Customer Reviews

Into the Gap

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you were alive in the eighties and cogniscent of the music, the synthesized strains of techno-pop were all but inescapable. Far removed from the hypnotic dance beat of modern Techno, techno-pop utilized emerging synth technology to create a unique style of popular music. The Thompson Twins were perhaps the most unique practitioners of the style. "Into the Gap" is, in my estimation, their finest effort. Filled with moody, danceable tunes, well-crafted and literate, it remains as listenable now as it was back in '84.

If you were to choose a Thompson Twins album, non-compilation or remix release, this is it. The most hits, the biggest hits, and best songs are here.

This is my very first review on Amazon and I am proud to say that I couldn't live with myself if I didn't start my reviews with the album that started it all for me. THIS IS DEFINITIVELY THE 80's cornerstone in the "New Wave Synth Pop" category that we all love to label. But as you will hear, EVERY song is almost perfectly crafted with a special hand to modern studio musical arrangements with superb technical precision while at the same time it is infused with the utmost warmth and delicateness. The R&B inspired opening track "Doctor Doctor" and the folk sounding feel good but often at the same time tried and weary chain gang anthem "You take me up" set the tone for a rousing musical escapade. It is true that to be a Thompson Twins fan you really have to have a wide open spectrum of musical taste. The over played Mtv generation (which by the way just so proudly happens to be mine), "Hold me now", leaves no pretentiuos or manufactured feelings forced on to us but goes straight to our personal wants and desires on a more intimate and human level, as with the infectious, catchy, but self inquiring "Day after day". Things get sublimely troubled as you hear the lovely and airey "No peace for the wicked", which by the way has great guitar play and wonderful backing vocals. As a teen growing up in the early 80's I can tell you that watching Mtv I was immediately & seductively attracted to their unique sound. What made my love for TT even that more powerful was the fact that they also delved into the New Wave Alternative dance forray scene with "Into the Gap". I can tell you that if you listen this by itself (preferebly the Dance Extended Mix),you can see that they are all about the groove and sound. Mixing exotic sounds of the far east with Allanah Curie's percussion arrangement shows the extraordinary sounds that they magically produce,like no other. As a very avid Ministry,ABC,& Smiths,fan I really appreciate Tom Bailey's vocal range and heartfelt cries. Making music that can be played in and out of music clubs is a very unique task in of itself. They have it down packed. Where TT really cemented me as a fan was with the ultra erie and painfully dogma painted of "Sister of mercy" (not be confused with "Lay your hands on me"/Platinum and gold collection cd version which is much to stripped down and slow moving),and the ever ultra surreal flying & semi-consciously awake "Storm on the Sea". This simmers to a close but just enough to provoke your senses with the ever present and metaphysical cry "Who can stop the rain".
This album completely withstands any passage of time and will always be the staple TT album. For the few of us that really appreciated unique sounding, groove enchanced, danceable classics along with totally unique ballads this album is it! For me the definitive alternative in post modern "New Wave Synth Pop" masterpiece. There I said it!

I guess a lot of people are almost ashamed of admitting that they actually liked the Thompson Twins. Admitting it is the first step.Yes, they are one of my favorite bands from the 80's. "Into the Gap"is their best. Ironically, the single that was their biggest hit, "Hold me Now" is not my favorite. I love "You Take Me Up" (a minor US hit #41...major UK hit #2), "No Peace for the Wicked," "The Gap," and "Doctor! Doctor!"If you love the carefree, fun 80's music, this CD is a necessity.

1984 was truly the "Year of the Thompson Twins". After they appeared on the 1983 MTV New Years Eve ball, where they debuted a new song of theirs called "Hold Me Now", the Thompson Twins were set for world domination. Their album "Quick Step and Side Kick" had already made a big sensation in the United Kingdom and other European countries, but "Into the Gap" was the album that brought them strong success in the United States.

"Into the Gap" has a strange thing going on. On the one hand, it's a beautifully crafted album, carrying forward with the theme of their previous record, which brought together quirky synth sounds with warm bass and percussion. "Into the Gap" focuses even more on the songwriting and arrangement, with stunning results. And yet....it's 2006, and this album seems to only be remembered by 80s purists. Something about it contributed to it being written off as a period piece, forever identified with the 80s.

I can understand why when you take the band's image, which was very cartoonish and "new wave" (whatever that term was supposed to mean). They had weird hair, strange clothes, and Alannah Currie shaved off her eyebrows. On this record, she even had a "mohawk".

But if you would divorce the Thompson Twins from their then-commercial fashion sense, you'd find a gorgeous album in "Into the Gap". Shimmering synths exist alongside intricately-programmed drum patterns and live percussion that give it depth. Timpanis, bells, toms, the full range of percussion is represented here. Even more melodic than "Side Kicks", this album explores a fascination with Eastern cultures and melodies. Check out the opening track, "Doctor! Doctor!", which features a mesmerizing three-chord progression that evokes exotic adventure, repeated throughout the course of the song in varying combinations. This flavor continues throughout the rest of the album, most notably on tracks like "The Gap", an idealistic exhortation against xenophobia, and "Day After Day", which suggested an agnostic point of view that surfaced in other Thompson Twins songs as well.

There are a few other styles on here as well, like the gospel-reggae song "You Take Me Up", but songs like "Sister of Mercy" (the album's weakest point) and "Who Can Stop the Rain" don't have immediate reference points to them, and they seem to best represent the unique sound that the Thompson Twins acheived. The album contains two ballads as well; the haunting "Storm on the Sea", and the international hit "Hold Me Now", which seems to be the one song that everybody will remember them by.

Truthfully, it is debatable what kind of input Alannah Currie and Joe Leeway actually had on the album. You can hear them in a few places here, contributing backup vocals, but both have admitted much later that they had very little to do with the music, and even felt embarassed about their miscellaneous role in the band. Tom Bailey, on the other hand, is the voice of the band and compliments the music beautifully. His voice was never that strong, but could be warm and friendly or haunting and cold. It sometimes seemed to be on the verge of cracking or breaking, which created a great tension in the music, and at other times he sounded more relaxed and confident.

The following Thompson Twins records, which eventually saw the departure of Leeway, were mixed bags, and they wouldn't find this same alchemy again until their final album, "Queer", which still didn't quite recapture the magic here, at their zenith. Still, I find it amazing that the band's legacy hasn't carried on, if only for the sheer quality of their cornerstone albums, "Side Kicks" and "Into the Gap".

The second album from the Thompson Twins (trio) saw the music become a bit more polished, romantic and introspective. The album spawned classic hits Hold Me Now and Doctor Doctor. But also include excellent moodier tracks such as Storm on the Sea, as well as experimenting with middle eastern rhythms, most noticeably on the title track. The album was a multi million seller, and deservedly so. There are no dud tracks, and the album has an extremely cohesive flow. A great album to "chill" to. Highly recommended.

Compared to previous works, the Thompson Twins' "Into the Gap" shows a musical maturity that was not displayed in the past... and they were rewarded with their first (and only) U.S. Top 10 album.

Alannah Currie's lyrics move from delightfully dippy to heart-warming romanticism, especially on tracks like "Hold Me Now" (their biggest U.S. hit) and "Storm on The Sea". The Twins have also been able to concoct the bounciest hooks & melodies, textured with layers of keyboards -- like the Arabian chant-induced magic carpet ride of "The Gap", the upbeat & positive harmonica-ridden spin of "You Take Me Up", the sacrifices and punishment of an abused wife in "Sister of Mercy", and the emotional co-dependence of "Doctor! Doctor!".

Definitely one of the best all-original albums in the Twins' catalog... and one of the only not out-of-print. Check it out, you'll understand why...

That's exactly how I remember the Thompson Twins, charming and unique. I was rather an odd creature back in my high school days and I'm sure that the oddity of the Thompson Twins in part drew great appeal for me. However, this album truly started my great interest in the band. I'm still sad that they threw in the hat and that Alannah said she'd never wish again in her life to lay eyes on that old xylophone, however they truly did have something special together back then. I didn't much appreciate anything after "Here's To Future Days" as much as the earlier stuff, but "Into The Gap" will always remain one of my top ten albums of the 80's. "You Take Me Up" have elements that I don't believe have ever been imitated since then. Such uniqueness, they walked their own path and didn't follow the trend at the time, yet they still somehow managed to come out somewhat trendy...on a bizarre unique level. "Hold Me Now" is a classis, as well as "The Gap". One could only hope that they may all reunite one day. What about that show on VH1, maybe they'll pull this old ragamuffin band back together and someone could talk Alannah into dusting off that old xylophone being stored in some closet somewhere. To all those youngins who are diggin through their parents old records and have a curiosity over this band, "Into The Gap" is truly the great starter...if an appreciation can be found with this album, an appreciation can then be found for about all of them on some level.

If there were a quintisential New Wave album that you wanted to buy, I would recommend "Into The Gap". By far, one of the best New Wave albums, as well as the best Twins album ever. Anyone who had been breathing in oxygen in the early 80's knew of such songs as "Hold Me Now", "Take Me Up" and "Doctor Doctor". The first song, is still one of my all time favs. Other great songs from the album include "The Gap", "Storm On The Sea" and "Sister Of Mercy". Tom Bailey's rich vocals are highly complimented by the strong songwriting and fantastic production work on each track. I love the fact that these three musicians were also heavily influenced by middle eastern and asian music. This was something new to pop music and was a refreshing sound. (Check out Babble, a Tom and Alannah project in the 90's). It was sad to see Joe go after "Here's To Future Days", and it would be cool to see the three of them together again someday.

I guess most people have forgotten all about the Thompson Twins in America. However, this band made some very good music. They've since changed their name to Babble and made two cds as Babble--1993's The Stone and 1996's "Ether". Both Babble cds were good but sounded a bit like Enigma. It was Into the Gap that was TT's best cd. I have most of TT's catalogue and it seems that Into the Gap was their most consistent cd. 9 songs that lyrically were not that deep but musically were grand. Listen to "Doctor Doctor" or "Hold Me Now" and you will hear how synth music used to be in the beginning. The Thompson Twins survived the '80s where most didn't. The reason is Into the Gap. If you listen you find that it doesn't sound like a one hit wonder band. 16 years later it still sounds great. Most of the Thompson Twins catalogue is out of print in the U.S. leaving Into the Gap as most people's only choice. It's a great one though and perhaps that's why it's still in print here. The other cds that you can find in some record stores like Side Kicks, Here's To Future Days, Close to the Bone, Big Trash and Queer by the Thompson Twins all have their merits. After Into the Gap I would recommend 1991's Queer. Check out both of the Babble cds as well if you are a hardcore fan. Into the Gap is worth the money.