Pleasures of Electricity [Import]

John Foxx | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 19, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Import
• Label: Edsel Records UK
• ASIN: B002OHD752
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #481,667 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Digitally remastered and expanded two CD edition of this 2001 album from British Electronic pioneer John Foxx, his second album with collaborator Louis Gordon. To quote the album's original press release: ''Taking a cue from Kraftwerk, one of Foxx's most obvious stylistic touchstones, Pleasures... is a streamlined monorail of lock-step computer-generated beats and wiry synthesizer melodies with an equal emphasis on dark, atmospherics and energized, danceable rhythms.'' Disc One of this special expanded re-issue features a version of the album, newly remixed in 2009 by John Foxx. Disc Two features the original mix of the album plus two previously unreleased bonus tracks. Edsel. 2009.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nostalgia for the Future, May 12, 2002

By 

A. G. Bailey "Dadge" (Birmingham, - United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Pleasures of Electricity (Audio CD)

Hmm, very Kraftwerk. In going back to a sound even older than that of his own first foray into Electronic music, 1980's 'Metamatic', John has produced an excellent record of timeless quality. And for lovers of 'Metamatic', the tracks here 'Invisible Women' and 'Quiet City' are clever reworkings of that past glory.

Equally at home on the CD players of oldies reminiscing on the golden age of synth rock, of DJs burning the uptodatest dancefloor tracks and of those looking for some serious chillout musik.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hypnagogic Hallucinations, June 21, 2005

By 

David Hoffend (Rochester, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Pleasures of Electricity (Audio CD)

I have always been fascinated by John Foxx's surreal lyrics, and this collection of songs is nothing short of brilliant. A hypnagogic hallucination is a vivid, dreamlike hallucination that occurs as you are falling asleep. Some people see visions or hear people talking in that moment between waking and sleeping. John Foxx perfectly captures that moment on this album, and translates it to music. The lyrics often make you wonder if he is dreaming or awake; or living a moment in time or daydreaming about a moment in time. The music itself is minimal, clear, clean, and surreal without being disruptive. The dance beats of each song are very hypnotic and help to drive the dream like nature of the lyrics. John's voice is as beautiful and as clear as a bell ringing through fog. Relaxing yet exciting, beautiful yet surprising; thought provoking, and thoroughly entertaining.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars John Foxx - still a cut above the rest, July 8, 2003

By 

TM77 "TM77" (nj, usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Pleasures of Electricity (Audio CD)

On The Pleasures Of Electricity, John Foxx, along with Louis Gordon, returns to his early 80s Metamatic era sound, which was heavily influenced by Kraftwerk. In fact the song Camera reminds me a lot of Kraftwerk's Europe Endless and Neon Lights combined only Camera is much more dancable. Still Foxx manages to show a bit more emotion into his music on this album than Kraftwerk and he even he himself did on Metamatic
The song Invisible Women is basically a reworking of an earlier John Foxx song Underpass which is available on Metamatic. The same keyboard notes are also played in the song The Garden from the 1981 album of the same name. He's repeating himself but he does it so well. I love the soaring synth solo.
City Of Light is a great song to dance to and it features another soaring synth solo which is one thing John Foxx' is known for.
The Falling Room is probably my favorite song on the cd. Most of the vocals on The Pleasures Of Electricity are electronically altered but on The Falling Room you get John's real voice(for the most of the song) which I really enjoy. That's a bit ironic perhaps because the music is probably at it's strangest on this song.

Some other standouts for me are -
Automobile
Travel
Quiet City

This is some great music from one of the founding fathers of electronica.