Another Language

Propaganda released one ground breaking but not, alas for them, sales shattering album in 1985 called 'A Secret Wish' which was remixed, regurgitated and rereleased as 'Wishful Thinking' shortly after. Claudia, perhaps intelligently, left Propaganda and formed ACT with Thomas Leer and went on to release one of the most interesting post Band Aid/ Live Aid albums ever called 'Laughter, Tears and Rage'. Hit singles? Not really. Worth getting? Of course: but, of course.

After a small amount of laughter, more tears and much rage she dumped ZTT, perhaps intelligently, and became label mates with U2 for an album on Island Records called 'Love: and a Million Other Things'. Out of print for a long time, it regularly sells for silly money on eBay. That's not to say it's not worth it - it is - but one would hope that Island Records might one day realise that they could perhaps rerelease this fine recording. In any case, a second follow up solo album - Paul Humphreys (OMD) was drafted in as producer - was cancelled... Claudia tired, a Propaganda reunion beckoned and, perhaps intelligently, she decided that sequels were rarely as good as the first part, that second helpings were often somewhat tasteless. She wanted something else.

Claudia together with Paul Humphreys was to become Onetwo and celebrated this by being an 'Item' or something similar and a full album from them as Onetwo is due soon: soon: soon but as a parallel project to Onetwo, born of a dislike but not a misunderstanding of the music industry, was 'Another Language' a project that would make the toes curl of many a five year old A&R expert by its revision and reinterpretation of some modern and not so modern classics and, indeed, some not so classic classics. Claudia literally, as well as metaphorically, steals Kate Bushes 'Running Up That Hill' and turns it into something so emotive that even Tony 'Harder than nails' Blair would be moved.

In much the same way, nothing on this record is as it seems, as it seemed or even for that case, was. Each and every track has been carefully and candidly deconstructed and reconstructed, destroyed and rebuilt, made for a better day. Those familiar with the career of Brücken will remember her takes on 'Femme Fatale', 'White Rabbit' and 'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now' but this is much better, best described as 'Another Language' which is what, perhaps intelligently, Brücken and Poppy feel they are talking each time they survey music's rather tepid, often torpid, usually turgid landscape where marketing has gone mad and a number one single is a far better joke than any BBC sitcom.

The songs performed and explored in 'Another Language' are:

1. Lipstick Vogue
2. Whitenoise Maker
3. Drive in Saturday
4. Broken English
5. Nice Dream
6. Running Up That Hill
7. Amsterdam 1896
8. Breakfast
9. Die Nebensonnen
10. Libertango
11. You Do
12. Wooden Heart

Andrew Poppy meanwhile is one of the finest arrangers of his generation and most others also. He released a couple of less than best selling but critically acclaimed albums on ZTT, made the music for The Tube's last series ('Inside the Wolf') and like many of his peers, perhaps intelligently, departed ZTT for pastures greener. He continued his work, performing, composing, arranging, releasing albums and working with people like Erasure and the The before starting to speak 'Another Language' with Claudia. Needless to say, it is probably one of the best records you can ever hope to own, a recording that will give you more each time you listen to it and an album you will return to again and again. There is no higher recommendation.

This CD shows us just what we have been missing for the past ten years...and its a crime. Despite the coarse and, at times, heavy handed (if not clumbsy) accompanyment, your beauty shines through.

Your voice is sublime. Drive In Saturday would have been stupendous without his cock-up on the chords after the second verse. (Why did you let it go to press as it stands? A one-take wonder, perhaps?) Nevertheless, you are fabulous throughout as with your solo album of so long ago and beyond. P>More, please. Only more.