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There's also their indelible imprint on the landscape of early 80s British pop. Without the Human League there would be no Depeche Mode, no Yazoo, no Howard Jones...
It's unsurprising that this latest compilation plays its trump card immediately with ''Don't You Want Me''. As perfectly constructed as any pop can be, its shifts between major and minor perfectly reflect the emotional turmoil and yuppie angst of the lyric. It's almost matched by the other singles from the classic Dare album, such as ''Open Your Heart'' and ''The Sound of the Crowd''; a perfect marriage of synthesised detachment and romantic yearning.
How odd, then, to find a brace of early singles tucked away at the end of the CD. Pre-schoolgirls and discotheques, The Human League was as po-faced as any band could be. ''Being Boiled'' remains the greatest single inspired by the plight of silk worms ever released. ''Empire State Human'', which finds Phil cleverly rhyming 'tall' with 'wall' ad nauseum, still sounds remarkably contemporary. Screamingly pretentious, of course, and all the better for it.
Even after Martyn Ware and Ian Marsh departed to form Heaven 17, Phil's liking for doomy pronouncements still lurked beneath the pop veneer. Take 1984's ''The Lebanon''. A misguided foray into middle-eastern politics, it may well be their lyrical nadir, their trademark synth-pop swamped in a hideous 80s production.
Although 1986's ''Human'' momentarily revived their chart fortunes, they never equalled Dare. By the 90s, they had committed the cardinal sin of their futurist origins they sounded dated. Mid 90s singles such as ''Tell Me When'' were largely forgettable. Tellingly, 2001's ''All I Ever Wanted'' is redolent of their earlier, purely electro sound, and marks a return to form.
Now largely confined to the tawdry spectacle of 80s revival tours, The League's best years may be behind them. However, as this compilation demonstrates, they were one of the great singles bands of their era, and proved enormously influential on subsequent electro-pop. And if they failed to equal the sublime pop rush of ''Dont You Want Me'', they can always rest in the knowledge that few ever did. --Mick Fitzsimmons
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Customer Reviews
Most of it actually sounds remarkably modern and fresh, and the influence the Human League have had on dance music today screams from every track. I suddenly realised that some of the tracks like Being Boiled have recently been sampled on big chart hits which adds to the feeling that there is still life in this outfit yet.
More than anything though, Phil and the gang have always known a thing or two about pop. And the best thing about this album is the fact that it is crammed full of proper pop tunes, that don't feel borrowed from anywhere else. Don't You Want Me? may be the tune that defines this band, but it isn't the best track here by a long shot. I would go for Love Action or One Man in My Heart.
You also get a remix cd. It is not essential listening, but a nice bonus. It also shows just how modern the Human League can sound with a 'four on the floor' beat and faster BPMs.
So highly recommended, both for the old lags who were there in the 80s and the dance kids of today who want to know how it all started.
It's at a bargain price too, so no League collection should be without this double!
Its amazing how you can remember the words to songs when you've not heard them for... Read more
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