Customer Reviews

Mad Bad & Dangerous to Know

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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 compilation

The 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.

Perfect album. These collection of songs are fun and inspiring at times. I love this LP. A MUST for the true pop/synth fan.

One listen, and I'm hooked. As the title of this review states, this is, without a doubt, the next logical step for Dead or Alive (creatively speaking). From beginning to end, the hits just keep coming! "Brand New Lover," with its longing for something more exciting; "Something in My House," (Sidebar: Is that really a Spanish guitar? Yes...OMG...it is!) begging you to protect him the frightening something that's haunting his house; and "Special Star," with the wish he made in his sleep coming true.

A definite must-have for any DoA fan!!!

Although I had the first albums of DOA too, this was the album that really convinced me most as a teen :) It's a Stock Aitken Waterman production, but not in the style of Kylie & Co. Pete convinces with a very strong voice - you think he could sing opera. "Something in my house" is a great opener with Spanish guitars and high energy beats, but also "slower" songs like "Then there was you" and "Special star" work very well. A good album with a steady production and a good song choice.

Kireviewer is obviously not a fan of Dead or Alive or would know that the band has put out alot more than one or two Cds...The single Brand new Lover did make the top 20 and was played way too much on MTV!! I love this CD it is great...one of those albums where you like every song on it....obviously Kireviewer thinks that the artwork on the album and name of a band should stereotype what kind of music is put out...they are a dance music club style band...always have been and probably always will be.....They have put out at the very least 8 full CDs and several remix compilations as well as tribute albums and have a HUGE cult following in America as well as Europe and have been huge in Japan....America isnt the only music market...and of course i tend to like bands that i have to import such as Nina Hagen and lene lovich...I absolutely dont listen to the Radio as i wont have anyone telling ME what i have to listen to or what should be popular with me...Dead or Alive is different and creative and interesting....Pete Burns voice is Deep and affecting....this band dosnt get a fair chance in America at all...i dont know what problems they have with theyre Lable in America..(i think its Sony) but i hope it will be resolved and brand New material will be released soon...a new comilation of dance remixes is about to be released in 2005...and i hope that someday soon a Video collection will be released in America as they did in England. KireViewer just dosnt have a clue....go listen to Air Supply and give us all a break!

After becoming a huge fan of Dead or Alive with the classic "You Spin Me Round", I bought this album after only hearing "Brand New Lover". I instantly fell in love with the entire album, but I have to say that "Something In My House" became my favorite song by DOA and to this day still holds that title. Other songs that warrant mention are "I'll Save You All My Kisses", "Then There Was You", "Come Inside", "Hooked On Love" & "I Want You".

Unlike many bands that are out today, DOA managed to create an album that overall was worth listening to from start to finish without having to skip around from track to track. This album was an extremely strong follow-up to Youthquake and managed to stand on its own and prove that Dead or Alive was not a one hit wonder. I guess I'm going to have to pull this one out too, after I finish with "Nude".

I don't know why all the fans prefer their 2nd album : Youthquake, maybe because their number one hit : You spin me round is on it, but for me their masterpiece is truly their 4th album : Nude. But Mad, Bad and Dangerous To Know (a quote from an english writer's book : Byron) is the best after Nude.

Packed with 5 hot dance singles (Brand New Lover, Something In My House, I'll save you all my Kisses, Hooked on love and Son of a gun : which was also released as a single but only in Japan). This album is filled with non-stop high-energy tracks which are positively brilliant. Even the remaining tracks are nice pop gems, my favourite being Then there was you which could also have been a single (the intro reminds me a lot of Madonna's Papa don't preach).

It's too bad they didn't include the singles versions of these 5 hits because Something in my house's remix is so much better than the mix on this album and Hooked on love was re-released to include a Bon Jovi kind of sound on it, but to hear those mixes you'll have to buy their compilation album called Evolution.

Nevertheless, you can buy this album, because I'm sure that if you like Stock, Aitken & Waterman's kind of dance music, you won't regret it because this album is the highlight of their career as producers without a doubt and the track Something in my house is their best achievement with Kylie Minogue's Better the devil you know (according to producer Pete Waterman himself).

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST DOA CD'S OUT THERE. IT'S OBVIOUS KIREVIEWER HAS NO IDEA WHO DOA ARE AND APPARENTLY NEVER WILL. STICK WITH WHAT YOU KNOW, BORING, YAWN, YAWN!!! DOA ARE THE FORERUNNERS OF GLAM ROCK WITH HITS BRAND NEW LOVER,SOMETHING IN MY HOUSE.SOME OF THEIR BEST. HOOKED ON LOVE, SON OF A GUN ARE ALSO WORTH LISTENING TO!!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND FOR ALL GLAM ROCKERS WHO LIKE TO DANCE AND HAVE A GOOD TIME!!! WHICH IS WHAT DEAD OR ALIVE ARE ALL ABOUT!!!!

PETE BURNS WAS AND IS DOA'S FOCAL POINT.THIS ALBUM(THEIR 3RD) REALLY EXPRESSES HIS EMOTIONS TO THE FULLEST.DANCEPOP OF THE '80S COULD NEVER SOUND BETTER.THE HITS BRAND NEW LOVER,SOMETHING IN MY HOUSE,HOOKED ON LOVE AND I'LL SAVE YOU ALL MY KISSES WERE BIG ALL OVER THE WORLD,WHILE AT THE SAME TIME DISPLAYING A MORE GOTHIC LOOK FOR THE BAND VISUALLY.OTHER STANDOUTS ON THIS CD INCLUDE COME INSIDE,THEN THERE WAS YOU AND SON OF A GUN.WHO COULD ARGUE WITH SUCH A FINE COLLECTION(ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE STOCK,AITKEN AND WATERMAN,AS PRODUCERS)!....NEED I SAY MORE?

This is a follow-up album to their masterpiece - Youthquake!! Unlike Youthquake, this album has heavy Stock, Aitken and Waterman influences all over it, as it was recorded just before the peak of their success in 1986. It is laced with structure and brilliantly professional crystal clear production. As with most SAW productions, the album has 4 or 5 really strong tracks (designed as singles) with some 'throw away' numbers to finish the album off.

This album is no exception, however, unlike most SAW acts, Dead or Alive solely wrote all of their material. SAW simply had a hand in production. This album has a number of high energy classics, in particular the successful top 20 US Hit - Brand New Lover, and the top 20 UK Hit - Something In My House. Other standout tracks including Hooked on Love and Son of a Gun.

One thing you do notice with this particular Dead or Alive album is the lack of attention to the lyrics. Plenty of cheap throw away dancified love songs. However, Pete Burns voice and brilliant production and the unmistakable high energy sound make this a better than average collection of tracks.

Don't expect Youthquake, but expect some quality surprises especially the underrated classic - Brand New Lover...