Customer Reviews

Latour

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

 

 

To be honest, I'm not sure why I bought LaTour's self titled debut back in 1991. I do remember liking "People Are Still Having Sex" which was a huge hit. And I recall hearing "Blue" in Basic Instinct. However, that typically wouldn't be enough to motivate a purchase. Maybe it was the interesting artwork, or perhaps the cool Smash Records logo. But whatever the motivations, purchasing this release turned out to be one of my better and more enjoyable musical decisions. For fans of electronic dance music style from the early 90s, this is a definite must have.

The release begins on a fast, harsh, almost industrial dance tone with the guitar and beat ridden "Allen's Got a New Hi-Fi" which will have you yelling and thrashing about. "People are Still Having Sex" is a funky song that is fun to dance to and has some thought provoking lyrics. This was America's introduction to LaTour, and the single had great dance floor appeal. The next song, "Involved," confirmed my love for this release. With funky beats, lush orchestration, and deep vocals that move from spoken to angst-ridden singing, "Involved" really hooks you physically and emotionally. I have to dance and scream along every time. This song was also released as a single with some cool remixes. "Cold" (also released as a single) leaves me a little flat. Despite a danceable beat, the orchestration is shallow and left me wanting more. We return to the fun with "Fantasy Soldiers." Incredibly bouncy with some great orchestration hooks, this song throws you on the dance floor and won't let go. "Amazing You" is another great dance song, but with a more positive attitude with its cool piano and upbeat lyrics that make you bounce around with a smile on your face. With an almost Front 242 "Headhunter" intro, "Laurie Monster" is funny EBM ("she's going to explode") that is very cool and has a fantastic beat and orchestration. "Psych" has a freestyle dance beat to it, however the orchestration and almost whined lyrics really don't work well; the refrain shows how much more the song could have been filled out. "Dark Sunglasses" is kind of cool - danceable and an interesting melding of spoken and sung lyrics. However the orchestration seems like it is building to something and then ends before it makes it there. "Blue" doesn't have lyrics and is an interesting techno house trip. I must admit that as a song alone I wasn't too thrilled with it. But once I saw the club scene in Basic Instinct, the song grew a life of its own. For those (like me) who bought the tape at first, it is important to note the CD contains bonus remixes of "Allen's Got..." and "People are Still..." However, buy the CD because you wore out your tape, not because of the remixes. "Allen's Got..." is overproduced, drops the guitars, and loses its angst and anger ridden edge; as a fan of industrial dance music, I was rather disappointed. "People are Still..." has some additional samples, and elements are added to make the song more rave-like, however it detracts from rather than adds to the power of the original.

I give this release a fairly strong 4 star rating. I really enjoy the music, lyrics and overall production, and it is great when I want to be dancing, active, or need a general positive attitude adjustment.

This is an album for those who love electronic dance music. Yet while every song has the propensity to make you dance, each song also takes you to a different attitude or mood. This is by no means a one-dimensional release. LaTour takes electronic dance music, and its listeners for that matter, to a fun place where flashing laser lights and the dance floor reign supreme. Get this CD, then get out of your chair and dance.

Worth the CD for one song. BLUE. I completely agree with Helen, although I've had the CD for years. And it's still my favorite song. If you took notice there was another song played during the club scene on "Basic Instinct." It was "Rave the Rythm" by Channel X. Don't know if it's still available, but a great song also.

I must confess that i had been disappointed with every attempt at my finding the original track BLUE from Basic Instict (what with all the remakes and different mixes about) that i bought this not hoping for much. However, when track 10 played i rang every friend i had to tell them, well scream at them, that i had found it at long last! Although i confess that i was, at first, only interested in track 10, it didn't take me too long to realise that it really is a great CD all the way through. People are still having sex is very dark yet deals with a topic most are too shy or afraid to talk about and the other tracks are so varied, that it keeps you hanging on every note as to see just what will come next. Not all tracks are as, well, "ambient house" as blue, which is still is by far my favoutite, so do not expect it to be (some are quite 1990s techno), but all in all a great CD. Boy,how happy am I!

This is one of those CD's that you just have got to love if you like hard pounding Industrial dance or techno. I remembered "People are Still Having Sex" getting significant radio airplay at the time. But it's one of those songs that once it fell off the charts...faded into oblivion.

You've heard "Blue" from Basic Instinct. I love listening to that one in with headphones. You might have heard "Allen's Got a New Hi-Fi" which was a lesser hit in '91.

But there are some other fantastic toe-tapping headphone pounding songs on this album. My other favorites are "Psych" and "Amazing You."

It has taken me about 5 years to find this. Ever since Basic Instinct, I have been on a mission to get "Blue" in my possession. This cd is worth it for that song alone!

cute as you may be sweetie i must say that you are wrong, many of us out there are just searching for an album like this , you call it dated and yes its true , dated in a good way though, you search around for all those pre-industrial and such type albums and eventually run out of leads , this is an awesome addition to anyones collection if theyre preference is anything close to a split second, or any other band close to that short but sweet era

The only reason I bought this album is because of the song "Blue."
However, the sounds of the other songs are kind of dated. "People Are Still Having Sex," is a good song and also "Alan's Got A New High-Fi."
It's definitely worth it to own the album for "Blue", but don't expect anything much better than that.

You may have been there during the initial AIDS scare in the late 80's. What was happening was the various media outlets were sensationalizing the disease with good reason. But there was a problem - we were all told to just NOT have any intimate relations lest we get this horrible disease.

Now in 1991, a song came out that made EVERYONE aware that no amount of finger-wagging was going to keep men and women from having sex. And that we had better do something a bit more aggressive to educate the public because abstinence wasn't the answer.

That song was LaTour's #1 Billboard dance hit, "PEOPLE ARE STILL HAVING SEX" and was one of the hit singles off this self-titled debut.

More than just relevant, the song itself was unique in that it was a form of rap song with heavy, electronic beats. During this time in music, the UK was primarily the front-runners of electronica with bands like The Shamen, Utah Saints, 808 State, The KLF, etc. LaTour was one of the first American musicians who charted #1 with a mostly electronica song of that time. To this day, even the CDC, quotes this song to make new generations aware.

Okay, but onto the music -

LaTour is one of the a-listers who did not use out of the box sounds on his music. You take BLUE, which was one of the most pivotal songs in the motion picture soundtrack BASIC INSTINCT, starring Sharon Stone and hear the Casio CZ500 synth through a phase effect that initiates the entire song - driving it in one of the most sensual songs that defines that erotic dance scene in the movie.

On ALLENS GOT A NEW HI FI, we have something totally different and like the other reviewer said, easily still stands up today. Allen's features electronic beats and electric guitar with vocals. Again something at the time that was not common. Almost 20 years later, vocals and electro beats have finally caught on. Like I said, LaTour was and is, groundbreaking.

This song is a must have for driving, working on the job, dancing and just bouncing to. It winds you up and takes you on a fist-pumping, head-rocking journey about a guy who has a stereo that is SO loud, it starts destroying household items. Even the vocals on this track appear to be as though LaTour is singing over Allen's hi-fi. It's a clever idea added to a danceable song that is indeed quite masculine compared to the erotic Blue.

While LaTour using a very unique voice on "People", the melody of his voice really comes through on INVOLVED and AMAZING YOU.

If you need to let someone know you love them and find them completely mystifying and amazing, definitely take a listen to AMAZING YOU. It has a driving beat all the while the song speaks of one of the most incredible creatures he has encountered - a special woman. Romantic, it's a track that should certainly make it onto a mix CD for your lover to say exactly what you're thinking. LaTour says it perfectly and without being cheesy or jokey.

INVOLVED is a soft ode to unrequited love. The light piano in it serves perfect for the songs query - wondering, curious. With all these songs sequenced, it makes for a picturesque journey and is remarkably fun.

The disc is definitely worth the purchase for something that doesn't sound like everybody. For something that is cleverly written and composed by one man. Like Prince and Elton John, LaTour got into his own head and wrote an amazing album.

It will be an important addition to your collection.

This is a long shot and I am totally dating myself, but in the mid-eighties when i was a young club kid, there was an after hours club called "Berlin" on 21st or 22nd street at 6th ave. They played this song that had the EXACT melody of LaTour's Blue. (Or should I say, LaTour took this melody OR adapted their original version) It was much more 'trance like' and incredibly seductive - especially at 4am.
When "Basic Instinct" came out in the nineties, I literally jumped out of my seat when I heard the song "BLUE" because it was the EXACT same melody, but with a dance track. The original song - i have no idea what it was called but I believe the group was called "LIQUID LIQUID" is probably one of the first 'trance' melodies ever to be created. I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR THIS SONG FOR MY FILM PROJECT. If anyone knows what i'm talking about, please contact me at the email above. And trust me, if you like the song "Blue" you will love the original version of this infections melody. Tripp Mills/Los Angeles.

i allways been a big fan of this group...
i especially love their song (blue)...

hope i my goal... w'll come true... on finding this song/group.