Customer Reviews

Promises Promises: Very Best of

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

 

 

This is Pete Byrne from Naked Eyes. The album has been deleted by EMI. It was a mistake on their part. I spent six months putting this compilation together, because the original "best of" was compiled by EMI and wasn't very good. Unfortunately, someone at EMI deleted the wrong album. I am currently negotiating to release the Naked Eyes albums in their original (with demos and rarities) forms. Those along with "Everything" will cover all our recorded output. Until then, I can only apologise for the exorbitant price of this CD. I receive nothing from any sales of this.

pjbmusic.com

Most people remember Naked Eyes's 1983 cover of "Always Something There To Remind Me", but assume that was the only song worth hearing by the group. Mention "Promises, Promises", and you're bound to get a response like, "They did THAT one, too?" The fact is Naked Eyes is probably the most underappreciated group of the 1980s. They came closer than any other band to perfecting the hooks, melodies, and production values of early 1980s synth-pop. Those people who like their music unplugged might as well stop here -- Naked Eyes is all about incredibly intricate and highly listenable keyboard pop.

The synthesizers are the most distinctive aspect of their music. They shimmer in multiple layers, with subtle backgrounds backing often surprisingly catchy and memorable keyboard riffs, giving an incredibly effective atmosphere of mystique and energy at the same time. The drum machines are purely 1980s vintage, but while some may claim that this dates the material, I would venture that it only enhances the modern, technological feel of the music. Drum machines of the early '80s had not yet become the loud, obnoxious instruments that overwhelmed the rest of the music like their late '80s counterparts. Added to all of this were Pete Byrne's British-accented vocals, which were melodic and passionate without being sappy.

Aside from "Always Something There To Remind Me" and "Promises, Promises, other standout cuts on this greatest-hits collection include "When The Lights Go Out," "Emotion In Motion," "Flying Solo," "No Flowers Please"... heck, the whole album is great to listen to. The 20 tracks include all but one track from the 1983 album Naked Eyes ("Could Be" is on the 1991 compilation), with the remainder being from the 1984 follow-up Fuel For The Fire. After that album, Naked Eyes broke up, with keyboardist Rob Fisher moving on to success with Climie Fisher and its hit "Love Changes (Everything)" in the late 1980s. In the late 1990s, Byrne and Fisher got back together to record as Naked Eyes again, but Fisher died in 1999 before a new album could be completed. Byrne says the album will be finished eventually, and later this year a Naked Eyes rarities album is supposedly on the way.

NAKED EYES was one of those groups from the eighties that got lost in the shuffle. There were so many similar groups out there during this time, but few had the melodic charm of this duo. Aside from their colossal hits, "Always Something There to Remind Me" (A superlative cover of the old Bacharach-David tune); and the infectious "Promises, Promises," they didn't receive a lot of airplay or coverage. The two guys, though, are very talented and the majority of their songs possess imagination, energy and a sharp sense of melody. Underneath all the disco or techno trappings of "Promies, Promises" listen to the string arrangement in the back. It's a very beautiful accompaniment to this cleverly written song. "What in the Name of Love" is another example of arranging craftmanship; at times it sounds like a chorus of voices singing, but it's mainly the wizardry of the two guys.

In going back and listening to songs from the eighties, you realize how much they were taken for granted. Labeled as techno pop, many people overlooked the true craftmanship of the artists. I think NAKED EYES is one of the best examples of just how good some of the eighties pop really was!

This 'Best Of' album is basically all of the material from their first two albums with the axception of "could be" from their first. Some may complain that the price on this album is high, but remember that the surviving member of Naked Eyes Pete Byrne did not price this album; the high price is due to the greedy sellers taking advantage of the fans, as well as the albums rarity. An artist cannot simply say: "OK, start printing that album again because I said so". Rating an album do to that setback is foolish, examples can be seen below. But anyway, this is THE album to get from Naked Eyes, this and their 'Everything and More' album. For the completist, the missing song "could be" is on the other 'best of' album; another reviewer already pointed that out. The song "could be" is also on their debut 12 inch vinyl album if you're willing to give it a spin. If you like Naked Eyes, I would highly recommend the 80's synth pop group "New Musik", that was the producer of Naked Eye's (Tony Mansfield) own group and they are just as superb. The sound of Naked Eye's is a warm synth style from using keyboards like the "Prophet 5" and a beautiful sounding black and blue German synthesizer called the "PPG WAVE v2.2". I will say that the album is worth every penny of the ridiculas asking price simply because this is some of the finest sounding synth pop around, perhaps even better than the other more commercial synth groups such as "Depeche Mode". If you stand on the fence when deciding to purchase the album because of it's high asking price, I wish to offer up my opinion that this album is indeed worth the money. The album isn't going to ever be in print again, why not get it while you still can? The album is even more expensive and hard to find in other countries (check out the Japanese and UK amazon sites for proof). The sound of the music is remastered and couldn't sound better; everything comes through nice and clear on a good pair of headphones. 5 stars!

I think Naked Eyes wrote some great pop songs back in the day. I like all the songs on this disc which is basically a mix of those two albums. Some of the drum ideas sound a bit dated thus a 4 star rating but the hooks are great. The harmonies and lead vocals are smooth. The keyboard layers add depth to the song structures. I think it would be cool to cover one of their tunes some day.

I always thought what set Naked Eyes apart from the fluff that came out in the New Wave era in the early eighties was their addictive beats and heartfelt and erotic lyrics and singing. Besides Bryan Ferry, the singer has one of the sexiest male vocals of all time, without even knowing he is being sexy. And like Bryan Ferry, he lures you into his heart and bedroom without any effort at all. I just do not know why they gave up so easy, I always believed they could have gone the way that New Order did, they definetly had the talent. I always just chalk it up to one of the victims of the cruel music industry. On the album, "Promises, Promises: The Best of Naked Eyes", the group took the best tracks and hits off both of their major releases and made the compilation. My five favorites on the release are: 1)"Flag of Convenience" Here the lyrics are of somebody hurting from years of being lied to and betrayed. Very powerful stuff with some of the greatest drumming and bass strokes in recorded history. 2)"Eyes Of A Child" This song is a perfect song to show the beauty and sexiness of the singer. Here is a man who knows exactly what he is doing with his expert vocal control. 3)"If I Could Show You How". Perfect music. Simple and not overcomplicated but very mature music that was way ahead of its time. 4)"When The Lights Go Out". Understated perfection. This is just another example of the simple elegance of Naked Eyes. Beautiful. 5)"No Flowers Please". More of the same beauty. This was a group that had lots of potential and they were years ahead of their time. I only hope in creating this very positive, erotic, timeless, and danceable music, that they get the respect they deserve.

Naked Eyes weren't as popular as Duran Duran or Culture Club, but they did release some solid tunes back in the day. Their cover of "Always Something There to Remind Me" is the best interpretation of the Bacarach classic; the duo remodel the song so well that it becomes their own. However, the rock-and-roll curse is to have your first single be a cover, but Naked Eyes disprove that theory with their followup hit, "Promises Promises." Those two singles, as with a bunch of other tracks, appear on this comprehensive hits set. Lesser-known hits "When the Lights Go Out" and "What in the Name of Love" give me fond memories of the glory years of the 1980s. Naked Eyes weren't a terribly original group, but I'd rather listen to their music than some of the other lesser, cookie-cutter acts out there.

I am a true Naked Eyes fan now! Excellent compilation! Great Music!

Pete Byrne & Rob Fisher provided the perfect music fusion. For whatever reason, these two talented men crafted two albums back in the day! 2! That's all! It's all here and it is glorious. The two projects comprise a perfect collection. Rob Fisher passed away a few years ago and with that a chance to reunite. Sad, because the selections here prove how bright they burned as a duo! Most acts can't achieve a collection this solid in 5-10 albums like the magic NAKED EYES worked up for this! The Very Best indeed! Don't hesitate. In the pantheon of 80s pop perfection this one ranks at the top with repeat listening.

Although I love Naked Eyes, let's face it, this group had one great CD. But getting this one is a definite bonus. Not only do you get most of their songs from the debut release, you get a substantial amount of additional stuff too. They did have a couple of strong songs following their debut album. Naked Eyes is not the best band of the 80s, but this compilation is a full compilation unlike many other Greatest Hits CDs. Credit goes out to the record label on this one. "Always Something There to Remind Me", "Promises, Promises" and "Emotion in Motion" are probably the biggest hits from their first album. "Eyes of a Child", "Flying Solo" and "The Time is Now" are all songs you've probably heard even if you only bought their first album.