Afternoons in Utopia

Alphaville | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 23, 1989)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Atlantic / Ada
• ASIN: B000005J5R
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #170,886 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Iao

2. Fantastic Dream

3. Jerusalem

4. Dance with Me

5. Afternoons in Utopia

6. Sensations

7. 20th Century

8. The Voyager

9. Carol Masters

10. Universal Daddy

11. Lassie Come Home

12. Red Rose

13. Lady Bright

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available.
Genre: Popular Music
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 7-NOV-1989

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Watershed Album, March 12, 2005

By 

Marc Dalesandro (Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Afternoons in Utopia (Audio CD)

Alphaville first rose to prominence with the smash debut "Forever Young" album in 1984. But it was their 1986 release, "Afternoons in Utopia" that really provided one of New Wave's high-water marks.

From the sparkling "Dance With Me", to the haunting "Afternoons in Utopia", to the driving anthem that is "Jerusalem", this CD provides one super track after another.

"Sensations" seems to get better with each listen, the catchy "Red Rose" is a kinetic romp of sound, and of course no one could forget the dance favorite "Universal Daddy".

No real flaws in this album, no filler, just one last blast in the 80s for Alphaville, before switching gears with their next offering "The Breathtaking Blue".

"Afternoons in Utopia" is required listening for all fans of New Wave. Definitely worth the price!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Alphaville's second album and unquestionably their greatest, November 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Afternoons in Utopia (Audio CD)

I actually bought this CD in 1986 when I was 17, so it's a bit difficult to give an impartial view without incorporating the powerful emotions invoked by memories of my late teenage years. So what?! To me this is the most musically interesting and engaging album in my collection. Marian's singing is glorious and the lyrics set your imagination on fire, depicting a world of love and fantasy; introducing symbols and characters that often re-appear in later Alphaville songs.

I've heard it said that many talented bands produce their finest work on their second album. Whether or not this is true, I do believe it is the case here that Alphaville's most cohesive collection of musical genius came in the form of Afternoons in Utopia.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True Alphaville spirit here!, July 19, 2003

By 

Karen Roddis (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Afternoons in Utopia (Audio CD)

I noticed that someone rated this album well and wished the band were still around. THEY ARE!! They have never stopped producing wonderfully evocative music with thoughtful and emotive lyrics for the past 20 years. I have just seen them live again (in Germany) and Marian Gold's voice is just as clear, pure and emotional as it is on this wonderful second album!

This 'Aquarian opera' (as it is known in Alphaville circles) is full of dreamscapes and fantasy, emotion and playfulness. That the album, if played on the loop, comes full circle with the end of the final song being the beginning of the whole album is typical Alphaville art and fun - it gives the album a kind of 'concept album' feel. Indeed, the songs on the album are related and many names and themes pop up from time to time.

Beautiful, floating melodies such as the synthy 'Fantastic Dream' and the title track mingle with the anthemic (Jerusalem), the more dancey (Dance With Me; Sensations), the melancholic and beautiful (Carol Masters) and the truly artful (I.A.O.). All the songs have wonderful melodies that make it easy to sing along to and once you hear this album, you'll want to listen to it forever more. Each song could easily have been a single release!

This is Alphaville doing what they do best - producing catchy tunes with thoughtful, sometimes controversial lyrics, combined with the masterful mixing-ear of Bernhard Lloyd and the perfect and rich voice of Marian Gold (the greatest voice in the world in my opinion, and that of many more people I know!).

Get this album and then explore other albums by Alphaville, including their new 2003 album 'Crazy Show'. Alphaville is one of the most consistant producers of perfect music, and the most sorely underrated, especially in the UK. And if you get to see them live, do! I highly recommend it!