Customer Reviews

Love Life

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(7)
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2 star:		(1)
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Love Life finds Berlin honing their brand of upbeat synth New Wave into something more polished, and it's an improvement, although there aren't any songs that are risque as their notorious single from Pleasure Victim.

The raciest song by far is the leading one, "When We Make Love," from the POV of a stripper or performer in a risque act, or maybe a starlet in a triple-X movie. If it's the latter, that's quite a twist, as she labels the viewer as her fantasy. I detect influences from Blondie's "Atomic" here.

The extramarital affair on "Touch" tells it from the woman's POV, where she learns that her date's married, and asks him if he'll remember her, only not to hear from him. The casualness of the affair is given when she says "You can take me home and tear my clothes off." The rapid-fire synths and blaring guitar is something Quarterflash would appropriate on "Walking On Ice" on their Back Into Blue. One of the best songs here. A similar tempo and sound can be found on "Pictures Of You"

"Beg, Steal Or Borrow" is notable for having a synth rhythm which may have been taken from "Boogie Shoes" with a rhythm guitar like "Every Breath you Take."

Another standout tune comes with "Now It's My Turn." What does Nunn have to say about a lover who's deserted here: "Now it's my turn/You hurt me then/I'll never let you hurt me again." A further warning to the perpetrator: "Don't think you'll get away/The pain has just begun." This was included on their greatest hits album.

Giorgio Moroder's association with Berlin began here, as he and Richie Zito produced two songs. The first is "Dancing In Berlin" on the divisions between mysterious Communist East Berlin and open and free-spirited West Berlin, including the line "Please, there's no wall in front of you." The other is the Top 30 single "No More Words" featuring a funky bass synth backbeat while louder keyboards and electric guitars snarl. The concept of all words but no action backing those words leads to the title being sung, followed by "you're telling me you love me while you're looking away." Nunn sings of "looking for a long romance/not a picture of passion or one time chance."

"Rumor Of Love" is notable in its being sung by one of the male members of the band, and his delivery along with the rhythm section makes this like a Cars song.

The shakiness of people in love is behind the bittersweet and cynical "For All Tomorrow's Lies." Although the song extols pairs to stay together as one, but things aren't that easy: "They tell you 'try to have hope.'/And fight for all you can/these words, you've heard them before/so easy to believe." The version included on their greatest hits is a ballad remix that matches the gloominess of the song, and not the upbeat synth version here.

"Fall" is a low-tempo number of coming alive in love. The guitars here echo the sound Berlin would encompass in Count Three And Pray. The frantic, giddy tempo of "Lost In The Crowd" rounds out the album and it rivals the tempo of "Touch." It too, has the same hard guitar of "Fall" while remaining true to its New Wave sound.

The definitive Berlin sound is demonstrated here, with the last two songs a hint of things to come. Before that, Berlin would emulate Genesis, read "And then there were three." Guitarists Dave Diamond and Ric Olsen would leave, as would keyboardist Matt Reid leaving behind original members Terri Nunn and John bassist/synth-man Crawford, and Robert Brill (drums). All they had to was count three and...pray.

After seeing Berlin on VH1's "Band's Reunited," I had to dig through my old tapes to see what I had on this great band. As it turns out, I had "Pleasure Victim" and this album, "Love Life."

I put on "Love Life" and was amazed at how good the music still sounded. It's hard for me to believe this album and its predecesor were released 20+ years ago; it still sounds fresh! And Terri Nunn's voice... man, I was reminded what a great voice she had. On every song, from the pop hits ("No More Words") to the ballads ("Fall), her voice is picture perfect.

Speaking of "Fall," I'd have to say this has become my favorite song on the album. It's not a song that many people single out on this album, but I feel it deserves merit. John Crawford's lyrics flow like poetry when sung by Terri Nun:

"Colors all around;
Smile, cry, then laugh out loud
Feel the autumn breeze
Come alive..."

But now I see it's out of print??!! C'mon. Well, at least there are some good deals on Amazon.com out there as far as used CDs are concerned.

If you've never heard Berlin before, this is a good album to start out with. You'll get hits like "No More Words," "For All Tomorrow's Lies," "Dancing in Berlin," and "When We Make Love," as well as hidden gems like "Fall." Whether you're in an 80's mood or just want something "new" to listen to, this is a great place to start.

I remember when this album came out, back in 1984. I used to have to listen to it in private, due to the then-taboo subject matter it contained. It was always such a guilty pleasure (though tame by today's standards) which still sounds just as fresh and invigorating as ever (and is mixed rather well-complete with some excellent stereo effects).
It opens with the mysterious "When we Make Love", which sets the stage for the wonderful production that follows. This track is about a woman who brings various men home for love-making sessions, and videotapes the events so that she can "remember all you whisper" and "see you on the screen forever". A concept that was way ahead of its time (for a pop tune). The reason the music still sounds fresh, in my opinion, is because it effectively blends dreamy synths, slashing guitars, powerful live and programmed drums which add up to a winning combination. Topped with the beautiful Terri Nunn's perfect vocals-this is Berlin at their finest.
In this sophmore effort, Ms. Nunn effectively displays her maturity and proves that she has become a rather strong vocalist. "Touch", "Dancing in Berlin", "Pictures of You", "No More Words" and "Lost in the Crowd" are energy-laced uptempo numbers which inspire your hooves into a frenzy, while the rest of the CD sends you on a soothing, relaxing (yet never dull) journey through some of the various shadings of life's pleasures and troubles. "Now it's My Turn" (with brilliant lyrics portraying love as a metaphor for crime) and "In My Dreams" (a wonderful song about lucid dreaming/fantasizing about being with an otherwise unavailable partner "You could spend the night with me and never know you were here/in my dreams") especially display John Crawford's songwriting talents (where is he now, by the way?).
Giorgio Moroder adds his magic production to "No More Words" and "Dancing in Berlin", which take Berlin's credibility to incredible heights (like he did for Blondie in the mega-smash "Call Me"). A favourite track that is thankfully included (previously a B-side that was not included on the old vinyl version of Love Life)is the gorgeous "Rumor of Love" which allows John Crawford to take on the lead vocal in a MUCH better manner than he did on Pleasure Victim's "Sex (I'm A...) and, by the way, this track DOES feature Terri singing (backup vocals). As a young man coming of age in the 80's, this song also provided me with hours of hope and fantasy about the love I would someday encounter. Love Life also showcases Terri's brilliant talent for arranging the disc's rather creative background vocals. It is a masterpiece!
If you listen to this CD and find yourself wanting more Berlin, check out their latest offering "Voyeur". Although Terri is the only remaining member from the Original band lineup, it displays very strong musicianship and the best vocals Terri has offered to date! I just would like to know what became of the other band members: David Diamond, John Crawford, Rob Brill, Matt Reid, and Ric Olsen. There is no mention of them in Voyeur's liner notes.
Love Life is a must-have, "desert island" disc that belongs in every music collection. Buy it today! It's a sheer pleasure from beginning to end!

Having been a product of the '80s, I will always have a soft spot for the music that came out of that decade. Well most of it anyways. I grew up on new wave music. Unknowingly, I was getting my first taste of music that influence the goth scene by such bands like Depeche Mode and Erasure. Another favorite new wave band that I have always adored is Berlin. I loathed that treacly ballad that Terri Nunn and the gang did for the "Top Gun" soundtrack but otherwise I loved their brand of synth-pop. "No More Words" is by far my favorite song of theirs. I can never tire listening to that particular song. Although it is in dire need of a remastering job, "Love Life" still holds up quite well twenty years later. It is one of my personal favorite new wave albums. The songs are just incredibly catchy, especially on tracks like "Beg, Steal, or Borrow" and "When We Make Love". Think Depeche Mode with female vocals. Yeah some of the lyrics are corny but I still love them. Gotta love the '80s for all the cheesiness that it produced.

The reviewer below is entitled to his own opinion,but don't take his word for it. ....Berlin's LOVELIFE is a dynamic,50 minute powerhouse. There is only one song I don't care for and that is "Rumour of Love",because Terri doesn't sing on that track. The rest of the songs ROCK THE HOUSE!.....LOVELIFE is a synth heavy side of Berlin. Berlin's music is very versitile,you can't catagorize it,except as rock music. Terri Nunn's voice is the best in the business. She's also the sexiest! ..."Touch", "Beg,steal or borrow", "Now it's my turn" and my favorite "No More Words" are songs I can play over and over again...... Combination of upbeat tunes,ballads,songs of love,songs of hate,songs of happiness and songs of sadness. ....What else can you want in an album? LOVELIFE IS WHERE IT'S AT!

With their second album, Berlin started to hit their stride. The production on "Love Life" has grown up a lot since "Pleasure Victim", and we are in full MTV-friendly territory. Now it may sound like a criticism when a band lose their edge and start sounding mainstream, but Berlin need to mature a bit from their first album, and this one does a fine job of it. The opening track "When We Make Love" is so good that it's almost too tough an act to follow. Soaring and swooping vocally, and with a strong rocky/synth backing, it sets a great energetic mood for the rest of the album. Sadly, the second track quickly became my least favourite as it sounded like a failed attempt to match the power of the opener. Luckily the third song "Beg Steal or Borrow" knows better and follows a slow tempo, with the result that this is much more fun. Then we come to "Now It's My Turn", which finally makes a fitting challenger to "When We Make Love", as it's a terrific rock song with a very bitter theme centered around revenge. But even this is topped, further down the list after a few light-weight tracks, by "In My Dreams", which to me is the most perfect Berlin pop-song - beautifully gloomy in mood and tune, and another dark theme lyrically.

Terri Nunn once again excels at wringing anger and bitterness out of the lyrics, the songwriting of the group really suits her singing style, and her later solo album was diluted by it's absence. The albums hit single "No More Words" makes good use of her vocal prowess - it's another anger-tinged number, although the backing music is a bit lightweight compared to some of the stronger album tracks.

This is a great album, and it's made even better by the inclusion of two B-sides that were not on the original vinyl - "Rumour of Love" (ok this is poor, and Terri does not sing on it) and "Lost in the Crowd" ( which is good - strong enough to stand beside the better album tracks). It's even got a great classy cover shot! So it looks and sounds wonderful in any collection.

Terri Nunn is at once a sex goddess and an etheral angel. On this her second album with Berlin, She performs with the shimmering brilliance only the natural posses. Cheif songwriter John Crawford is capable but His musical creations do not equal Nunn's vocal talents and tend to limit Her. This is, nevertheless, an excellent exmple of '80s pop brilliance. Get it!.

for all of those who have been in love and want a musical characture of the experience from beginning to end by one of the sexiest female vocalists alive add this album to your collection!

Despite the overplayed popularity status of No More Words this was one atmospheric and moody synthesized production. That's a good thing . Berlin's Love Life project demonstrated they were true pioneers and leaders in the genre of new wave pop for the 80's...They were the poster-children American pop band for the musical world with their GQ and Vogue looks. Underneath it all there was genuine artistic skills and innovativeness that emitted through.

From the earth bass synthesized rumbling of the opening track When We Make Love to the frenetically charged and provocatively produced Touch the listener is taken through a world of love,life, relationships,and yes, revenge all sleeked up by retro 40's stylish/noirish videos and album photos ! The Euro dance sound of Dancing In Berlin was a tribute to German synthesized pop a la Kraftwerk style. In My Dreams has to be the album's most catchy hook laden tune that harkened the seriousness of the song Pleasure Victim (from the album by the same title). The track Pictures Of You was pure MTV pop rock material for that time period along with it's California based New Wave West Coast sound.Finally, the ballads were warm and intelligible without becoming fluff fodder or filler;they maintained their warmth despite being heavily covered in the synth technology of the time...

Love Life was Berlin's most popular album because it was a refined version of the previous mini EP Pleasure Victim and was not as highly experimental and distracting as their 1986 Count Three and Pray cd ! Love Life is the essential Berlin cd to obtain from the 80's...

I have been a fan since 1979. This was a great album showcasing Terri Nunn's versatility and range, not to mention Babe Factor :) Great album indicative of what was fun and exciting about the 80's.