Customer Reviews

In the Poppyfields

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

WOW! Well worth the 13 year wait to hear the revamped version of The Alarm. Mike Peters, now with 3 new band-members, shows why he is one of today's true musical talents. The CD kicks with punk flavor from the start with Coming Home, Close and 45 RPM. Continues with the soon-to-be classic The Drunk & Disorderly then follows with 2 more great rockers, Federal Motor Voter (great deep bass!) and the fantastically guitar heavy Trafficking.

The 2nd half of this CD flows back to the anthem-type songs that made The Alarm one of the best 80's bands with songs like New Home New Life, Right Back Where I Started and The Unexplained. The Rock & Roll stands out among giants on the 2nd half, which also includes a beautiful song True Life, and the album's name sake, In The Poppy Fields. From beginning to end, a masterpiece!

What makes this new album so great is that it is full of great lyrics, great musical talent, and comes complete with the video for 45RPM, the song that made international headlines with the way it fooled the music industry into getting The Alarm back onto the charts where they belong. Buy it, satisfacion guaranteed!

This is a must get CD for any rock and roll fan. It is the Alarms first release in over a decade and they can still rock. This album will bring rock and roll back to life, if radio and TV give it a chance. Stand out songs in this release include Close, which should be a hit single, Right Back Where I Started From which is simply great, and New Home New Life which sounds a little like Travis, or Cold Play. I just hope that Mike Peter's receives his day in the sun. A lot of people have missed his talent back in the day and he is truly one of the good guys in music today.

First I want to mention, that I was a huge Alarm fan from the time they released 'Declaration' all the way to the underrated 'Raw' album. I was even a founding member of the first official European Alarm fan club. However, as much as I wanted to rant and rave about this new album, I actually got rather bored with the CD quickly. Someone mentioned, that this 'new Alarm' sounds nothing like the 'old' Alarm - but I completely disagree. Here are the same huge 'Rock' anthems that we heard on 'Strength' or 'Eye of the Hurricane'.... unfortunately though, the originals were better (in my opinion). I thought 45 RPM was a step forward, but the rest of the album just doesn't cut it for me. On many occasions, the album sounds like a bad U2 copy. The production is uninspired and the lyrics are rather dull. If you want to add another item to your 'Alarm' collection, then go ahead with this one, otherwise buy 'Declaration', 'Strength' or the remastered 'Electric Folklore Live' CD.

The Alarm captivated many a live audience in the mid to late 80's. Unfortunately, their studio Albums, while quite good, never seemed to reproduce their live sound very well. In The Poppy Fields is the first official release by the band (Mike Peters + 3 very talented veteran punk musicians) since 1991's Raw. With this release, they have finally put to plastic what they never quite achieved in the 80's - 90's - namely a truly great album with a full, live sound, and flawless production.

The 12 songs included show off the variety of song styles that the band excels at - 45 RPM is an all out punk rock stormer, while New Home New Life gives Travis a run for their money in the melodic, alternative category.

If you like good rock / alternative music, you can't go wrong with this collection. All songs are slickly produced by Steve Brown and show off the song writing and musicmanship of the band very well.

In music I crave for 3 things, passion, emotion, and tune! When playing "In the poppy fields", we are blessed with all 3 of the above. An Alarm album is has always been an emotional rollercoaster of passion, and after 10 years it's nice to see that Mike Peters has not lost his touch! With Eddie, Dave and Twist all gone, the new line up features such people as Craig Adams(The Mission), and Steve Grantley(Stiff little fingers). Straight away one can notice that Peters is gelling well with his new Alarm members! Songs such as 45 rpm, Drunk and Disordely and Federal Motor Voter quickly grab you with their catchy vocals and grinding guitars. Whilst songs such as Close and New Home New Life are truly fantastic songs that could easily become world wide hits! The Unexplanned perfectly takes the album to a more darker side, whilst songs such as The Rock and Roll and Coming home show a more uplifting side. Thank F**K the Alarm are back in town! TRULY AMAZING STUFF!

This is a really good CD! But when you change 3 out of 4 bandmembers, it's not the same band! Personally, I love the Declaration and Strength albums. Every song is quite good. But when Change and Eye of the Hurricane followed, I felt they had lost a little something.

I would say that Mike Peters voice on this new CD is still pretty good, but not as good as before. It's definitely not as up front as previously. Whether it's intentionally not as prominent, or just a coincidence due to the heavier guitar sound, I don't know.

The style of the music has definitely changed, but then it's been 15 years! If it weren't for Peter's voice, you'd never know it was the Alarm. But what a fine group of creative guitar riffs! These songs are great!

The reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is the weaker lyrics. The Alarm was known for it's fine lyrics, but these 12 songs are generally not in the same league.

The web site offers a 5 CD set with 54 songs from which these 12 songs were drawn. Anyone who has purchased the 5 CD set, please write a review here with more information. It's $83 for U.S. delivery, so a little info would be wonderful. Buy this CD, but don't expect the same old Alarm!

Well worth the money. These songs are instant Alarm classics. Mike Peters has only improved with age.

Great album. When they return to the states for more live shows do yourself a favor. GO ! We went to two shows, Baltimore and Harrisburg. Mr. Peters is a true believer in his music and in his fans. The Alarm sound is alive and well on this new album and in their live performaces. Few bands from the 80's have stood the test of time. The Alarms music and lyrics mean as much today as they did in the early 80's. Listening to this album will take you back and bring you forward.

Some of these songs are pretty good, but gee whiz, the production is so bad, I don't listen to the CD much at all. The bad production really takes away from the potential of this CD.

In a word Brilliant. The Alarm prove that 13 years after their last studio LP they are still a serious contender in this business of Rock n' Roll for a new "Second Generation" of audience to experience.
"In the Poppyfields" is a true masterpiece from First track to last & will take you on an emotional rollercoaster from which you won't want to come down. From the anthemic ferocity of "45 RPM" to the haunting echoes on "the Unexplained", the sheer beauty of the lyrics & the craftsmanship of composition in the music will leave you floored. No doubt is Mike Peters the hardest working man in R & R, but after hearing this album he very well might just change your life.....