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Track Listings
| 1. Conditioning |
| 2. What Is Love? |
| 3. Pearl In The Shell |
| 4. Hide And Seek |
| 5. Hunt The Self |
| 6. New Song |
| 7. Don't Always Look At The Rain |
| 8. Equality |
| 9. Natural |
| 10. Human's Lib |
| 11. China Dance |
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Nothing can match the greatness of Howard Jones's haircut, which displayed a peculiar early-1980s combination of mop-top and spikes that was so simply wrong it could hardly have been mistaken for anything else. His first (and best) album, Human's Lib, doesn't have the monolithic sterility of his biggest hits ("Things Can Only Get Better"--the woah-woah-woah song--and "No One Is to Blame", which featured Phil Collins). It's also got some of Jones's catchiest numbers, including the charmingly simple "New Song" and "What is Love". It's all of an era, of course, but let it herein be noted that Jones was singing "I don't want to be hip and cool / I don't want to play by the rules" (from "New Song") well before Nirvana and Beck turned such sentiments into a "revolution". --Keven McAlester
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
29 of 31 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Audio CD
The High Wycombe lad with spikey hair broke out of life's mundane routine working in a cling film factory in 1983/84 with his astonishing debut album, "Human's Lib". An accomplished pianist, he flooded the album with charming and complex keyboard and synthesizer melodies, continuing in the tradition of artists like Gary Numan and Thomas Dolby. However, Jones added much more heart to his songs, writing thought-provoking lyrics on the human condition.
Consider, "I've lost lots of friends / By sticking my ground / I don't give a damn / Just look what I've found." The album opens with "Conditioning" where Jones warns that "the world tries to make us think that life is full of limitations" and responds in his first hit single "New Song", "I don't wanna be hip and cool / I don't wanna play by the rules".
"Human's Lib" deservedly hit the number one position on the British charts and churned out FOUR Top 10 singles, "New Song", "What Is Love", "Hide and Seek", and "Pearl in the Shell". Jones put out several albums after this initial effort, but this remains his best, in my opinion.
Back in 1984, overwhelmed with high school peer pressure, that one HAD to follow certain patterns of behaviour, this album soothed and made strong my drive to "throw off your mental chains", its music uplifted me, and I couldn't stop listening to the thing for a couple of years.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By A. J. Glass
Format:Audio CD
This was the first album I ever bought, and remains a firm favorite for far more than nostalgic reasons. New Song, Natural and Humans Lib stand out, and remind us what was so great about some of that early 80's pop, and the days when a Walkman could only fast forward...
Great songwriting and musicianship and a worthy addition to anyone's music collection.
Great songwriting and musicianship and a worthy addition to anyone's music collection.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By OmShanti
Format:Audio CD
I was a student in High Wycombe in the early 80's and well remember Howard Jones's rise to fame. Humans Lib is still one of my all-time favourite albums; great collection of songs. If you study the lyrics on this album they are incredible, very subtle and deep. The album credits Bill Bryant as the co-author of some of the songs that appear on the album. I recently discovered Bill Bryant the lyricist on Wikipedia, very spiritual oriented individual which might explain the profundity of Howard Jones's songs. Overall, great music and great lyrics.
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4.4 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Howard Jones CD
Hide and Seek is my favourite on this excellent Howard Jones CD. Way ahead of his time it still sounds great. Read more
Published 11 months ago by DP
5.0 out of 5 stars
Takes me back to the days of my youth!
I had Human's Lib as a teenager and was so happy to re-live those days again listening to this album. My daughters, now both teenagers themselves were soon singing along. Read more
Published on 25 Mar 2009 by Hazel H.B.
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Great If Slightly Off The Wall Album
Like a lot of great albums from the 80`s i bought this on CD to replace my aging knackered vinyl copy and must say i`d forgotten how good but different this was. Read more
Published on 28 Feb 2008 by JT
5.0 out of 5 stars
Viva the 80s
Singular is the word for this awesome pianist/singer/songwriter. His close-mouthed delivery puts me in mind of Beck on "Sea Change", but was probably due to his intense focus on... Read more
Published on 10 Jan 2007 by C. Porter
5.0 out of 5 stars
A BRILLIANT DEBUT ALBUM BY HOWARD JONES
This album really takes some beating and has some of the catchiest tracks from the decade. Howard Jones has a very different sound not matched by anyone during this era really... Read more
Published on 29 Nov 2006 by NEO
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing debut album
Prior to Howard Jones coming onto the scene. I wasn't into any particular brand as music as a thirteen year old kid. Read more
Published on 3 Jun 2006 by Ian
4.0 out of 5 stars
More than meets the eye
The 1980s, bad hair, keyboards made music simple, and all the girls decided what was in the charts by buying music made by pretty blond boys. Read more
Published on 19 April 2006 by Some Bloke
5.0 out of 5 stars
Yiiiiipppppeeeeeeeee
What a blast from the past! I was Mr Jones's biggest fan back in his hey day and I've fallen in love all over again.
I just love this album. Read more
Published on 25 Mar 2004 by Boof
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