Customer Reviews

Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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I had lamented that this album ever went out of print, but this re-release exceeded expectations. It contains the entire seven-track UK release (with the original and superior version of "Dog End Of A Day Gone By") and the extra tracks from the US version, as well as numerous remixes. The liner notes are extensive, and include a section written by David J.

And the music itself? This first effort by Love and Rockets (hot off the heels of Tones On Tail) is dark, lush and brilliant. "Haunted When The Minutes Drag" is the best song that the band ever recorded. "A Private Future" and the haunting, melancholy instrumental "Saudade" are standouts. It is all excellent material, and the remixes are a welcome addition, especially the Canada Mix of "If There's A Heaven Above." The songs feature Daniel Ash's trademark fuzzbox guitars as well as stunning 12-string acoustic guitar work.

This is a fantastic album in a superb package. If you were unable to get this cd in it's original release, get this edition now. "Seventh Dream Of Teenage Heaven" is Love and Rockets at their absolute best.

Someone in the Love and Rockets camp has a habit of fine-tuning their albums and adding new songs after the initial album release date. This is cheating, but no matter. I've fine tuned my own version of what the album should sound like. At least this current release has the original line-up of songs, followed by the bonus material. The following is MY running order for the album:

"If There's A Heaven Above" - "Throw the world off your shoulders tonight Mr. Smith . . ." This joyously hopeful song dives right into the main themes of the album, namely - youth, the mystery of religion, the nature of human existence and the progression of time. *****

"A Private Future" - Starts off as a pretty, idyllic song that progresses into a more ominous exploration of religious beliefs. Culminates in the line "Live the life you love/ Use a god you trust/ And don't take it all too seriously" which instantly brings their sermonizing back down to earth. ****

("Snuff out the ") -- "Dog-end Of A Day Gone By" - A steady rock workout drenched in omnipresent guitars, organ and rumbling drums. ****

"The Game" - This one sounds like being caught in some Twilight Zone timewarp. Ticks along at a deliberate pace like a clock that intensifies as the song progresses. ****1/2

"Inside The Outside" - This one's a cool rocker. Dominated by drums that tumble all over the place and tortured single-note shreds of fury on guitar. ****

"God And Mr. Smith" - a wigged-out remix of "If There's A Heaven Above" sans words. Strange Middle Eastern vocal distortions and other effects swirl around to trippy effect. *****

"Seventh Dream Of Teenage Heaven" - The word "hypnotic" gets thrown around a lot, but this song definitely qualifies for that description. Like entering an alternate reality. Intense - especially at one particular point in the middle! *****

"Haunted When The Minutes Drag" - Also hypnotic and intense, but in a much different way. This is a great guitar-driven song featuring more of the terrific electronic percussion found all over this album. *****

"Saudade" - gorgeous acoustic guitar displaying an expert combination of picking and strumming (an L&R trademark) as a spacey drum gently knocks away. Builds to a gentle yet sweeping climax. A beauty! *****

To me "Ball Of Confusion" belongs on <<EXPRESS>> where it originally appeared (in album form at least) and I prefer the extended version because it's awesome and worth hearing as much of it as possible. I haven't heard all the other mixes included on this CD, so I'll probably break down and get it at some point.

this is a great album. private future still remains one of my favorite songs.i can't really describe it. it is neat the way they combine daniel's threatening style with david's melody, even though all three of them are wonderful musicians. all of them contribute a different sound to the band. it is what makes them special. they both have beautiful voices in two different ways. wow.

Sweet god, what a great record. The music and the way it was recorded in the studio is just AMAZING. Love and Rockets here give us one of the most solid records I've heard from the 1980's. The songs are fresh sounding solid rock (injected with a sense of grandeur and not a trace of sugar coated fakeness - yet it has huge mainstream appeal they play L&R on the radio a lot), you could tell it was a new direction for Daniel Ash & Co. Just a fantastic record from the 80's amazing blend of rock, synthesizer, drums and good lyrics! Take a dash of Beatles, throw in some Jesus & Mary Chain, some Bluesy Rock, Dylan and finally a nice thick layer of gothic roots - then you have Love and Rockets.

"Live a life you love, use the God you trust and don't take it all too seriously."

This is the repackaged edition - the whole album is remixed and sounds perfect also the album art is different. Included is a little booklet about the band's origin.

this albumn has been compared to abbey road. that's generous, but not excedingly. it is my favorite record from the 80's. highly recommend purchasing this issue. has singles and mixes and stuff. good great better than best.

Love & Rockets is one band whose music stands the test of time beautifully. Maybe because they didn't play typical "genre" music which gets dated no matter how good it is (Psychedelic Furs comes to mind, as well as most popular 80s bands). Having recently purchased several L&R CDs, there isn't a bad song in the lot, and it all sounds as fresh and stimulating as it did in the 80s.

If you're not familiar with the band, have eclectic tastes or a leaning towards "heavy pop" or "rocking electronica", and are looking for something new to stimulate you, or if you're an old fan, this is arguably the BEST release of their music and a great choice to start or rebuild your collection. If you haven't heard the band in a while, you'll probably be surprised by the overall exquisite production. The keyboard work is airy and evocative, bolstered by authoritative doses of electronic percussion and excellent guitar work. The lyrics are spiritual and cerebral, provocative and enlightened. The arrangements shift constantly. Trippy and complex, but extremely pleasant and listenable and uplifting. A great choice for those special moments exploring your inner nature in solitude.

Like all L&R music, the songs on this CD are instantly accessible. There's no "growing on you" period. You're either going to fall in love instantly or decide this isn't your type of music (and pop a Gwar or hip-hop disk on instead). If you do find yourself a fan, you'll realize what a great bargain this CD is; because of its length and complexity, you'll never get tired of listening to it.

Raw charisma, an aggressive demeanor, and a strong personality made Peter Murphy the inevitable "star" of Bauhaus, but his "supporting cast" were brilliant instrumentalists, though it was in the service of the sturm and drang of gothic rock. A severe illness kept Murphy from contributing much of anything to the band's last release "Burning From The Inside", forcing the trio that would later become Love and Rockets into recording much of that CD on their own, pressing bassist David J and guitarist Daniel Ash into service as primary vocalists, and finding as a result their own unique energy.

By 1985, this trio (including drummer Kevin Haskins) had recorded "Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven", suggesting that their musical path would now concentrate on the elevation of spirit, on a quest not to explore the foulest, most unsavory elements of the human personality ("The Three Shadows",from Bauhaus's 'The Sky's Gone Out"), but on personal enlightenment, even possibly from a divine source ("A Private Future" from "Seventh Dream").

Most of the standout songs are driven by Daniel Ash's elegant yet simply structured guitar work (both acoustically and with electric guitar providing heavily processed/fuzzed out counterpoint), and David J's fretless bass weaving parallell melody lines around it. Kevin Haskins's percussion provides the adhesive the songs are cemented around, and an astute listener can hear the influence of industrial music as well, sometimes all in the same track ("Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven" comes to mind here, in addition to the Canadian version of "If There's A Heaven Above"), nowhere more in evidence than in the majestic tone poem "Haunted When The Minutes Drag". "A Private Future" is oriented primarily around Ash's 12-string acoustic, while "Dog-End of A Day Gone By" relies heavily on Ash's fuzzbox. Both are tied together by Haskin's propulsive drumming and the lead bass lines J. has laid down.

Lyrically, the band is signaling throughout the release that they are in search of transedence from the human condition, through either the levitiation of the soul ("A Private Future", "If There's A Heaven Above" and "Inside the Outside") or elimination of worldly desire ("The Game") ,the exceptions appearing to be the title track, "Haunted When The Minutes Drag", and a cover of the Temptations' "Ball of Confusion". David J's warm, rich expressive voice powers "Dog End of A Day Gone By" while Ash's smooth, slightly crisp delivery drives "The Game"; but no matter, they tend to share vocal duties on each song (excepting "Suadade", the band's multilayered instrumental) often combining them, and thus giving the lyrics even more dynamic tension. If you're looking for a place to start, try "Express", their follow-up release, but as for me , this is the one I return to the most often.

When this record first arrived, I was hooked. I was already a big Tones On Tail fan and the Ball Of Confusion 12" had me ready for the LP. I thought I knew what to expect. Boy, was I mistaken. This album far exceeds any expectation I could have ever had. A true 80's psychedelic masterpiece. The only problem? The CD reissues never were the same version as the album. Several different mixes on different releases, always diluting the stew. Until now. Here it is the original mix, in the original running order AND all of the various mixes (well, most of them due to time constraints) and B-sides too!
As Jack Kirby once said:"Don't ask, just buy!"

Probably one of the best albums from love and rockets. Great transition between the bauhaus/tones on tail days to what love and rockets future was to become. If you're a fan you'll love this album. If you just getting to know there music you must get this album. Haunted and the game have to be 2 of their best EVER. ENJOY...

It's surprising that both "Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven" and "Express" will only be reissued in Europe, and not the United States. Love & Rockets have never been popular in Britain, we need these CDs HERE!

This edition consolidates 4 fairly different remixes from 3 different markets. (UK, USA, Canada). It doesn't include the (superior?) US mix of 'Dog-End of A Day Gone By', a major oversight. Oops! The budget for 'remastering' the album may not have been high - the new sound is louder but not as detailed as I hoped. That said - it sounds far better than the old mid-'80s CD master.

The real test will be the remastered "Express" - a much more exciting album. Except for 'Inside the Outside', most of this album is slow-tempo in the Bauhaus style, with a small hint of the 'poppy' melodies they would soon adapt. Still, a good record from a band that seems to be slipping through the cracks in recent music history.