Adam Ant - Wonderful

 Good Pop Album, Nothing Spectacular
For those who might still remember the Adam Ant of old, this album will come as a shock. The Burundi-style drumming and rockabilly inflections that characterized his early work are gone, sadly. Instead, we get some solid and well-made pop tunes that turn out to be surprisingly catchy. "Gotta be Sin," "1969 Again," "Won't Take That Talk," and "Wonderful" all boast rather good choruses, for instance. "Beautiful Dream" and "Very Long Ride" are a tad goofy, but have an interesting production. The rest of songs are well made, but their production can be a tad run-of-the-mill compared to the zany early days. Certainly, then, we can say that this isn't as eccentric as the early 80s Adam. But you can definitely assert that the songs are well made and enjoyable. Fans of pleasant tunes will not be disappointed; fans of ye olde Adam might be taken aback. I'll give this a three-star rating because it's good, but its not too idiosyncratic or outstanding. Worth checking out if you feel like nodding along, though. March 22, 2007

 "Wonderful" stands the test of time...
"Wonderful" is Adam Ant all grown up! A mature musician and seasoned songwriter, at the top of his game. It is one of my favorite albums of all time, and the highlight of his career (I am not a big fan of his earlier works). Each song on "Wonderful" is a true work of art that stands the test of time, even after all these years. January 16, 2007

 I love it now!
I bought this albulm when it was first released. After being a huge Adam Ant fan all throughout my preteen and teen years, I was so excited to finally hear something new from him. I absolutely hated it! It wasn't the Adam I knew! I recently came across this cd, in a box of other old albulms, when I was cleaning and decided to play it... WOW! I love it... I think Adam was way ahead of his time, honestly! I think he should have waited a little longer before releasing it. It would be a top seller now, for sure! Adam Ant never recieved the credit he deserved as being a really talented artist! I encourage every Ant fan, old and young to find a copy of this albulm, you'll love it! May 23, 2006

 Thank you for staying with us.
By 1995 Adam Ant was all but forgotten in the pop music world. Yet, the song "Wonderful" broke through the top 40 (and should have gone #1 without a doubt). An amazing feat considering the derision and ridicule Adam Ant endured up to that point. "Wonderful" is certainly his most mature work, and compared to his other albums, one of the highlights of his long career. The song "Wonderful" is worth the price of admission alone, but all the songs work nicely together. "Won't Take That Talk", "Beautiful Dream" (which also should have been #1), "1969 Again", "Yin & Yang", "Image Of Yourself", "Alien". Marco and Adam sound energized by having had another five years off and an album shelved by their previous record company.

After eleven years of listening to this album it has only gotten better with time. The sad part is it's been eleven years now since Adam has produced anything new. Also, the unfortunate media attention surrounding his bipolar disorder in recent years which has contributed to out of control behaviors (see gun waving in a pub) all makes a comeback unlikely, but you never know. He's proven everyone wrong at least three times in his career. "Wonderful" is definitely worth picking up if you're an Ant fan. February 3, 2006

 Still Wonderful.
Many collectors with a large music library own a handful of releases which, to their dismay, are no longer in print. I have quite a few, and one of them is 1995's "Wonderful," the eighth studio album by Adam Ant. After dominating much of the 1980s with his high-concept brand of camp pop, Ant grew up and got serious, offering an appealing mix of mature, guitar-powered rock. It spawned one minor Top 40 hit, the title track, but its sales were disappointing (even for a past-his-prime 1980's star), and Capitol soon let "Wonderful" die an unfortunate death. That's too bad, because it's an underrated album that deserved better promotion and sales. Ant's longtime collaborator, Marco, reappears as a songwriter, but we also get help from Boz Boorer, who's also done a few tunes with Morrissey. "Won't Take That Talk" is a great opener, a fine balance of acoustic and electric guitars with some crisp production. The album takes a funky turn with the sensual "Beautiful Dream," followed by solid numbers "Gotta Be a Sin," "1969 Again," and "Alien." The years since "Wonderful" haven't been wonderful for Adam, though. His frequent run-ins with the law and his public battle with mental illness make it very likely that this could be his final album. But even though "Wonderful" is no longer in print, it's still worth the effort to get it used, either online or at a secondhand record shop.

(Side note: the album artwork and photography is by Anton Corbijn, known for his work with U2, Depeche Mode, and others. The pictures and display are done very well, proving why Corbijn is one of my favorite photographers.) October 22, 2005

More reviews at Amazon.com ...