- Purchase a product from the Music Store sold by Amazon.co.uk and receive £1 to use on an album download in our MP3 Store. Here's how (terms and conditions apply)
Amazon.co.uk allows you to pay for your items in your local currency. Restrictions apply. Learn More. |
Special Offers and Product Promotions
Product details
|
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
13th Floor Madness??,
By
This review is from: 13th Floor Madness (Audio CD)
Nick Cash the band's lead singer often refers to this release as 999s attempt to reinvent the group, a sort of Beatles 'White Album' phase. At the time of this release in the mid 1980s many of their contemporaries had split up and moved on. Was this 999s attempt at respectability to make them a more commercial prospect? 999s fifth studio album released in October 1983 was like no other before or since and remains as enigmatic now as it did back then.
In retrospect this album sits uneasily in 999s back catalogue with them adding keyboards and trombone in the case of 'Arabesque' and an image as anchronistic as could be imagined. It certainly appeared to alienate many of 999s hardcore fans leaning more towards Nick Cash' days with Ian Dury in Kilburn & The High Roads. The United Artist years seemed like a long time ago and in between a stint with Albion Records had seen the songwriting of Cash and Guy Days mature. The self titled album title was actually released as a single and coming after songs in the band's considerable back catalogue such as 'Emergency' and 'Nasty Nasty' this was quite a shock. Indeed I can remember listening to this the first time and wondering if this really was 999! I wondered what had happened to the band's sense of melody and hooks. The 'Book of Love' sounds like their attempt at writing a Motown song, sounding not unlike the Isley Brothers 'Painted Smile', a song covered by 999 at the time they released the 'Concrete' album in 1981. Surely everyone remembers the advertising campaign that followed: 'The sound of Concrete on vinyl!'. 'Painted Smile' was never officially released at the time. 'Don't Want You Back' follows similar territory whilst 'Arabesque' remains as odd now as it did back then. 'Custer's Last Stand' was one of a number of songs written by the band that saw them experimenting with a spaghetti western type sound that had appeared on earlier songs like the awesome 'Obsessed' and 'Wild Sun'. This song seems stripped of its character - a much improved live version exists. One for completists only I'm afraid.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
difficult listening,
By
This review is from: 13th Floor Madness (Audio CD)
999 really off the wall, this cd is unlike any other of the bands release, they have moved away from solid rocking exploring different styles that sit uneasy with what they are best at, as a 999 fan I do give this a spin once in a while and feel comfortable with Book of Love, 13th floor madness ans Arabesque
worth getting to have the full overview of this great band
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
1.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review) 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
999 goes in a whole new direction--just not sure what direction that is,
By Daniel W. Kelly - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: 13th Floor Madness (Audio CD)
Kinda commercial, kinda campy, kinda trippy, kinda ska, this release is a far cry from the 999 of the late punk/early post punk era. The guys have definitely mellowed out. The tracks are subdued, with the lead vocalist trading in his barking delivery for a more `ambient' growl that often diminishes to a whispered delivery. There's plenty of Psychedelic 60s influence here. But there's also strains of 80s keyboards in the background, but nothing too extreme--so the record doesn't even sound very 1983, which could have made it a cool timepiece. "Good to See You" and "Nightshift" have some pulsing synth bass and plodding electronic rhythm tracks. Definitely 80s, but not memorable. Gone is the energy of early albums like 999 and Separate, as well as the catchy, memorable hooks of The Biggest Prize in Sport. 1983 was prime new wave crossover time for previous punk bands, but 999 didn't manage to find the sound necessary to transition. Perhaps if they had worked once again with 80s producer Martin Rushent--who had produced their earlier stuff before going onto huge success producing the Human League--999 could have made an impression on the 80s new wave scene. But this album lacks even one track that could have been a single on alternative radio. Track list:
1. use your imagination 2. lookin like you do 3. book of love 4. it's what you've got 5. don't want you back 6. 13th floor madness 7. good to see you 8. arabesque 9. custer's last stand 10. hang it all 11. night shift 12. how can i tell you 13. how the west was won 14. 13th floor madness (long version) |
|
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
