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Happy Birthday: Plus

~ Altered Images
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
Price: £4.98 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Happy Birthday: Plus + Pinky Blue + Bite
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  • This item: Happy Birthday: Plus ~ Altered Images

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  • Pinky Blue ~ Altered Images

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Product details

  • Audio CD (2 Feb 2004)
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Label: Demon
  • ASIN: B00016W7PE
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 19,713 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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1. Happy Birthday
2. Love And Kisses
3. Real Toys
4. Idols
5. Legionnaire
6. Faithless
7. Beckoning Strings
8. Happy Birthday (1)
9. Midnight
10. Day's Wait
11. Leave Me Alone
12. Insects
13. Happy Birthday (2)
14. Dead Pop Stars
15. Sentimental
16. Who Cares
17. Happy Birthday
18. So We Go Whispering
19. Jeepster

Product Description

CD Description

Although the title track (which became a large UK hit single) was produced by Martin Rushent, the majority of Altered Images' first album was produced by the Glasgow band's original mentor, Siouxsie and the Banshees bassist Steve Severin. The songs are an intriguingly odd lot somewhere between Joy Division and the Archies: rooted in post-punk, bass-driven jaggedness, while somehow managing to be light, perky and engaging. Severin, who also produced the band's debut single, "Dead Pop Stars" (unfortunately not included here), gives theyoung band a sound at times just a little too reminiscent of his own group. However, the unforgettable baby-talk voice of singer Claire Grogan keeps Altered Images from ever sounding anything less than unique.

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Customer Reviews

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Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)
 
 
 
 
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A somewhat uneven, though promising start, 23 Sep 2006
By Scott Davies - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
The debut album by Altered Images is an interesting and inconsistent starting point for the band. By this time they had already been compared to Siouxsie and the Banshees, though I never really understood why. The Banshees' Steven Severin did produce the band's early singles, as well as most of this album, but I don't hear too much of the influence.

Before this album, Altered Images released two unsuccessful singles, "Dead Pop Stars" and "A Day's Wait". Both were great, stark Post-Punk singles with excellent B sides as well, though failed to capture the public's attention. For the re-recording of the band's first big hit, "Happy Birthday", (which was originally produced and recorded by Steven Severin, though rejected by CBS), the record company brought in Martin Rushent, who had already made a very good reputation for himself. His recording of the song became a massive hit, and rightly so. It set the foundation of what would eventually define Altered Images - fun, catchy and colorful.

While "Happy Birthday", the song, is excellent fun it is very out of place with the rest of the material on the album. Most of the songs continue in the same stark Post-Punk mode of the early singles, though not completely successful. While I'm a huge Banshees fan and mean no disrespect to Severin, many of the songs sound like demos, and probably would have benefited at the hands of Rushent.

Some of the album comes off as obvious filler, such as the pointless Happy Birthday intro and outro, as well as the undeveloped "Love and Kisses" and meandering "Legionaire". Some of the album highlights include the upbeat "Beckoning Strings", in which Clare adorably tweets at the end, and "Real Toys". Some of the more moody successes include "Faithless" and "Idols". The original version of "Insects", included here, is good but pales in comparison to the Rushent produced re-recording for the B side of the next single, "I could be happy".

The bonus material is the real highlight here. "Dead Pop Stars" has a great, simple driving beat and was a great debut single for the band. That singles' B side, "Sentimental", is the first bit of the fun and colorful greatness that would represent the band in 1982. The song could have easily fit on 'Pinky Blue'.
"Who Cares?", the B side of "A Day's Wait", is heavy on the drums, and surpasses in quality much of what appears on 'Happy Birthday'.
"So we go whispering" is a self-produced number that makes the listener wonder if Clare is really singing; "Just eat me, don't smell me"???
The cover version of Marc Bolan's "Jeepster" has more of their trademark bounciness that made the band appealing.
The 'Happy Birthday' (Dance Mix) is quite good, though the middle "Happy birthday, happy birthday" refrain goes on WAY too long and should have been edited down a bit.
The only thing missing from this era is the superior original recording of "Leave me alone". This insane version has Clare screaming, wailing and growling like a loon. It's fantastic! It was originally released on the "Dead Pop Stars" cassette single, then on the flexipop flexidisc, then finally on the poor quality Best Of CD released on the Connoisseur Collection label in 1992. That CD is worth seeking out purely for this song.

Quality wise, this is the best of the three Edsel Altered Images reissues. Everything has come from master tape sources, and sounds really good. It would have been a great idea to include some of the band's pre-CBS demos. There is an amazing song said to be titled "Prayer before birth" that is among the best things I've ever heard from Altered Images. Unfortunately, it's only available in terrible, multi-generation bootleg quality. An official release of those early demos is desperately needed.

While 'Happy Birthday' is a good intro to the band, the best was yet to come, regardless of what the humorless critics thought.
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