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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Brand New Lover...hey hey!, February 28, 2004
During my formative 80's years, I had the good fortune of having Lynn Benally, a classmate at high school and at the junior college I was at, turn me on to all sorts of music and groups. One was Dead Or Alive's Mad Bad and Dangerous To Know, which he bought at the local small business records and tapes outlet, and I was with him when he did. I instantly liked the first song that played, the infectious "Brand New Lover," which eventually hit the US Top 20. Given the album cover, I thought it was some weird goth band, but no, it was sheer bubblegum. I eventually bought this myself, and I noticed something that should've clicked after my hearing "Brand New Lover" was when I looked above the song listing on the verso and saw who produced it--Stock, Aitken, Waterman. Well, I should've realized, shouldn't I? Key: *=remix included on Rip It Up compilationThe first four songs really kick. "Brand New Lover"* is what the protagonist is looking for, and it's set to the usual S-A-W barrage of insistent drum machines and synth keyboards, and the occasional guitar solo. And dig those "hey hey!" voices. The thumping drums and brass-like synths in "I'll Save You All My Kisses"* is set at the same breakneck tempo, which rival the song "Venus" by Bananarama, also a S-A-W client. A more bass keyboard at uptempo pace sets the backing for "Son Of A Gun" which benefits from some shouts from the band. "Then There Was You" is a relief about finding that someone else that cures someone's blues: "I looked around/look what I found/what was I supposed to do?" The question then is, "do you promise you won't go away-ay-ay?" The version of "Something In My House"* is a lengthy 7:20, which probably made for some good club music stomping. The inclusion of a Spanish guitar and a harp-like melody on the synths isn't repeated on the other tracks. With the stuttered "I"'s, I thought I was listening to Stacey Q. Seriously, Pete Burns' New-Wave distinctive resonant vocals sound nothing like dat Q girl. And just what is in his house? He's "haunted by a love that isn't there" by "the ghost of a blonde dead up there." "Hooked On Love"* makes the trite analogy of love with drugs, and even has the protagonist asking for a good supplier, "I simply gotta have some more." The analogy continues where he was happy without it, and hardly thought about it in the beginning. So that's what Roxy Music meant by love is the drug. Maybe. A slight tropical sound comes in during "I Want You," which isn't as breakneck as the other numbers, but has some fanfare bursts on occasion. The last song, "Special Star," continues the uptempo nature of the album. Like the later Kylie Minogue debut, there's hardly any variation in sound or tempo from the S-A-W format, and it's an instant party disc to boot. Small wonder that half of the Rip It Up compilation was ripped from this album. And once again, thanks to Lynn for introducing them to me.
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by Dead or Alive 
