Customer Reviews

Queer

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Queer was by far the best Thompson Twins album; and I daresay c.s. dramatically unfair review is considering Queer in context of listening today rather than 12 years ago. While previous T.T. efforts were very pop-oriented and almost hackneyed new wave, Queer was truly innovative. When it came out, the hooks and beats were well in advance of their time; obviously created by people who were deeply intouch with the underground techno and house scenes at the time. In fact, I always felt if the album had come out 4 years later, the popular culture would have better accepted it, especially since its choice of themes was so prescient. Besides the quality of the music, the lyrics are decidedly more philisophical and spiritual. Other reviews have mentioned many of my favorite tracks; so I'll mention others that have been missed. The title track is pulsing and jittery; a musical analogue to the same-titled track by Garbage that would follow. "Jane" reminds me of an old Squeeze song; not terribly advanced but sticks in the mind. "Wind it Up" about religious themes. "Come Inside" is repetetive, but one imagines that hypnotic grooves is exactly the point, made clear with the remix. And these are not the best. I swore that half the industry cannibalized this CD for years after I first heard it, and in context of today it is still a pure delight. So clean and crisp, it all fits together and presents a message of positivity and lucidity.

I have always been a Thompson Twins fan. I have searched long and hard for this CD and finally came across it. Once I listened to it I have discovered that it is one of the best CD's the Thompson Twins ever released. Second only to INTO THE GAP. The whole CD from the first song, "Come Inside" until the last song, the remix of "Come Inside" is a pure delight. My favorite tracks are: "Come Inside", "Groove On" and "The Saint". All three were dance hits and could have easily been radio hits if the music industy here in the States were not so exclusive and judgemental on good bands. Other standout tracks are: "My Funky Valentine", "Flesh and Blood" and "Shake it Down". The Thompson Twins lost popularity with radio in the late 80's and thats ashame because this is a great CD. If you have the chance to buy it do not hesitate you will not be disappointed. Even though it was recorded in the early 90's it blends in with the music of today even better. I salute the great pop synth band The Thompson Twins!

This CD is well worth a spin if you can find it. The 80's/90's were my time and a great time for music. OK, so in retrospect the clothes and hair from the 80's were out there and cheesy, in their time and place they worked and let's not be too hard on bands for looking goofy.

Lately I've only wanted to listen to my old stuff from the 80's and 90's. Though I had never bought any TT when it was new stuff, I got the song Lay Your Hands stuck in my head. So, I recently bought some TT stuff, including this, and what a cool departure from their earlier stuff. As many other reviewers noted, Queer was ahead of the curve for 1991 and still holds up pretty well today. Definitely a "buy" for TT fans who may not already have it. Just know it is a departure and evolution.

Wow. After the Thompson Twins fell from commercial grace they released this, their best album by far. I just got it a week ago (having stopped buying TT discs after Close To The Bone) and now I can't stop listening to it. Visionary and upbeat, and flat-out brilliant. Buy it.

This CD is catchy as hell. Every time i listen to it i spend the rest of the day going around humming it to myself. It's the best Thompson Twins CD (I own or have owned them all). Big Trash would be a close second and Quick Kick and Side Step would be a distant third. They transformed into Babble after this CD and both Ether and The Stone are up in the same class as Queer and Big Trash.

The Thompson Twins soared above the gimmicky 80's synth-pop scene with Allanah Curry's tribal percussion and Tom Bailey's heartfelt, soulful vocals.

But, somewhere a few miles down the track, they ran out of gas artistically. I'd heard of this cd, but put off buying it because I was afraid there was nothing left for these two to say. I grudgingly shelled out for it, just to be a completist, hoping for one good track, expecting to hear the same old tired hooks.

Boy, was I wrong.

"Queer" is undeniably the best Thompson Twins album.

I'd say they severed all ties with the past, but that's not quite right. They've moved on, moved up. This is The Twins reinvented, reborn and brought out of the 80's and unshackled from the era that made them famous.

Oh yes, there's still hooks a' plenty. But be prepared to be surprised at every turn. Musically, the arrangements are rich and complicated, and the sound is contemporary, exploring new grounds and moving out in all directions, from lush to funk to experimental.

(Didn't care for Babble, their "ambient" experimental left turn? Give "Queer" a try--you'll feel the Thompson Twins groove in every track.)

This cd was the highpoint of Tom Bailey's and Allanah Currie's efforts as The Thompson Twins. When this was released you could only here something close to this sound in underground, way alternative clubs. The sound. style on this cd is still even ahead of much of that progressive house sound. It was until later that Massive Attack and a couple other similar groups brought this sound into the mainstream.

I agree with another reviewer who thought many in the industry cannibalized this cd (and still is). Thompson Twins reinvented themselves twice. The current or last name they went by was "The Babble." As "The Babble" they took this sound and moved more into the transcendental club sound, rich, lush, euphoric.

They still make music from what I know of them and still do great work producing for others. I'd be a dream to work with two people so talented and creative and who did much to push, shape, and influence much of what happened in pop, synth, electronica, trance in the late 80s through the 90s.

Queer is an awesome album. You get a feeling for where the Twins are heading by the 1st track, Come Inside. It is a much different sound for the band. The vocals by Tom are much less pop and more ambient, electronic, rhythmic, and haunting. This is a clearly new direction, and foretells what is to come with the future release of the two Babble albums, which were more along the lines of this song. Come Inside is a strong song and does pull you in to the album, wanting to hear more. Flower Girl plays and this is one of the strongest songs I think the band ever recorded. Alannah has a big presence on this track with her dreamy sounding vocals...I would be surprised if the song wasn't about Alannah herself, as Tom sings "Here comes that flower girl of mine." Then the pace picks up a bit with My Funky Valentine. This song is really funky. Tom sounds NOTHING like the days of Hold Me Now on this one. Though this song is not the strongest on the album it is catchy and upbeat and fun to listen to...and it's not really easy to describe. Then Queer plays and this is a totally strange song so the title is fitting. The lyrics are pretty enigmatic and hard to understand and it is mostly a mix of driven rock sounds and chanted vocals by Alannah. Don't even try to make sense out of it! But it is nevertheless a totally original and striking track that creates a very mysterious and dark mood.

From that point, Groove on kicks in and it is similarly funky to My Funky Valentine. It's a really fun and upbeat tune that you can't help liking, and followed by Strange Jane. This is a fantastic track. The chorus is simple but very alluring," Jane Jane, tall as a crane, You don't have to stand in the pouring rain...," but some of the other lyrics are among my favorite: "Everybody here seems to have their own tribe. A hand to hold or a kite to fly. They will never know the meaning of you, cause they just don't see you the way I do." Not to mention that the melody is great on this one too. After hearing this track you would suspect the album can't possibly continue this strong, but then the Twins Shake it Down and Wind It Up, not about to let the tempo drop. After Wind It Up the song Flesh and Blood turns to a new direction with this sweet, romantic, and endearing slower paced song that serves as a great transition to the closing tracks, Invisible Man and The Saint, which turn to a darker more rhythmic electronic sounds that are really well done and again seem to point in the direction for the future Babble albums.

All in all the collection is extremely well done and original. Everything works even when it is at its most experimental -Queer. You get a clear idea that these guys are doing exactly what they want to do creatively and not apologizing for it either. They even put a sphincter-like image on the back of album which was quite shocking to see! So if you are at all into the Twins then you'll love this album. Even with its departures from their earlier sound, everything works and seems definitely ahead of its time.

Length:: 0:40 Mins

Creative, Fun and great to dance to. I highly recommend this cd. This is different then other Thompson Twins recordings but different is sometimes better. Give it a shot