Customer Reviews

Ricochet Days (+ Bonus Tracks)

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4 star:		(5)
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2 star:		(1)
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What a nice piece of pop, this is what New Wave was all about: once the rage of punk finished, the hangover left sharper ears and creative skills, so a mixture of pop and experimental never seen or heard before was produced by this and other seminal bands, oh lord if only contemporary pop might be like this...
Great songs with lovely harmonies all over, strings and oboe arrangements, highly recomendable indeed.

"Ricochet days", the band's third studio album, does greatly benefit from a slightly streamlined sound, better production, and dancier rhythms. Adding a string quartet and other classical instruments, it even sounds a bit experimental and ambitious. While "Ricochet days" lacks an absolutely catchy hit single like "I melt with you" and the punk edge of the previous two albums, it will ultimately prove the most satisfying ME effort. Highlights include the uptempo title song, "Machines" with its edgy percussion, and "Chapter 12". The crystalline synth melody of "Chapter 12" leaves a lasting impression and the extended version of this song is even better. ME never were a groundbreaking band like other artists of the 4AD label (Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance), but they created some of the best and most sophisticated wave rock of the early-'80s.

This CD seems to have gone unnoticed by the mainstream who seem only to remember "Melt with you"...this album is really strong, definitely at least as good as After the Snow...Rainbows End, Machines, Spinning Me Round, Blue Waves are all extremely excellent, and the remaining tracks are almost as good as they (I enjoy turning the volume up during the sweet little classical intro to Chapter 12 too)....I love to discover unheralded gems, and this CD certainly fits the bill. If you enjoy ME's more popular music, please give this album a try. You'll be pleasantly surprised!

"Ricochet days", the band's third studio album, does greatly benefit from a slightly streamlined sound, better production, and dancier rhythms. Adding a string quartet and other classical instruments, tracks like "Heart" or the title cut even sound experimental and ambitious. While "Ricochet days" lacks an absolutely catchy hit single like "I melt with you" and the punk edge of the previous two albums, it's a bit more consistent and will ultimately prove the most satisfying ME effort. The rocking "Rainbow's end" is ME's most immediate number in years, and "Machines", "Spinning me round", and "Hands across the sea" display that the band hasn't forgotten how to write catchy refrains. But the stand-out track here is "Chapter 12", which has a very memorable, crystalline synth melody. There's even a video clip of this song available, it shows the band playing on the roof of a house. The extra tracks are taken from 1984's EP release "Chapter 12", including a great dance mix and two other tracks. The previously unreleased "Breaking away" is a simple but enchanting number. Well, ME never were a groundbreaking band like several other 4AD artists (Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, Pixies), but they created some of the best and most sophisticated wave-rock of the early-'80s.

This CD is great--if you like the only song the radio stations ever play by Modern English, you might like this CD, especially "Spinning me round" and "Hands across the sea". I've been looking for this CD *forever* and was so happy to see that it's not out of print as many stores had told me!

Very nice album. I bought it upon release in 1992 and still find myself still listening to it after 10+ years. If you enjoy melodic, catchy synth-pop a la Human League and later Stranglers releases, by all means purchase this CD.
The title track (with it's circular chorus) and 'Rainbow End' are my favorites.
Enjoy!

Another great release from 1984. Along with other releases from their peers like Echo and the Bunnymen and the Banshees, this one sounds like it was dipped into the sound of swirling angels.

To think, U2's Unforgettable Fire got all the rage. Wot were they mad!!!

the true greatness of any album is listening to it a decade later. Now two decades later, having given the album another listen, it's nearly forgettable. Hands across the sea is the gem. download the single song and spare yourself the balance of the tab.