)Miltary opening before we get back to the mono-tone rap again. Different mix. Elements of the race in this mix with the shouting voice - 'Everybody'. This isn't my favourite album but it contains elements of what was going to happen with Yello. The brilliant use of sampling technology. The use of the mono-tone voice. Sparing use of electric guitar. The Latin American percussion. It takes me right back to the experimentation of the 80's with electronics and getting away from Punk. It's not a massively commercial album but has some really interesting material that perhaps they could do because Dieter was so rich and didn't need the money!! It led the way for what was to come. www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJFShE1VfEcIan
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2010 14:02:03 GMT
Try saying this really fast:
Standing at the machine every day for all my life I'm used to do it and I need it It's the only thing I want It's just a rush, push, cash.
These are the words from the fast 'rapping' that Dieter does on Bostich. Every syllable has the same length note so it isn't said as we say it in English since the stresses are in odd places such as the word 'machine.'
It's really hard to do if you speak English!!
Ian
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Post by PinkFloyd on Apr 3, 2010 16:20:47 GMT
Ian, your track by track explanation of the musical goings on in Solid Pleasure is EXCELLENT! I am gonna pull that one out from the Yello rack this evening and have a damned good listen whilst reading your track listings.... I will try to add something from a listeners perspective. Not my favourite Yello album either but most certainly the beginning of the YELLO sound BTW.... there was also this one: The quality of the recordings are amazing in this box set, of all the versions of The Race the one in the box set sounds the best... I have no idea if they were specially mastered I was just happy to "secure" my limited edition copy at the time
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Post by PinkFloyd on Apr 3, 2010 16:34:29 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2010 16:40:25 GMT
Thanks Mike. It's a bit off the cuff but may give people some incentive to download and listen for themselves. Don't rely absolutely on my notes ...... I wrote fast and there are some errors at the start which I can't correct. The system won't let me edit that post for some reason. I tried over and over!! For instance, the opening is using real drums not synthetic. My mistake. They often combine real with synthetic. I tried following my own notes and it's not that easy - I would get the notes more accurate if I could. Stuff happens so fast in this album that I may have got some links confused at the start since a few songs are merged together. Here's the cover: It's the beginning of an amazing musical journey and a taste of what they wold do in the future. There are elements/snippets that appear later in their music too. i didn't list singles since they've come from the albums but I think they were remastered so you may well have better copies there!! Some of the mixes in this album are quite complex and difficult to pick out so I just rummaged through and picked what I thought may be obvious and give a bit of insight into the music rather than just talk about hi fi. After all, its all for the music eh? Having said that, the copy of 'Solid Pleasure' that I have is a remaster and one of those slightly edgy affairs that I'm not happy about from the 80's. It was a time when people seemed to think thin toppy sound was hi fi on a CD. This has an element of that but not as bad as other stuff from the time. The collection you have there looks like the dog's gonads. perhaps more care taken over production. With electronic music, the production is absolutely crucial imo. Especially once you start using elctronic drum kits because in the 80's they could sound really poor. The Linn drum was the first I heard that I thought sounded convincing. before that they were pants to say the least. That's probably why Yello opted to retain a real set of drums in a lot of their stuff alongside electronics. It's also imo why their stuff is so convincing. It contains a strong element of human players/humour which in strict electronica doesn't come off. Holger Hiller was producing totally machine produced music in his early experiments using samplers and a human feeling is often not there. I was playing mono synths and layering. The stuff these guys were using is top notch. The sampling is exceptional. After a while, I'll move on to no. two of the list. 'Claro que Si' which means 'Of Course' - a little more focussed than this one, but this is a good place to start since it includes some real Yello experimentation with soundscapes and I feel that there are some interesting influences in there musically. Zappa humour and use of voice. (Those kind of sarcastic tones) Pink Floyd drones. The cover is a bit Zappa like too. Industrialism which went on to influence the better British Electronic bands who unlike Yello wanted to get chart recognition. Use of public announcement voices. Use of samples of racing cars/traffic/crowds shouting. Use of bass riffs to drive the music. One of the real pleasures of Yello is the music cries out for deep hi fi and as you put it so well in another thread, Mike - organic. There is a strong human element in their music in spite of it being electronica which needs to be heard. especially the sheer effort that they put into the human stuff. It real showmanship mixed with technology. Yello were happy with a slightly unconventional career, probably influenced by the fact that Dieter was and still is, filthy rich and not too bothered by charts. Ian
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Post by PinkFloyd on Apr 3, 2010 20:53:13 GMT
Got Solid Pleasure on right now Ian (at Bimbo at the moment) I am always amazed at the "liveliness" of this album, there is so much going on in it... as I type there is singing in my left ear, singing in my right ear with singing in the middle of my head, all surrounded by a cornucopia of electronica all doing it's own thing.... the "elements" of the sound are all in their own respective space and a piece of cake to home in an follow any one instrument. Onto night flanger now... same drum beat all the way through it with some laid back funky electro synthesiser (I think) and here comes the guitar solo.... now something clacking away like a cowbell.... funky organ in the background.... I imagine I'm in some weird club where people have pineapple hats and yellow pointed shoes.... all smoking long cigars.... I'm turning on the lights, I'm turning on the lights.... Reverse lion...... there's the truck..... very jazzy electro, strange sounds...... Downtown samba.... nice rhythm... saxaphone.... a whistle.... I'm now in Latin America on a darkly lit street with scantily clad women and seedy men with sunglasses on doing "deals" in the shadows.... Magneto.... eery beginning..... ooh, something bad's gonna happen.... I'm in a dark place, don't know where I am.... oh wait a minute, I see a door, I see a light behind that door, my heart beats harder as I get closer.. Massage..... it's ok, I'm entering a monestary, monks are chanting, the place is lit by candles, there is a fountain.... no, a waterfall.... this is a nice place.... Shit I have to stop there I can't keep up with the recording.... it's hard to listen and type what you're listening to at the same time!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2010 21:23:23 GMT
I prefer your description. You've one helluva 'n imagination. You're just about to get into Assistant's Cry which will get you out of that monastery and into the looney bin. There's a real taste of what's to come in this album. It's a clean recording although personally, I'd prefer a bit more weight like in 'Touch'. They sound like little boys in it as well. Ian
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Post by PinkFloyd on Apr 3, 2010 22:24:00 GMT
I prefer your description. You've one helluva 'n imagination. I'm "old school" in that respect.... I paint my "own" picture (in my head) of what the music means to me and, with bands like Yello / Floyd / Santana my "soundscapes" are never the same..... I always get something different out of the music every time I listen to it.... the sign of a good "tune" IMO. Today's "Graphic" generation that need to watch someone else's interpretation of the message of the music are so unfortunate.... "Have you seen XYZ's latest video?" "wow, what a cool video"...... I don't need to watch some crap three minute "video" I prefer to close my eyes and let the music take me to a place of my choice..... Hell, I can even SMELL and TASTE things and places when I listen to some recordings..... when I hear Ian Dury's "hit me with your rhythm stick" I am taken back to a happy place and am almost reliving my experiences of that time.... same with a lot of recordings. There is no such thing as "this recording means THIS".... bollocks... we are all selective perceivers and, as such, the music is as individual and unique to the listener as are his own set of ears. Music is such a powerful drug and, used correctly, can be the biggest mind altering drug there is.... if you are programmed to receive then the music will do the rest. Hawkwind's philosophy of "you've got to get out of it, if you want to get into it" is true to a certain extent but that doesn't necessarily refer to "drugs".... it's all about shutting the rest of the world off and entering a truly relaxed state.... only then will you be able to paint soundscapes in your mind.... forget the "equipment", condition yourself to "receive" the vibes and don't be afraid where the trip will take you.... go with the flow. Sounds easy but very hard to do in practice.... I was, fortunately, "deprived" as a child (being an only child) and staying up late at night listening to the radio with my eyes closed in bed took me to places that today's MTV generation of "viewers" will never reach.... That little radio was my best friend and quality DJ's like Bob Harris introduced me to seriously mind blowing journeys..... Oops.... sorry, I'm waffling again.... this is the "YELLO" thread..... forgot what I was going to say now Oh yeh....... "imagination" is what it's all about.... the music should be the backing band to YOUR imagination. Mike.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Apr 3, 2010 22:47:10 GMT
Ian..... any chance we can mix the years up a bit with our YELLO club and go straight in at "Pocket Universe" next?..... that will get the "Hi-Fi" brigade well and truly into YELLO and they will be demanding our next installment YELLO are not "conventional" (and neither are we!) so let's "cherry pick" a few albums to get people "tenting"..... Pocket Universe is not my favourite either but it is an example of YELLO in their concept mode... each and every track compliments one another with seamless integration.... sound quality is also "reference" grade (for all you audiophools ) Hell, it's 13 years old now.... doesn't time fly! Thing is, it's TIMELESS and could have been recorded yesterday...... to be honest, it's way ahead of it's time STILL and FAR too imaginative to become "popular" for, at least, another 20 years. There's something we haven't discussed yet Ian..... tunes becomming "dated".... you can dial in a year and month with most tunes but with YELLO it's always "now".... however many years pass their music is in the "NOW".... timeless. That is the sign of QUALITY..... just as Beethoven and the classical composers are timeless so are YELLO. I haven't listened to Pocket Universe for over a year (am listening right now / as I type) and "beyond mirrors" still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up...... same YELLO humour "according to Arthur C Clarke" but with added electro magic....... These guys are pure GENIUS!
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Post by PinkFloyd on Apr 3, 2010 23:25:49 GMT
C'mon guys.... don't be shy to post.... YELLO are your friends (you may not know it now but you soon will ) any questions just ask Ian and myself and we will be happy to answer. YELLO are the MASTERS of Electronica, the GODFATHERS, the supreme beings..... nobody comes close.... they are the ElectroKings FULL STOP! The MASTERS of the universe maybe? If you want to learn more then just ask and the combined experience of Ian and myself and we will do our best to answer... From Pocket Universe album (beyond Mirrors / Track 11) : " The age of science has failed to explain our universe in rational terms. Consequently, the power of magic has gradually emerged from our conscious minds to fathom the unfathomable. Our most distinguished scientists reluctlantly admit that mankind is nothing but some billion creatures sitting on a piece of solar driftwood, floating in space. Magic is the art of influencing the course of events by the intervention of spiritual forces or some other occult device. According to Arthur C. Clarke any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Early civilizations often mistook the unexplained world around them to be magic. Rupert Sheldrake in his book "Seven experiments that could change the world" has stated that scientists attitude towards the experiments affect the results of their experiments.
There is no such thing as a definite fact in science and therefore the irrationality of magic plays an important part in our rational world. Werner Heisenberg, the leading 20th century physicist has stated that mass is a physical interpretation of energy. Religious organisations have understood the power of magic and therefore monopolized the interpretation of the supernatural to control the human mind.
The universe as a whole is beyond explanation. Only at the end of the 20th century the Roman catholic church admitted that the great visionary Galileo Galilei was in fact correct. The second millennium has come to an end"
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2010 23:43:22 GMT
Just ordered Solid Pleasure at Amazon - £5 for the CD, new. Shows how things are going, the MP3 album is £7.99.
It'll be interesting to hear it and read your notes.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Apr 4, 2010 0:09:03 GMT
SOLID PLEASURE - 1980We're talking 1980! Look at what else was happening at this time and compare. From the start - streets ahead. BimboListen to the drums - synthetic and the chromatic scale on the old analogue synth at the start behind the slow rap. (in English) Riff driven bass lines with rapping over the top. Listen carefully and you'll hear a delicate little 'glassy' sound above all this rhythm stuff. Complex mix of sounds. Quite a commercial sound at the time. Zappa like sense of humour in use of voice. Massive influence on UK electronic commercial bands at the time. In the hook - backing in one key - vocals in another key. A kind of polytonality. Fade out at the end - proabably seen as their single ..... They sound young. Night FlangerChange of sound. heavier. Real drums and bass alongside electronics. (Very low pitched snare drum similar to Pink Floyd snare) Reminds me of Holger Hiller in some respects. (Also around at the time) Again, riff driven but heavier in sound than track 1. Strange chords in synth behind the vocal. Real catchy hook and a beautifully played guitar solo in the middle. Gorgeous tone. Stringy and mellow. (Lots of British Electronica totally turned their backs on guitar - a mistake) It really adds an 'expressiveness to the electronic sound. For 1980 - deep bass. Even in the remixed version! There is a sense of the future drama of their following albums in this. Reverse LionBass riff with synth sounds and backwards samples. Downtown SambaMagneto Massage Assistant's cryNot a samba but using elements. (Rhythmic) plus whooshing sounds at start and the drums start to play kind of in a different time signature to the opening which kind of displaces the sound for a short while. Riff driven with faded/backwards samples. Elements of Latin American percussion next and a sax section. Great sense of humour. In the main section, the bass plays a typical Latin American bass line (Cross rhythms) with all sorts of mayhem going on above. (including Spanish speaking voices - Mexican I think) This all clears away for a dramatic swirling chord with some deep bass thuds. Very Doctor Who - this is not commercial. More Pink Floyd type of sounds. Basically a drone effect with samples fading in and out and a low beat on a bass drum in the background. The beat starts to come forward and the drone becomes more focussed onto a note. Almost BBC workshop type stuff. A new drone introduces a 'chant' on voices. Very dramatic. Background samples introduced. Drone moves higher. This is almost DSOTM like in intensity. Spoken voices. Illustrating screams in the backgrounds. This is a real electronic soundscape. BostichAmazing mono-tone rap. Gotta be heard to be believed!! They have performed this all of their career. Brilliant. Rock StopReggae opening with electronic sounds. Typical 50's rock sequence. Hammy guitar solo. Great humour. Surprisingly - no bass guitar sounds. Synth led. Coast to PolkaAlmost like an 'oom pah' band played on electronic instruments. Synth solo up top with again, all sorts of samples jumping in and lots of electronic 'phasing' Blue GreenMore serious in contrast to the 'comic' 'Coast to Polka'. Congas, drones, guitar, wind sounds. Bass line played by synth, continuous dotted rhythm. It almost reminds me of Jean Michel Jarre's stuff as far as the body of the sound goes. The guitarist's phrasing is really good over the top of swirling synths. An extended guitar solo with synths and vocals underneath. Eternal legsQuite 80's sounding. You can hear the influence that this stuff had on British Electronic music. More commercial for that time. Thinner texture than the other stuff - almost minimalistic in production. There is a 'sawtooth' synth solo that reminds me so much of Pink Floyd keyboard solos that move above a fixed bass line. It breaks down into electronic/industrial sounds. StanztriggerIndustrial sounds and samples. It starts with a soundscape and a bass drum rhythm underneath. Sounds come and go into the mix. The beat keeps going. very strong left/right info, so can be uncomfortable for headphones. A mad track. Bananas to the BeatLatin American beat with a comic vocal line. Strong synth bass. Funnily enough, this could have been a commercial type number, but it's not. Sort of off the wall. Good hook line though. Thrill Waveback to serious business with a faded in synth drone. If you listen really carefully, there are harmonics in the sound that appear as it grows. It gradually builds in texture and dynamic and then fades away. I.T. SplashHeavy bass riff led. Reverb ridden vocals. Latin American type beat on the kit with traffic noises! Wailing guitar. GlueheadAlmost manic!! No bass. Drums, distorted guitar snips, and distorted vocals. Compared to later, their voices do sound young! The voices seem more part of the mix than at the front. Lots of wailing and distortion. Smirak's TrainYou can hear the train coming at the start in the music. They kind of imitate a train engine in music. (A modern train) Ostinato rhythms (keep repeating) All bassed on the one note - similar to a technique used by Frank Zappa in some of his extended solos. Lots of echo on the guitar sounds so they repeat and fade away in the mix. More like an improvisation over a drone with synths (and voices) drifting in and out of the mix. Bostich (N'est-ce pas)Miltary opening before we get back to the mono-tone rap again. Different mix. Elements of the race in this mix with the shouting voice - 'Everybody'. This isn't my favourite album but it contains elements of what was going to happen with Yello. The brilliant use of sampling technology. The use of the mono-tone voice. Sparing use of electric guitar. The Latin American percussion. It takes me right back to the experimentation of the 80's with electronics and getting away from Punk. It's not a massively commercial album but has some really interesting material that perhaps they could do because Dieter was so rich and didn't need the money!! It led the way for what was to come. www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJFShE1VfEcIan Ian, I have read this again and you are SPOT ON.... an absolutely superb description of "Solid Pleasure". Please continue as you were and ignore my request to go straight into "Pocket Universe". Seriously mate, I thought "I" knew a bit about YELLO.... your insights into their "technique" are fantastic.... The floor is yours Ian. All the best, Mike (In awe)
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2010 6:53:03 GMT
Just ordered Solid Pleasure at Amazon - £5 for the CD, new. Shows how things are going, the MP3 album is £7.99. It'll be interesting to hear it and read your notes. Hi Juke, That's why I started with number one. These early examples are available at GOOD prices and show what was to come. All the elements of Yello are there in Solid Pleasure. It's a young band and not fully developed but what was to come in the future makes short appearances throughout this album. Some of the samples used in this album also appear in later stuff and it kind of sets you up for the real Yello experience in spite of the experimentation that is going on in this one. There are some sounds that are fairly difficult to accept at first but if you just relax and turn it up, listen to the 'internals. Don't do as so many people do, and listen for the tune. Listen to the samples coming in and going out on this extraordinary album. It was crafted with care and each time I hear it, I hear something different. Once you accept the idea of a soundscape - (you'll know exactly what I mean by a soundscape when you hear this) along with thier sense of humour and their acknowledgement to 'rock' and 'Latin American' music, you'll appreciate how they put fragments together. If you find it 'difficult' to listen to - start first with Bostich and you will become curious about them. Remember - 1980. Electronic music was in a pretty fragile state what with the lack of technology. Listen to other electronic stuff of the time and you will instantly hear that Yello were ahead of their time. I would suggest you try the tags on Amazon and Itunes to hear fragments of each track first, but at £5.00, it's a piece of electronic history and not anywhere near their best offering!! For this particular album, I would suggest a headphone/setup that emphasises the bass end. The production is one of those 80's tizz things which drove me mad at the time. The addition of a fat bass will help the CD enormously. I used the V2 and a Sennheiser hd650 and then did a second listen on the HD250. IMO this type of production doesn't reproduce well on the K701. Another option is the Beyer DT150. These headphones will produce a nice healthy 'whack' at the bottom that this CD cries out for. (I often match my headphones to the music!!!) Please continue as you were and ignore my request to go straight into "Pocket UniverseYes, I had a think about this too Mike. Solid Pleasure isn't the easiest with the soundscape work and experimentation but once you get beyond this, you'll become a fan in the next installments since they mature from this first 'toe dip.' The second album is never easy for a band; especially if the first one is quality, which it often is because everyone is keen and wants to do so well. That's what often drives the first album so you tend to get a mix of styles while they are finding their feet. I think that's what makes album number one an interesting one. If you listen to Emerson, Lake and Palmer's number one album you'll hear a mix of styles which imo makes that particular one a very good album. With Solid Pleasure, I would have liked a little more care over the 'sound' of the album overall. The placing of sounds etc., is superb; especially in the complex soundscape stuff that could easily become just a wall of sound inside two little earcups, but with detailed and concentrated listening, they become almost photographic. The mad rant that Dieter has in one of the soundscapes builds in intensity to the point where he sounds as though he has completely lost it mentally. I just love the way that thing builds and there is something really dark in it. Soundscapes are very difficult to put together so that they sound cohesive and this is a great example. The problem with them is that timing and placing of sounds are crucial to their success or else they just become either a wall of sound, or just plain boring. Even 'Thrill Wave' which is a simple soundscape idea has a form (in the shape of a wave). It builds and fades just like a wave, but inside that droning sound, there are harmonics (If you know what they are in music) that add the 'sparkle' to the wave. All done in slow motion as well. The sound of the train engine isn't obvious because it is entirely musical. Trains have been done in classical music quite a lot but often resorting to the obvious 'rattling' rhythms and chugging of the engine. In this one, you can absolutely hear that it is an electric (and very smooth one) train - all done with musical sounds. They are absolute masters of soundscape as well. Carlos Peron was absolutely amazing in the tape production on this album and the blending of sounds. Yes .... in those days, we used reel to reel tapes to multitrack sounds!!! (Hiss and all) Chico Hablas was also used well on the album. One thing about electronica was the dropping of guitar. Yello retained drum kit and guitar but used the guitar very sparingly. Chico plays short bursts rather than out and out extended solos. (Chico Hablas means Chico - he talks!!!) I would suggest a solid listen (over and over) to Solid Pleasure before moving on because most of their work has developed from this album. It has elements of the future in it that are easily overlooked, but if you get familiar with it, you will soon spot what I am talking about later on. Mike, I know you're really familiar with their stuff, so you will also possibly hear future references there in the album. If you listen really closely, a sound will suddenly pop out at you that makes you think of a future album/song. The elements are really inside this album and it shouldn't be overlooked as a poor relative!! It has references/acknowledgement to the 50's rock and chord sequences. (Even back to 40's band sounds) as well as looking forward to the electronic/bass riff led music that was to come. There are some stunning pauses between poppy/rocky songs where total electronics hold your attention and the drama is already there in their first album. The funny thing is that it is easily overlooked. If you sample each song with concentrated listening, you'll hear how well crafted this work is whereas a superficial listen doesn't work. You need to listen 'into' the sound, not from the melody or top. For example, when Dieter is rapping/singing - listen down below to the illustrations that are going on. BTW - when did rapping appear? Ian Dury is supposed to be the first one here. Dieter has always rapped!! Ian
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Nigel
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Post by Nigel on Apr 4, 2010 8:09:37 GMT
Excellent post writing chaps.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2010 10:11:34 GMT
Thanks Ian, I really appreciate the advice. I have the Pinkie V2 and HD650s so I'm all set
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2010 19:15:37 GMT
Thanks Ian, I really appreciate the advice. I have the Pinkie V2 and HD650s so I'm all set Yes Juke. The bass lift supplied by the HD650 helps this type of recording and then you have the advantage of really good resolution to hear the inner detail of the album. Turn it up!! It's quite a good experiment to not listen to the melodies but get a track on what's going on behind. The worst bands tend to present a wall of sound whereas a band of Yello's quality will tend to vary what is going on with lots of word illustration and comments happening behind. Ian
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2010 20:51:00 GMT
This one translates as 'Of Course'. It is a more mature album than number 1 and shows a more consolidated approach to album making. Almost as though they've taken elements from the first and started to really form that Yello sound that I love to listen to. Again, not their best imo, but starting to really demonstrate Yello characteristics of the future. An easier listen perhaps than number 1 too. Less Soundscape stuff but the riff basses remain, the sense of humour, and the start of using cliche which they are masters of. Daily DiscoTo me, this track is like an 80’s electronic chart mickey take!! It has that 80’s thinness in sound, a disco beat and a catchy chorus/hook. Slightly dark opening on the synth where there it goes down a semi-tone at a time before we get the ingredients of disco served up. Repeated piano chords, slightly manic vocal Above the vocals a quietly played counter melody on another synth. Verses linked together with a typical bass link to a chorus.which includes a semi-quaver repeated patter used so much in disco stuff. The chorus reminds me SO much of the Pet Shop Boys. There there is a middle section where a series of rhythms are played with synth sounds creeping around. One of the sounds creeps around the stereo image and another ominous sound creeps in and out like an aeroplane diving around. No melody. Just rhythmic stuff before a bass riff starts up and a new section begins with a creepy synth and a piano. Then in typical disco style the return of the chorus. No More RogerBass riff with a heavier sound than Daily Disco. This one incorporates a vocoder on the vocals with a strong bass rhythm below. Really strong rhythmically. The vocals start to sound typically later Yello here with the electronic manipulation of the voice and some rather modern synth melodies in the background. Take It AllDramatic bass line and booms in the start with some serious ‘space’ shots over a riff. A lovely ‘detuned’ synth appears, screeching away with hits and glissandos going on above. (slides) Dark sounding and industrial with a little electronic chaos added as a seamless link to … The Evening’s YoungHere is a future Yello sound. It’s been sort of happening in the first album but here it is plain and there in your face. A strong riff set against an upbeat rhythm and a repeating bass note and various electronic sounds. Another typical Yello feature that starts here is the brilliant use of a pause before continuing and the DEEP vocal from Dieter. He is a master of deep voice and short bursts of vocals with comments added for good measure. The mix is altered behind his voice and there are even ‘crowd sounds. I love the way that the riff stops for a short while and then goes off again. This became a typical Yello musical trait later in classics like ‘The Race’. Big synth sounds with an echoey announcement in the background. To me this is the predecessor of The Race. I love this track. It’s cheeky and full of mini solos coming and going inside the mix with Dieter’s style starting to really show. Material also gets taken away from the background while he’s vocalising. For me, real Yello starts here. This links to an synth instrumental that is almost film like in the way that it is written. It’s a stark contrast to the previous stuff. It sounds almost lost with the synth string sound and growling bass with assorted sounds in the middle of the mix. It links to … She’s Got a GunApplause and an announcement. Dieter’s speech seems to suddenly fit with the music that starts. It’s almost western in style. To me, very evocative of a film score like the Good, Bad and the Ugly. When the lady appears, the congas start with a Latin American beat. Dieter telling the story while the band illustrate what’s going on musically. Brilliant, mature stuff. Very tense and you feel that the story is really building with riffs and samples in the background. Again, another classic piece of early Yello. Ballet MechaniqueTrain sounds, shots, bass riff, fantastic drum sound. The guys shouting with their voices electronically manipulated. Dieter’s voice is actually quite mechanical as well. Some great bass drum whacks. Dieter is really using his voice up and down in an attempt to tell the story. A bit of reggae on the guitar and an inverted drone on the synth before we hear a kind of synthesised chorus type of thing which extends into the story. Almost sounds free of form, just following the words. Cuad el HabibRepeating bass line with foreign words. Again, this is going to be typical future Yello. Creeping chromatic lines with a curious rhythm once the verse starts. Electronic and real drums mixed beautifully. A rather delicate solo in the middle almost drowned out by the backing!! The LorryHeavy beat with a shouted vocal over the top. It has a heavy sound, but it’s not played loudly! Lots of short electronic samples. There is that typical repeated bass note again with a lovely guitar solo over the top. I love the guitarist’s playing. The ‘moronic’ hook is great. You’ll guess when you hear it. Homer HossaFaded in synth sounds with waves. Reminiscent of the earlier track in the first album. Could be used in Seaworld. Bird samples and imitation of birds (perhaps) on synths. Congas and spoken voice with elephant sounds!!! Tropical. No real bass line, just low thumps which forms an ostinato pattern. (repeating) Very evocative. Again, for me, sounds film like, especially with the added voices shouting in the background on a beach. (perhaps) Lovely wooden sound which evokes steel pans where they repeat notes very quickly. Basically rhythmic patterns with long held ‘pad’ notes on the synths and creeping melodies and lovely samples. Pinball Cha ChaWhat it says on the label. A cha cha. Background sounds of people and a kind of party atmosphere with an announcer. There is a lovely low sung chorus by Dieter. I love his sense of humour in the way he uses a cha cha cliché in this section. Great middle section with a James Bond line if you listen closely, above the cha cha sounds and below the high synth. Lovely metallic sounds with more clichés before Dieter launches off with his low voice again. The piece actually finishes with ‘cha cha cha’!! Again, this one can be got cheap too. www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7vLG4SxsVIwww.youtube.com/watch?v=265Zn06TguAIan
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Post by PinkFloyd on Apr 4, 2010 23:06:48 GMT
Ian..... this is FANTASTIC stuff, I am enthralled and eagerly awaiting the next album.... your professional insight (as a highly respected pioneer in the Electro movement) is fantastic reading.
As far as I am concerned this is "already" the one and only Yello reference point in the whole wide world..... I am a MASSIVE YELLO head but could never describe the inner workings like you do.....
I normally skip through threads pretty fast but this is one thread that I am reading over and over again.... thank you so much mate, this means the world to me as a YELLO lover.
I hope to come into the mix as soon as we reach "FLAG"...... I have a lot to say from FLAG onwards.......
Fascinating reading Ian..... thanks.
Mike.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2010 0:16:34 GMT
I was looking at the first few Yello albums from Amazon, using a reference discography from Wiki.
Some reviews say the remastered versions of some are 'loudness' victims. Any thoughts on these probably more easily obtainable editions, best avoided or better than not having them?
Syd
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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2010 0:35:34 GMT
Ian..... this is FANTASTIC stuff, I am enthralled and eagerly awaiting the next album.... your professional insight (as a highly respected pioneer in the Electro movement) is fantastic reading. As far as I am concerned this is "already" the one and only Yello reference point in the whole wide world..... I am a MASSIVE YELLO head but could never describe the inner workings like you do..... I normally skip through threads pretty fast but this is one thread that I am reading over and over again.... thank you so much mate, this means the world to me as a YELLO lover. I hope to come into the mix as soon as we reach "FLAG"...... I have a lot to say from FLAG onwards....... Fascinating reading Ian..... thanks. Mike. That's the one I'll wait for too, though because it's the only one I have. That will let me compare measured comments back to the others to guage if i wish to investigate further. It's really good to see such a passionate, knowledgeable thread on MUSIC, rather than just the kit we use to play it back. GREAT STUFF.
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elysion
Been here a while!
Team Anti M$ AND Facebook.
contra torrentem
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Post by elysion on Apr 5, 2010 7:39:30 GMT
I got the album "Flag" used (but in nearly perfect condition) from an auction two weeks ago. Wonderful album (like all Yello albums). For those who love the "Heidi" songs on "Touch Yello": She has her own website... www.heidihappy.ch/Many thanks to Mike an Ian for this great thread and the information in it. This thread is very entertaining.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2010 8:38:43 GMT
I was looking at the first few Yello albums from Amazon, using a reference discography from Wiki. Some reviews say the remastered versions of some are 'loudness' victims. Any thoughts on these probably more easily obtainable editions, best avoided or better than not having them? Syd Yes Juke, the remasters are possibly not the same. I'm not sure that they're 'loudness' victims though. Normally with 'loudness, you hear massive volume and massive compression. While these are compressed (They have to be) the volume is not as high as you would expect. If anything, they are victims of someone trying to make them sound 'electro' by tweaking the top end and cleanning the low end which just isn't good news. 'Claro Ques Si' is a better attempt but not up to modern standards. With these albums, it's best to listen out for 'Yello hallmarks' and try to get over the sound until later. Out of the first two - 'Claro' is for me a better thought out album with real Yello elements now forming the basis of this amazing set up. They are often overlooked because they aren't exactly the Yello sound that we are used to but all of the elements are there if you know what to listen for. I enjoy listening to the first album a band makes because they are often at their most creative in their desperation to do well!! Their 'stock in trade' is normally there at the start before the PR guys get their teeth into you and try to 'alter you for the best' ....... I hope to come into the mix as soon as we reach "FLAG"...... I have a lot to say from FLAG onwards......Well, we hit top notch there don't we Mike? Hopefully though, you can hear elements of 'The Flag' now in these early albums? For me, it's a kind of build up and the bits are all in there if you listen really carefully - even down to some of the samples that they used. Some snippets appear later. I love those kind of links. Guys, if you want to chip in .... do. I'm just using my ears and could be wrong. If you have any insight into this stuff, by all means get in there. I'd be interested myself to know how listeners find some of the difficult stuff like the soundscape sounds that Yello produced at the start. For me, some of those sounds raise hairs on my neck. In the first album, there is a point where the vocals start ranting with people shouting in the background. To me it invokes a riot. (For some reason, in a Latin American country) Musical evidence so far:Strong bass riffs. Sampled crowd sounds. Announcers starting to appear. Illustration of words using samples. Vocoder on vocals. Short bursts of guitar solos (Brillianty played) and extended synth solos. There is often a quiet countermelody played on a synth above the vocals. The use of the mono-tone by the voice. Dieter's rich, low sound starting to really develop. The repeated bass note with stuff going off above. The Latin American link. Occasional manic shouting - very evocative. Jungle samples. Beautifully played kit mixed in with electronic percussion. Often using a lower pitched snare which I love to hear. This is something that you often hear with Pink Floyd. (Almost like a deep tom tom with a snare on the bottom) One problem so far imo has been the engineering. Number one is a bit thin. Number two has quite strong balancing going on and it's sometimes a bit unnatural. For instance, instruments seem to be in different rooms and the sound is faded in and out on occasions in a slightly unnatural way. That's what i mean when I talk about engineers noy really getting a grip of the sound and trying to present something in the foreground with stuff in the back and something else perhaps right back in the mix as a 'subtle' addition. For me, it's like just three levels of sound whereas my feeling is that Yello wanted 'washes' of sound which doesn't quite get pulled off in these recordings. You only had to see them live to hear the difference. All of the musical things are becoming typical Yello characteristics by album number 2. If you go back and listen to the two of them again, you'll hear other things in the mixes while spotting the Yello characteristics!!! Ian
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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2010 10:56:17 GMT
You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess - 1983I feel that the first two albums show Yello developing the characteristics that would form the basis of their more successful stuff later on. That’s why imo, they’re an important part of their output if you want to gain an insight into their music. Get those two albums in your head, and you will easily spot the aural clues later on in their output. Now we hit a new period for their music. It sounds to me as though the company were after a more ‘commercial’ sound. Joe public has always had problems with soundscapes because there is no tune and there often seems to be a kind of anarchy in the noise that people don’t connect with. In the jazz field, John Zorn did the same in a much more developed way in an album called ‘Spillane’. It evokes gangster land of the 40’s through the eyes of one guy who almost sounds like a ‘private eye.’ It’s highly stylised and a very difficult listen for lots of people. It opens with a terrifying scream and develops from there but by the end, it feels kind of sad. It’s difficult to get this album because it’s not party music but there is no getting away from the fact that it is truly moving. (In the end) There is a kind of similarity in the Yello soundscapes, although they were working with electronics which we all tend to forget were difficult to be expressive with in those days. You wouldn’t believe the crudity of some of the gear being used in comparison to today. That’s why Yello are so great. Where a lot of electro guys were fighting to get the electronics to communicate emotionally (or even non emotionally because perhaps that could be easier with a machine), Yello had the ability to grab you by the Gonads and keep your interest. However, soundscapes were hard for your general listener to put on in the front room and they didn’t really listen like a ‘classical’ listener, so ‘You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess’ retains a lot of the elements heard in the first two albums and combines it with ‘commerciality’. Something that many electro guys were craving for and also by the way, one of the biggest criticisms of these bands. Many bands in the UK were shocked by the vision of the future in ‘A Clockwork Orange’ and were also fascinated by Sci Fi. The future of the UK was being shaped by Tories and industry was closing down. People lost jobs and so electro guys were trying to make serious points in a commercial world. It kind of clashed in retrospect and bands trying to be ‘serious’ in content but ‘popularist’ in presentation found it difficult to manage; especially if the management were uncomfortable with what your music was saying. Yello really merged commerciality into some difficult listening with Album no. 3, a time when British Electro was going strong and seemed to be loved or hated by the public. (Until Gary Numann) I Love YouA commercial title but the music takes the P. A robotic, sampled voice keeps saying – ‘I love you. It cracks me up when Cindy (as I named her at the time) starts up. Riff driven, hard hitting bass line, that is continually interrupted by Cindy!!! I love it!!!! Beautiful deep kit and sampled moans. The vocalist sounds so insincere with the chromatic synth behind. Refernce to driving a car. (Car = sex) Commercial with a weird twist. In this track, you may have a copy where the engineers played with the balance. The chromatic line is tweaked in a very poor way at one point and it is faded back too fast!! Samples return and come in and out of the mix and synth sounds are gradually added to the mix in the background. I love a new kind of thing that appears in this number – the detuned sythn. It’s kind of out of tune and has a quirky effect on the sound. I think that this became another Yello feature when they were saying something sarcastic or daft – the detuned synth would make a musical comment. A great commercial opening merged with Yello characteristics. Brilliant. Lost AgainHammering bass line with the long held ‘strange’ note sounds on synth and footsteps. I LOVE the chord sequence over Dieter’s voice. It’s almost sad in the way that it is presented and again – detuned guitar and synth in the ‘hook’ part!! I really like the way that the band leave spaces for samples and musical interludes in their music. This is not really a commercial thing to do but hey – education!! Use of vocoder on the vocals and then a lovely instrumental section with the repeating bass line that allows them to fade samples in and out. This is coming from their earlier albums/experiments. Again, the guitar chords remind me of ‘The Race.’ No More WordsLow quality samples (on purpose) Bass riff driven. An element of comedy and that sarcastic sounding voice. Not in English and there are ‘comedy’ sounds put into the mix – almost cartoon like. One riff to the next. No melody. Just rhythms. No words = no tune. A dance number. Again, the vocoder makes an appearance on the chorus with Dieter moaning underneath!! Latin American percussion added to the mix later along with elephant sounds and samples. Crash DanceHeavy drums and bass with very close mic’d vocal in short bursts. Not really what I would call a commercial number. Bursts of ideas but that Yello pedal note stays on the bass guitar while stuff goes on above. There is a ‘cowboy’ like guitar section which I find amusing – it ends up getting stuck on one low note before continuing as if nothing has happened. Great MissionA new idea for Yello. Double bass ostinato, Latin American sounds, jungle samples while Dieter whispers in a fascinated voice. Samples illustrate his words. Count the percussion in this!!! Dieter is telling the story of the ‘Father of Excess.’ His voice just cracks me up when he uses a pitch changer to speak the Father’s words!!! No kit, a simple sythn counter melody and a story being told. Really not commercial. This is in reality, a link to the title number. You Gotta Say Yes to Another ExcessChanting with drum breaks. There is a strong comedy element. After Dieter’s strange counting, a Latin American rhythm with cowbells and short phrases spoken over the top. A bass synth enters with the Yello repeating bass note idea and chanting/percussion going on above. SwingSampled voice at the start and electronic drum sounds. Obviously in a swing style. Double bass and played in a big band style almost like from the film, ‘The Mask’. Calls back the 40’s. Drum played with brushes and the a synth plays the double bass line as a link. The instrumental section goes into double time with a walking bass, inverted drone, electronic vibes and it becomes a bit more lively. I think some of the sounds are vocoded sampled voices. Heavy WhispersSampled girl scream. Riff driven and that bass repeated note that becomes so typical of Yello and the lonely synth melody at the top. Short bursts of mono-tone from Dieter. This actually has two bass lines. The repeated note idea and a riff! The detuned synth in the middle is eerie but there it is again. Detuning seems to be the thing for this album. It is almost ‘cha cha cha’ like. There is a middle section on keyboard that is so empty. No bass. Just keyboard and drum with a few samples. It almost sounds like a cheap keyboard backing – that wouldn’t surprise me if they did that on purpose!!! The next verse has a wrong note as a bass note. (A bit like poly tonality) Smile On YouI LOVE this number. Hard hitting. Repeated bass line. Brass synth. This to me is the future of Yello. Quick changing passages. Brass stabs. Samples fading in and out. Backwards samples. Mono-tone. Syncopated rhythms and that sense of humour. This is like they’ve let their hair down. Electronic drum sounds, loads of stabs and rhythmically complex with Dieter’s ‘sarcastic’ vocal sound. Announcements appearing again with comments played on the synths. Pumping VelvetSampled opening and a hammering bass line with guitar. Forget this is 80’s – it is SO modern. Michael Jackson lines almost in the synth lines. Detuned synths again and the bass gets taken out of the mix. Another big number, this one. It has elements of Michael Jackson/Frankie Goes to Hollywood for me!! It’s just absolutely carefree and they seem to start to be letting their hair down. Salut MayoumbaA film score opening. Maybe the kernel for Pocket Universe? It crashes in and then just starts to wail and moan. To me, this is the predecessor of Pocket. Drones, tiny noises. At last a soundscape. Thunder. It builds dramatically and is DEEP. Radio sounds and almost sounds other world to me. The train whistle introduces the next part which is distinctly South American with a strong rhythm, wailing guitar and steel pan type sounds. Over this background, synths and samples fade in and out. No vocals, just rhythms, cross rhythms and samples. It becomes manic before crashing out. This is a great album. Under-rated. It has a good mix of commercial sounds while retaining their soundscape/experimentation work. It’s not background music but merges the experimentation of the first two albums into the Yello that fans love. This is a good starter album. www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUVnHVJ-ihwIan
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