Customer Reviews

Deep Sea Skiving (Reis)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Bananarama's debut album, Deep Sea Skiving, is one of the hidden gems of the 1980s, and helped launch the career of the most successful girl group in history. "Aie A Mwana," sung completely in Swahili, is their first and one of their best singles. Other classics include "Shy Boy," and a cover of "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)." The whole album is full of catchy beats and great melodies.

Now for the bad news. Collectables Records says this CD is "digitally remastered." Digitally "ripped" is more like it -- the songs on this CD sound like little more than badly ripped low quality mp3s, with the muddled and churny sound typical of them. You'd probably hear better quality on your worn out old casette tape, or perhaps even those crummy mp3s you'd been hoping to replace with your hard-earned dollars by buying this disc.

Shame on Collectables for passing these off as legit CDs. Stay away from this one if you don't want to be seriously disappointed!!

A great debut from Bananarama, though they don't sound as confident as on their other albums this album is still a gem. From excellent songs like What a Shambles, to Shy Boy it is all here. The bonus tracks are good too. I would recommend this album to everyone, such good work!

I own the original PolyGram issue of "Deep Sea Skiving" issued in 1986. Before that I owned the cassette. This is one of those CD's where I love every song, not just the hits. Of course I love the hits: "Shy Boy", "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" and "Really Saying Something". But I also love the other tunes, especially "Doctor Love", "Cheers Then", "Hey Young London" and "Boy Trouble". Brings back fond memories of 82-83 and the 2nd British invasion and listening to all these songs.

Apparently according to the other reviewer, this reissue by Collectables is poorly done. My advice is to scour stores that sell used CD's and pick up the original. It is well worth it.

Out of all the Bananarama CD's I own I always go back and pull this one out for long drives or just to lift my mood. It is so fun and bouncy! You hear the girls here at their best. This is before different producers got ahold of them. This is the real sound of Bananrama. Sure it sounds a little dated but this was the sound fresh from London at the time. They were part of a movement like Haysi Fantayzee, Bow Wow Wow, Dead Or Alive, and early Culture Club. Besides the singles, What a Shambles, and Hey Young London are stand out tracks. This CD is good from start to finish!

Even though their hook-up with bubblegum popmeisters Stock, Aitken, And Waterman was five years away, their earlier era under the tutelage of producers Tony Swain and Steve Jolley gave them a vivacious dance tinged with a bit of Motown soul harmonies, a more natural sound. That being said, Deep Sea Skiving, their debut, is probably the best of their early era, and the original lineup of Keren Woodward, Siobhan Fahey, and Sarah Dallin never sounded fresher than here.

Take away the drums, and bass in "Shy Boy" and one can imagine a Shirelles or Chiffons-type group doing it, especially with the "shoop shoop ahh" refrain they chant in unison. It's a mildly upbeat number. The same goes true for "Doctor Love".

"What A Shambles" describes the downside of fame, such as the early mornings, interviews, and the pressured schedule that doesn't give the star a life. As the chorus says, "I wish you were in our shoes/I wish you could be us/Washing all your laundry /And riding on the bus." The title comes into play in describing a bad day: "What a shambles of a meeting/Don't know what to say/What a shambles of a bus ride/What a shambles of a day..." One of the best songs here.

Their UK Top Ten hit, a cover of the Velvelettes' "Really Saying Something" shows their R&B roots all too well. They have the Fun Boy Three backing them up, a favour returned for a reason I'll explain later.

A wall of dreamy keyboards and piano gives "Cheers Then" the atmosphere of a nice outdoor cafe, but sadly, it's about how all good things, even between "two old friends" thought to be inseparable, can come to an end: "But those good times came to an end/And its not worth another try/Time that lapsed a bond collapsed/We never planned for that/You felt betrayed I let you down/You're better on your own." One of the best songs here.

Then comes the single that got the attention of Terry Hall, vocalist of Fun Boy Three, and which led to the Rams' collaboration of FBT's "It Ain't What You Do, It's The Way That You Do It." That single was a cover of Swahili Black Blood's "Aie A Mwana", and it was produced by Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook. I haven't heard the original but the sax and funky bass add to the tribal rhythms felt in the song, and they don't sound out of place chanting the African lyrics. That later led to a reteam for "Really Saying Something."

The upbeat and gushingly bouncy "Young At Heart" is the best song on this album, set to an insistent backing drumbeat. Yet the subject is about how young people may be young at heart, thinking they can make it on their own the instant they walk out of Mum and Dad's door, but the irresponsible things they do make them old before their time: "How come I love them now/How come I love them more/But all I wanted to do when I was/Old was to walk out the door."

They then cover Steam's well-known hit, "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)". Like "Shy Boy", this was another example of the production team of Tony Swain and Steve Jolley's giving them Top Ten hits on the UK charts. I like this one better than the version done by the Nylons later.

The mid-paced synth exercise "Hey Young London" was written by all three members and two others, and is a commentary on the youth culture in London's night life.

"Boy Trouble"--the title explains the theme. "Wish You Were Here" has the same wistful and beat-heavy style as "Cheers Then."

Six songs here were written by all three members, so to say they relied too much on cover songs is sort of fallacious. Now granted, it was those same covers that soared up the UK charts, but songs like "Cheers Then" and "Wish You Were Here" prove their non-single material didn't slip.

I am not what you would call an audiophile. And I don't have a thumpin' system in my car, but when I popped it in the player, waiting to hear the girls shine, as I remember them. I was sadly disturbed at the muddled sound. Everything, tiny and flat. Nothing stood out, drums, vocals, high's. I thought, ok the radio has had it. Popped another cd I bought, General Public's awesome"Rub It Better", what a difference! So I thought, some glitch, put the Bananarama back in, after General Publics album finished. Lot's of driving mind you. I was still dissapointed. Thought I'd suffer through and listen to see if it got better. Nope. The whole time, I'm thinking, it was the album always this bad sounding? Got to drag out the vinyl. NOpe, sounded better. What gives? Why do remasters seem to suck a lot? Is it just me? Is it as Edward who gave it 1 star, better suited for the computer? Anyone else think it sounded bad?

Deep Sea Skiving, Bananarama's first lp sounds like seasoned well trained artists on their 3rd or 4th album.
Deep Sea Skiving is just amazing with fun songs and lyrics, and great collaberations (Terry Hall, Fun Boy 3), and gorgeous and haunting harmonies and shared lead vocals. Many strong songs on this first of many Bananarama albums to come. Great mix of fun, lament, sweetness and young love with and without pain. Karen, Sarah and Siobhan's angelic vocals mix and compliment without straining to be the lead. Their first few albums really showed their sisterhood. With that I say "Cheers Then".

This album captures a small but wonderful section of the UK pop scene circa 1982 or so when the Fun Boy Three were experiencing chart topping success after splitting from the Specials. When the three boys hooked up with these three girls the results were inspiring. The germs of a real glossy pop career are here, but this record also shows why the gals have a place even in the hearts of "serious" pop aficionados.

1. Shy Boy - glossy pop, a great single.
2. Doctor Love - a Paul Weller cover, sounds like a pale Style Council imitation. A for effort.
3. What a Shambles - eh, insightful but kind of whiney on the part of the gals. Yes, fame is a pain, but no one os forcing you. Plus, at this point, what did they really know?
4. He Was Really Sayin' Somethin' - worth the price of admission alone. Clasic full on FB3 production.
5. Cheers Then - fun
6. Aie a Mwana - very well done cover, a real stretch that they handle well.
7. Young at Heart
8. Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye - another classic (along with He was Really and Shy Boy) that showed this band, with the right producers, could rule the world. And they did.
9. Hey Young London - eh, not bad, but the gals were a long way off from writing a hit single with this.
10. Boy Trouble - on an album with lesser song this would have been the single, as it is it stands nicely next to the singles on this album.
11. Wish You Were Here

At time this album is raw, at times the promise of the gals future polish shine through. If you thought they were just some random collection of women found by SAW then you should pick up this album to see their roots. True, they seem to do best when working with producers who have a strong vision, but they clearly bring their own view points to the table.

I remember this album (remember those???) from the early 80s -- a roommate of mine at camp brought a tape and introduced me to it. That was it -- I was hooked on these English chicks! Surprisingly, there are some very sweet songs on this album -- "What A Shambles" comes to mind. This album just brings back great memories for me -- it's great! JAY.

Skip the first two songs on 'Deep Sea Skiving' (Both covers, one a stinker by Paul I-Was-Talented-Once Weller), and head straight for 'What A Shambles' as the start of Bananarama's debut album proper. From there on, it's a stompin' rock/dance excursion into retro-Motown and early Brit-pop.

The Nana's (The best-selling all girl-group in the history of the world I remind. No, it's not the Go-Go's (!)) have a rather naïve, flat, almost deadpan delivery, but this is more than compensated for by great song-writing hooks and clever, uncluttered arrangements.

Highlights are many; the Dollar-like 'Cheers Then' is a monster, 'Boy Trouble' is quite touching in typically distant Nana fashion, and the album's closing number 'Wish You Were Here' is almost anthemic in a surging, terrace chant sense.

This kind of pop doesn't date the same way as the sound of hair-metal or synth-duo's. OMD's 'Architecture and Morality' for example, still stands up brilliantly, but it's recognisably of its time - 'DSS' could've been recorded last week.

Image-wise, though manufactured cutie-cuties, I always found them rather sexless. A bit dungarees and worthy-women's-groups earnest but totally meaningless sloganeering. The BIG hair only half gives it away, guys of course, had big hair in the 80's as well (Oh for the days of the centre-parting!).

'DSS' is the essence of Bananarama before they went all SAW, high-nrg and high-tech, (ie; dead!)
The cover is awful (Don't 'View Large' for God's sake!), they look about 14 and gawky, in a mock-up aquarium, and inside, they pose innocently with....banana's. (!) Who thinks these things up? (Warning; creative genius at work.)

Two years later they were having none of this, they were sophisticated diva's after a sharp injection of glamour. Still not sexy, but now with records that stank. Such is the inevitable, almost organic, decline of the many in music.

But we have 'Deep Sea Skiving' and it's worth having. Nothing profound, nothing sacred, nothing demanding or controversial. Comfortable in its own skin you might say, and ultimately, extremely enjoyable.