Customer Reviews

The Light At the End of the World

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I didn't know quite what to expect from this CD. I enjoyed their 80s music but figured 1995 had passed them by. I thought maybe AFOS would try to experiment with 90s grunge or do something else to try to "update" their sound. Well, much to my satisfaction, that didn't happen. They kept the synthesizers on! This is an 80s album circa 1995. Some of the songs on here are fantastic. The instrumentals seem out of place on the album, but they are very well done, so I won't complain. If you like "I Ran" or "Space Age Love Song" you won't be disappointed with this CD.

What I want to know is, Why did AFOS stop recording? I guess there aren't enough of us left who still appreciate their style of music.

This is the first cd Mike Score did after adding new people to the AFOS lineup. Gone are the cheesy lyrics, science fiction images and bad hairdo's (aside from the guitarist which still has 80's teased up do sorta early Poison'ish)
What lies on the surface of the disc is a hard attempt at proving that AFOS is still a viable force in the world of music but sadly many people have vastly over looked the disc and many dont even know it exists.
The 2 opening tracks show the band still is grounded in its 80's light hearted state. Burning up starts the disc off in a similar style of the debut self titled AFOS cd. Magic gears up the cd but gets a little repetitious at times. Oddly eneough Magic was the first single from the cd. They also released Rainfall but I think it got more exposure then Magic.
Setting sun moves into a more serious stance. I feel with a bit of a push this could have been a huge radio hit but sadly most people have an image of AFOS that they just cant let go of and I believe the band wont be able to break out of it and make radio airplay.
The next single Rainfall got some attention and i even heard it when the cd was released on the radio. Sadly it went no where but the video could be viewed on Launch.com
Ordinary man & Your mine continues on the same feel as the previous songs,just showing a much more mature sound for the band. Your mine is such a beautiful song. Another highlight of the disc.
Garden and hearts on fire are both strong songs just I dont feel they are as good as the other songs on the disc.
Towards the end of the disc you have Say you love me. Another solid track that just seems out of place bieng at the end of the cd. I feel this song should have been used earlier.
The rest of the cd slows down to a nice ending. It stays solid through out with only a few weaker moments. Its also one of those cd's that can be played from start to finish without skipping songs. Not many discs I can say that on!

I am a classic rock fan to the core, but after listening to the cd that AFOS first put out I had to find out what else they had released. I discovered they had a greatest hits cd and Light at the End of the World. Having really liked their greatest hits I thought I would give Light a chance. This is a great cd. Mike Score gave the guitarist a little more freedom than in the past and the results are fun to listen to. I like every song on this cd, although it took time for me to like the title song. If you like music that isn't to heavy, and has great melodies this is a cd you should have in your collection. I keep coming back and listening to their music over and over, whether it be this cd or their earlier stuff, it's all good!

I bought this CD ten years ago after seeing AFOS perform in a little bar/coffee house in Huntington, West Virginia, called The Drop Shop. I was attending Marshall University at the time, and some from friends from work and I thought it would be cool to go see a band from "yesteryear". This was '96, of course, so it'd been at LEAST ten years since AFOS had done anything that registered with the listening public. They were touring to support this album, "...Light...", and I was blown away with the songs on this disc. I was able to sneak into the stage area in the back of the club and listen to them warm up, and they were working on "Setting Sun". I was absolutely spellbound. "Sun" is an absolutely fabulous piece of work. After I got this disc, I couldn't take it out of my CD player. It was all I listened to for close to two months. I know that an obscure CD from AFOS doesn't get much attention on here, but I had to contribute my two cents. Overall, this is a solid album. Some favorites of mine include "Setting Sun" (obviously), "Magic", "Burning Up", "Say You Love Me", and "Heart's On Fire". These, to me, are the standout tracks. It didn't get a lot of attention, but I believe this disc has some staying power should it make its way into your CD collection.

Considering I'm a Metal/Industrial fan, the fact that I like this cd is wierd but its catchy, uplifting music, even if the lyrics are cheesy and unoriginal. Its the synth and guitar hooks that I like. I like certain pop groups like Xymox and such but AFOS is still good. Though I prefer their 80's material, this cd is worth it for the songs Burnin' Up, Magic, Your're Mine, and the title track.On another note, the drums and bass are pretty thick and heavy for the style of music this is. Get it if it is cheap and you have an open mind

The Light at the End of the World, the fifth full-length album from A Flock of Seagulls and released in 1995, is a gratifying and consistent piece of music. The material is in a pop rock musical vein. All in all, the musicianship is tight, the songwriting is good, and the sound quality is polished and taut. There's a well-balanced coalescence of guitar and keyboard playing. Mike Score does well with both his unique-sounding vocal delivery and the keyboard duties. When it comes to the guitar responsibilities, Ed Berner does a respectable job. Altogether, a total of 12 tracks is included; two of these, "The Light at the End of the World" and "Seven Seas," are instrumentals. Some of the songs that I like are "Magic," "Rainfall," and "You're Mine." The sprightly-sounding "Magic" is a good one that's nice and melodic. Another one, the attractive "Rainfall," features a smooth, infectious keyboard intro--the keyboard textures are pretty and atmospheric throughout the song. "You're Mine" is a well-written, pleasing ballad that's tuneful, stately, and ethereal; this happens to be one of my favorite compositions from A Flock of Seagulls. The enjoyable and energetic "Walking in the Garden" features cool keyboard stabs from Score. The Oriental-flavored instrumental "The Light at the End of the World" is also interesting and features nice keyboard soundscapes. The CD booklet contains the lyrics to the songs along with a black-and-white photograph of the group--there's also an individual color photo of each member of the band. The CD cover artwork is creative and interesting. This disc is just over 58 minutes in duration. The Light at the End of the World is a good album from A Flock of Seagulls.

This Album is like Wow! And the more you listen the better you like it. True 1980s style played in the 90s. Majestic at times. This one slipped through the cracks somehow, perhaps not enough PR.
I don't get it. You have some real crummy stuff that gets all the airplay and then some real gems that go unnoticed. That's radio for you. Thank goodness for the internet cause now I enjoy finding hidden treasures like this.

Purchased out of curiosity.....and completely bowled-over by the beautiful songs... 'You're Mine', 'Setting Sun' & 'Hearts On Fire' are as dreamy and hypnotic as the bigger hits of AFOS...thoroughly recommended.

I bought this CD not too long after it came out, when I heard from (forgot the source) they were releasing new music. I was pretty impressed! Only Mike Score is the original member on this CD, but he's gathered together some solid musicians to back him up. The guitar player stands out especially, as he is obviously a very talented solo guitarist, providing an endless amount of cascading solo lines throughout each song. A much different style than original guitarist Paul Reynolds. The drums and bass however seem to stick to the original Ali Score/Frank Maudsley straightforward tempo style, which gives the CD more of a reminiscent sound. The lyrics are based heavily on "love" themes, as I was wondering if Mike Score had finally found the love of his life when he recorded this CD! This is probably the only deterrant to this CD I can think of, as Score's "love piffle" gets a bit old by the time you get to the 10th song or so. There are many solid songs on here however, in particular "You're Mine", which I was seriously waiting to hear on the airwaves during the year of the release- unfortunately that never happened. You can hear the fabulous guitar work on this number too. "Rainfall" and "Burnin Up" are two other songs that stick out also. Most AFOS fans will miss the outer-space and futuristic theme elements that this CD lacks, though "Ordinary Man" takes a stab at portraying the grind of modern working class society.

This is one awesome CD! Much overlooked and underated by far! Mike Score is absolutely one of the best singer/songwriters I have ever heard. The whole CD is written about Love...what better to write about than that? "Burnin'Up", "Magic", "Setting Sun", "Rainfall", "You're Mine" ;(a love song written for his daughter), "Walking in the Garden", "Hearts on Fire", "Life is Easy", "Say You Love Me"...all love songs. The instrumentals are equally as good. Both pull their weight nicely. The title track "The Light at the End of the World" has an Indian flair and "Seven Seas" has a beautiful classical feel to it. Mike's diverse talent shines on this album. This is one CD I have 4 copies of. It is definitely a must have.