Customer Reviews

Man of Colours

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Early morning, sun rising on Sidney seen through the shades of a window in a radio station transmition booth. A DJ talks to his listeners and takes a request from a female voice on the phone: "Can you play 'Crazy' for me?" This is how the video of Icehouse's "Crazy" started, back in 1987, the year Australian band put out this (in my opinion, their best) album: 'Man of Colours', and the DJ was no one else but lead singer Iva Davies.

The entire album is a solid collection of late eighties material from the band that is firmly entrenched in the same vein as other bands of their time, such as INXS, Midnight Oil and, to a certain extent, even U2. Though "Crazy" will always live in my mind as a song that I will always remember 1987 for, the rest of the album is packed with great works, such as "Electric Blue", the title track and "Kingdom". To complement it, this remastered edition comes packed with extra tracks of remixes of the other songs. In particular, the midnight mix of "Crazy" is the 'background' music that was playing in the beginning of the song's video, before the actual song kicked in, and it's one hell of a song to begin the day!

Overall: go, don't walk -run to get a copy of this album!

Icehouse has always been difficult band to pigeon hole. That can be a good thing for artists, who prefer to move from style to style, genre to genre, if their writing talents are so disposed. Most songwriters will find a niche, one that's safe, self-expressive (and profitable). From its very beginnings, Icehouse moved through a variety of styles and personnel changes, culminating in the seminal "Man of Colours", a near tribute to the song-writing prowess of the band's longtime frontman, Iva Davies, the seemingly only, constant member of the band.
Davies is a consummate songwriter. He has the ability to shove his heart into your face, and still reveal only what he wants to let you see. He has made his dark, quirky mind and heartfelt emotion truly available to us in this work, a collection of pop savvy melodies and haunting, atmospheric songs.
An undercurrent of insecurity seems to be pervasive in many of the tracks, such as the opener, "Crazy", a wonderful pop, yet powerful song with one heck of a hook, a solid rhythm complement and great guitar sound, reminiscent of "the Fixx" or early James Honeyman-Scott of the "Pretenders". The insecurity is found in the lyrics, not the masterful execution by the musicians, with lines such as the chorus: "Yeah, you gotta be crazy, baby/ To want a guy like me/ Yeah, you gotta be out of your mind/ Crazy..."
Tracks like "Electric Blue" continue Mr. Davies' feeling of anxiety with exposing his feelings, or would writing about those anxieties actually be his way of dealing with them(?): "I just freeze/ Everytime you see through me/ And it's all over you? Electric Blue..."
"Man of Colours", the title track, is a smorgasbord of well documented emotion, and "Heartbreak Kid" is eerie, haunting, and beautiful in its execution. This cd is a must for any Iva Davies fan, Icehouse fan, or any fan of well written pop music.

The 1987 album from Icehouse was the record that broke them in the US, despite a large body of work that was well known Internationally. Iva Davies is a very good vocalist in the Bryan Ferry vein (there are moments when "Man Of Colors" starts sounding like Roxy Music, especially the title track). While the songs here tend to be very good (and "Electric Blue" became a substantial hit), the synth heavy production sounds very much of the period. However, that won't keep you from being drawn in by the tale of "The Heartbreak Kid" and the pop confections of "Crazy." John Oates even gave his seal of approval by adding background vocals to "Electric Blue," and you can hear Davies stretching for Daryl Hall/Paul Young moments of soul here as well. If that was the kind of 80's music that got your ears (Roxy, Fixx, H&O), then "Man Of Colors" is where you'll find love in the Icehouse.

First of all the tracks on this cd are simply unique. The title of the album is simply a reminder of one of the most head-catchy songs of icehouse's you will ever locate (Man Of Colors) and as for the likes of 'Sunrise' and a few of the other important songs on here you will not be disappointed. I have listened to many of the other complilations of Icehouse's individualised cds and they all lack the geniune need for including some really head-catchy music that remains in the brain-cells for days. Well believe me you will find the through taste of music on this album irresistable so if you are a Icehouse fan looking for music and you have just happened to come here to amazon from any remote location (i.e. even antarctica); throw this one on your shopping basket and get it delivered to your frontdoor instantaneously within 24-caret gold protective gladwrap - you will not regret paying the extra dollars to get it delivered ;-) - trust me...

I first heard the Man Of Colours album in the late eighties and fell in love with it. It was never off my walkman and as soon as I got a CD player it was one of my first purchases. I have to say however that I'm a little disappointed with this remastered release.

The version of 'Crazy' is the single version and as such is shorter. The song 'Electric Blue' has been subtly tampered with, with the sound of the background synthesizers and some of the songs arrangement, (i.e.- going into the first chorus it used to say 'In those eyes', now it says 'I just freeze'). I now have two versions on my digital music player, the original and the remastered.

This album I would normally give 5 stars, but I'm giving this remastered version just four. Remastering in my opinion is about cleaning up the sound and removing background noise, leaving a sharper clearer sound. I have the greatest of respect for Iva Davies and his work, but an album should be left untouched once it's in the public domain.

Its not hard to understand why this is one of Australis best selling albums of all time! The band put together some great songs here that range from a light rock to southing sounds and relaxing hangover music! And now with the re-issue including the great song "touch the fire" your getting an even better deal then the original release!

I first fell in love with Icehouse' music when I heard No Promises on the radio back in '85 or '86. I found the Measure for Measure album and then got to listen to earlier albums that were more alternative and less radio-friendly. But Man of Colors was a tour de force. It was what I wanted from Icehouse. First came the soaring love ballad, Crazy, then the follow-up Electric Blue, with its snazzy riffs, and finally I got the whole album on tape from an acquaintance in Australia. It was magic. Other songs I enjoy are Girl on the Moon and the epic story-song, Sunset and the Heartbreak Kid, which for me was a kind of sequel to the Eagles' New Kid in Town.
This disc is kind of pricey but it's hard to find. I appreciate that they've got extras like extended versions of some songs, but I've heard most of these on other Icehouse albums.

Easily their strongest album since the Flowers' debut, Man of Colours was to become Icehouse's commercial and creative high point. Had you seen them back in the day, you may remember the ladies swooning for frontman Iva Davies. Beyond the rock star good looks, he is a talented songwriter who, as the album title suggests, can paint a vivid picture with simple words.

Like much of Icehouse's work, the overall feel of the record is somewhat moody and melancholy, but with hints of optimism. The melodies are consistently catchy and moments of pure pop abound throughout. "My Obsession" is a slice of radio-ready pop heaven about being in denial over lost love. The album tracks reveal even deeper treasure, from up-tempo rocker "Nothing Too Serious" to the neo-Western setting of "Heartbreak Kid". Man of Colours has an almost voyeuristic feel, as if walking downtown from window to window, peering in on the characters inside and getting a different story each time - good, bad and ugly - then hopping in the car on a warm, overcast night and going for a slow drive with the top down.

Time has not necessarily been kind to the production here. In particular, cheesy synths and the big, echoey snare sound can ocassionally be distracting and place the album firmly in the 80's, dating it somewhat. But beyond those minor missteps, the record remains as enjoyable a listen today as it was in 1987.

For those familiar with the original U.S. version of this album, you'll notice a few differences on this imported reissue. Firstly, the remastering is superb and very warm-sounding, revealing depth in fidelity not heard when this album was first issued on CD early in the digital age. "Crazy" is present in its shorter, single remix, and "Electric Blue" is likewise a slightly different mix (possibly also a single remix). Two of the bonus tracks come from 1989's Great Southern Land and were exclusive to that compilation, now out of print, so it's nice they included them here. Some of the relevant b-sides are also present but it would have been more rewarding to round up all of the stray, long-lost b-sides rather than including mostly boring, extended mixes of the album's biggest hits.

If you haven't heard this album in years or are looking for an entry into romantic pop, this is an excellent starting point.

Fantastic remaster! Unfortunately, track 1 (Crazy) is the single version, which clocks in at about a minute shorter than the original album version.

This album is priceless. Simply every song on this CD are great to listen to from beginning to end. Its about time Warner Bros Re-released Icehouse's albums. But above all, Man of Colours stands as their all time best. Best of all this cd is remastered to perfection and it contains Bonus tracks of all new mixes and never before heard songs.