Alphaville - Breathtaking Blue

 Breathtakingly Awesome
This album - along with Afternoons in Utopia - was my absolute favorite for around ten years until only recently (blame it on Morrissey). The break away from the traditional 80's techno-pop sound in their previous albums is very noticeable and refreshing. The lyrics sound like poetry, not the characteristic whining of today's alternative.
From the jazzy Summer Rain, to the mellow neo-swing sound of Anyway, more than five years ahead of it's time; the fantastic, without being obnoxious, electric guitar solo on Romeos and the laudable attempt to emulate 50's rockabilly on Ariana. I fell in love with it the first time I heard it, but even if you don't, it will still grow on you. One of the few albums I have where every song actually sounds different.
August 24, 2007

 Mediocre Album with some really good songs!!
I am an Alphaville fan as probably everyone who is looking at this review. After all, it appeared like they were gone, but they are strong in Europe. Their first 2 albums, Forever Young and Afternoons in Utopia, are both fantastic, then this comes in. By now you know it is a different album because there is some jazz and orchestral sounds in it.

There are some very cathy songs in the mist of it all. "For a million" has some of the best guitar melodies I have ever heard. "Romeos" is definitely an Alphaville song that could have been heard in the past albums. "Mysteries of Love" is catchy. "She fades away" is atmospheric, but good. I actually liked "middle of the riddle", it has a catchy beat. "Ariana" is ok.

The thing with rest of the songs is they are too jazzy and slow. In addition, "Patricia Peak" is pure instrumental, which would be good for a soundtrack, not a music album.

Overall, this album is not great, but good because some songs are great. It is a shame it is part of the experiment. December 6, 2005

 different for them
I like the unique vibe on this album. I love marion golds voice. October 29, 2005

 Underestimated - this is a very special album
Frequently, TBB is said to be Alphaville's weakest album (as far as one can call an AV-album "weak" - these guys have never sucked with anything they did & always gotten good reviews). This is because TBB is not as accessible as most other AV-works. However, it is worth the effort to spend a little time with it and let it grow on you. Because it is a pretty darn good album. Actually, I think it is one of the best 80s albums. As in their previous album, Afternoons in Utopia, Alphaville tell metaphoric stories from an own, occasionally detached, cosmos. The lyrics are powerful, well-chosen and full of intriguing allusions. But what makes TBB truly outstanding is the music and the singing. Produced by Tangerine Dream - guru Klaus Schulze, the trio goes on an experimental journey through rock, jazz, swing, and classic ballads that is unparalleled on any '80s album I know. Every song is in a different style, and yet they are all clearly Alphaville, with elaborate synth-arrangements, attention to the details and Gold's fantastic, smooth voice which is particularly grand on this album. Except from the ironic but still quite silly Ariana (which I usually skip) every song is a piece of art provoking thoughts and deeper feelings. The compositions have so many facets that this is truly an album you can listen to again and again and still find it inspiring. August 23, 2005

 Hit and Miss
Alphaville's third full-length album finds them experimenting with jazzier, less danceable sounds (they even try to rock a little bit), but the results are somewhat mixed. The title track is a nice, slow and soothing piano-driven piece, and "Romeos" is perhaps the most Alphaville-like track on the disc (and why not - the chorus tune is identical to that of "Lassie Come Home" on Afternoons in Utopia). It's probably the strongest track on the album. Then Alphaville shifts gears to a slow jazz-like number - "She Fades Away" featuring some interesting falsetto work by Marian at the end - it's so-so. "Mysteries of Love" is a more straightforward pop song, but not an especially good one. Side one (back when albums had sides) ends with "Ariana", a truly embarassing rockabilly-style song (despite a catchy chorus, the silly vocals - not to mention an Ariana cheer/spell out and some "oo-ma-ma-ma's - make this a painful listen) It's the most uptempo song on the album. "Heaven or Hell" follows in the footsteps of "She Fades Away" - soft and jazzy, with brushed drums - it's nice enough, but nothing particularly special. Next up is "For A Million", a very atmospheric, moderately-paced song that is really quite good. Unfortunately, it's followed up by "The Middle of the Riddle", which is simply awful. "Patricia's Park" was described in the press kit for the album as "Neo-Orientalism", which is as good a description as any for this rather odd instrumental track. The last song is "Anyway", a wonderful, mellow and melancholy little swing/jazz-style song, which ends the album on a high note.

If you are a casual listener or just curious about Alphaville, you'd be better off picking up First Harvest, which culls the best of the tracks from this album (and in somewhat better mixes as well). Or just pick up Forever Young, their best album - and one of the best synthpop albums ever recorded.

I bought this album when it first came out, and I was a bit thrown by the change in direction from Afternoons In Utopia, but the album grew on me after a while. 15+ years later, I still regularly listen to Forever Young and Afternoons in Utopia (and their excellent 1997 album Salvation), but this disc doesn't spend much time in my cd player.

While it may have been an interesting experiment at the time, much of The Breathtaking Blue just hasn't held up very well. I give them credit for trying something different, but The Breathtaking Blue is not exactly an essential listen. April 3, 2005

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