Spandau Ballet - Diamond

Budget price reissue of the new romantic act's 1982 sophomore album. Eight tracks including, 'Chant Number 1', 'Instinction' and 'She Loved Like Diamond'. Standard jewel case. 2001 release. Album Description

Underrated Peak of Ballet's Work

The UK New Romantics were a unique and innovative force on the music scene-incorporating cosmopolitan Mod sensibillities, Motown/Funk bassline/horns & female backup vocals, and globe-trotting world-music influences. Okay, we all know it was a pose-but to say that it was more about the clothes than the music does a great disservice to the latter. "Diamond" marks a great second step for the band, the melding of metronomic synth-pop minimilism and Sinataresque-vocals heard on "Journeys" is further expanded with full-sounding snappy horns, offbeat rhythms and forays into long ritualistic eastern-influenced opus' ala the 'Innocence/Missionary" diptych. I'll never understand why these guys went MOR Radio for the rest of their career, there is some good catchy, stimulating stuff here. This got alot of college radio play in the day and brings back great memories. My hope is that the teenagers and twenty-somethings of today will discover Ballet/Visage/Ultravox/Japan in the same way that there discovering Clash/Pistols/Jam due to Green Day. September 4, 2005

A Classic

I was never interested in the radio-friendly version of Spandau Ballet. "True" is a great pop song for those who like pop. It belongs to the "most played on easy listening stations" genre for sure. What Spandau Ballet accomplished prior to "True" is what interests me most. "Diamond" is their greatest achievement in my opinion. It's what the band set out to do ultimately. On "Diamond" Spandau brought together the sounds of electro-pop and the New Wave/New Romantic movement with their strong love and interest for American funk/soul. I appreciate it when a band has a vision and acts on it. Unfortunately, their later efforts got watered down in the interest of radio play. For those who love songs like "True" and "Gold", these earlier works may not be for you. On the other hand, if your only knowledge of Spandau Ballet is the later work, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the earlier. Fans of bands like Gang Of Four, The Cure, Style Council, etc. will most likely enjoy "Diamond". Fans of the current 80s sound (bands like Interpol, !!!, Radio 4, Hot Hot Heat, etc.) will like it as well. January 20, 2004

Supercool

Not quite as good as 1983's True or 1986's Through the Barricades, but still worth hearing for the ice-cold machine funk of when they were still the world's biggest cult band. The standout tracks are Chant No. 1, Instinction, and Coffee Club. July 25, 2003

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