My copy of this album was actually included in a promotional bundle when I purchased a Sony MiniDisk player (remember them?! wow, it seems like a lifetime ago!). But thanks to the Sony Copy Control, I was unable to transfer this (Sony) album which I legally owned onto my (Sony) MiniDisk player for portable listening. Very ironic, and a shameful example Sony's punishing its customers under the pretext of reducing piracy.
Now that I've got that off my chest.. umm back to Take Me Out. It's a classic rock opera ala Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, but unfortunately I've heard it a million times and am over it.
The audio quality is mixed news. For starters, the bass guitar is very boomy at times, at least on my stereo. On the plus side, the guitars are nicely jangly and the layering is quite good. However, the louder moments lack full impact, I think because the guitars gets lost in the mix and the drums (particularly the snare) become muffled. At these times, it seems to be lacking in midrange and harsh at high frequencies. But perhaps I'm being overly picky and just need to accept it doesn't have a "big" sound. Rant much, I do...
The album starts solidly with Jacqueline and Tell Her Tonight. Aside from a poor chorus (Jacqueline) and bland lyrics (Tell Her Tonight), but are very good disco-rock songs.
Taking it to another level is The Dark of the Matinee. This is brilliant catchy art-rock. The introspective lyrics are a personal highlight (as well as the phrase "dark side of the matinee" for some reason!). This is perfectly supported by a catchy disco-rock chorus, which brilliantly contrasts the sparser yet equally infectious verses. Another highlight is the build-up through the bridge and final chorus.
In my book, Cheating on You is frenetic yet lacking substance. On a brighter note, Auf Achse and Come On Home are more examples of wonderfully catchy disco-rock goodness. Speaking of catchy, This Fire is a simple little song, yet the hooks are wonderfully infectious.
Perhaps my favourite song on the album is Darts of Pleasure. It is great fun, and I really enjoy its contrast and flow. The lyrics are superbly irreverant, topped off with some random German: "Ich heisse Super Phantastische. Ich trinke Schampus mit Lachsfisch" (loosely translated as "My middle name is Super Fantastic, I drink champagne with salmon fish"). Similarly Come on Home is yet another great example of feelgood disco-rock.
Michael is again similar, but deserves some of its own celebration. The style of upbeat party rock never gets old, and the lyrics are again a highlight. They tell a great little story of dancefloor self-discovery and letting loose in gay frivolity (entendre intended).
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