Sophisticated Boom Boom [Import]

Dead Or Alive | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 30, 2007)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Cherry Pop
• ASIN: B000UTOQGU
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #141,355 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. I'd Do Anything

2. That's the Way (I Like It)

3. Absolutely Nothing

4. What I Want

5. Far Too Hard

6. You Make Me Wanna

7. Sit on It

8. Wish You Were Here

9. Misty Circles

10. Do It

11. Selfish Side [*]

12. The Stranger [*]

13. Misty Circles [Dance Mix][*]

14. What I Want [Dance Mix][*]

15. I'd Do Anything [Mega Mix][*]

16. That's the Way (I Like It) [Extended Version][*]

17. Keep That Body Strong (That's the Way) [*]

Editorial Reviews

The debut album from UK synth pop/new wave act Dead Or Alive, released in 1984. Fronted by the imposing figure of Pete Burns. Dead Or Alive were embraced by the New Romantics as well as clubbers, and Burns engaged in a series of entertaining press spats with Boy George about who minted that image of extravagant gay frontman/outrageous dresser first. This re-release, on CD for the first time in the UK, includes a slew of 7 bonus tracks as well as detailed liners notes about the band's history.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 20 plus years Dead Or Alive fan, November 3, 2007

By 

Mark Atlanta (Atlanta, Georgia USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sophisticated Boom Boom (Audio CD)

If you are a "hardcore" fan this review is intended for you, only you will understand.

I realize the track order of 1-10 reflects the European album release of SBB, I have it on cassette somewhere, the US release is slightly different, but somehow they messed it up. I think they took the US cd tracks and shuffled the order about to match the European version. The beginning of "do it" is tacked on to the end of "misty circles", like 6 seconds worth, if you select to go directly to "do it" on the cd player the beginning is lost. Same with 'absolutely nothing" the beginning of this song is tacked on to the end of "wish you were here". If they were going to reissue why not get it right. I am disappointed because this is my favorite DOA album.

The liner notes also irritated me. They talk about the lost possibly of including dub versions, mighty mixes, and a couple other different remixes none of which are available on this CD. I think they should have scrapped the remixes that are already on cd elsewhere and included the stuff that isn't OR have issued a 2 cd set. I feel the same about "selfish side" and "the stranger", while great songs and SBB single B sides, they don't belong on a SBB reissue, it is a different type of music, and would have opened up space on the cd for something else. I also realize now that "give it to me" is published or owed or something by a different company so they were not able to include here, which is disappointing because I like that song a lot. B*tch b*tch b*tch, I don't like complaining and whining, but there was probably only one chance to get this right and it didnt happen.

I still give this release five stars because the music is GREAT!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sexy Sex, (...), November 11, 2001

By 

"octavadies" (Valley Stream, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sophisticated Boom Boom (Audio CD)

For Dead or Alive's first album, Zeus B. Held (the producer) helped the band create a VERY primal disco-funk fusion. Pete Burns' voice was at its rawest and sexiest here, sometimes roaring, sometimes purring some uproariously sick nympho/numbskull lyrics -- with, mind you, tongue planted firmly in cheek (although this album will certainly make you wonder, erm, *whose* cheek(s)!).

From a panting cover of KC's That's the Way to a swoony self-love ode (Far Too Hard), Sophisticated Boom Boom proves Dead or Alive never set out to make their music (overly) ponderous. The urge for sex (ie: You Make Me Wanna) and its sublimation on dance floors (ie: Wish You Were Here) are what drive this album, and in that very basic context, this is arguably DOA's finest hour.

The one exception to all the simplicity is the hypnotic tug of Misty Circles, a track DOA wrote and played live well before being signed to a major label (most folks aren't aware of Pete Burns' gothic indy phase). If you can decipher the lyrics, you'll get an idea of what Pete Burns was up to before he decided he wanted to sound like a Divine-doing-Donna-Summer record.

Having written all that, this is an all-or-nothing album: you'll either love it to pieces or want to cleave in two it with an axe!! Either way, you cannot ignore it once that bass starts slappin' and those horns start blarin'. Them there echo-chamber drums will give you one last chance before The Voice just kicks it out to cement your dooooom!!!

You stand duly warned!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FINALLY, all the 12" versions from one album make it to CD, November 26, 2007

By 

Daniel W. Kelly (NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Sophisticated Boom Boom (Audio CD)

For starters, let's hope all the DOA albums from the 80s get reissued in this fashion, considering you're most likely to find one of the two 12" versions of You Spin Me Round on any compilation, although a couple of their other SAW mixes have finally surfaced on compilations.

Ironically, this first DOA album is the last I would have expected to see reissued with all the 12" versions, allowing me to get rid of every vinyl 12" I had from this album (including the oddly non-DOA sounding b-sides). I agree with the other reviewer that the song order is a surprise for those of us who were used to the US song order, but as a note to that reviewer, I think maybe there is a defect in the indexing of the particular CD you got, because the issues you described are not apparent on my CD. Comparing those tracks to the versions on my original US CD, each song begins and ends exactly the same when you go directly to the track, without misplaced intros to any track being tagged onto the end of the song before it.

For collectors, if you loved the song order of the US version, then you may have to keep that CD as well, but this CD is a MUST for the 12" versions of all the singles. You get:

13. Misty Circles (9:10)
14. What I Want (6:12)
15. I'd Do Anything (5:22)
16. That's The Way I Like It (5:52)
17. Keep That Body Strong (3:38)