Customer Reviews

Sugar Tax

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Something about the "cold" sounds of a synthesizer calls for gushingly romantic songwriting and tender singing. This album joins the Pet Shop Boy's "Behavior" and Erasure's "The Innocents" as synth pop masterpieces. "Sugar Tax" is less famous than these other two, perhaps because as out gay artists Erasure and the Pet Shop Boys enjoy a built-in following. More recently, Daft Punk's "Discovery" and Basement Jaxx's "Rooty" qualify as classic electronica albums. "Sugar Tax," though dance-influenced, is not DJ-driven; it's a concept album in the old artist/auteur sense.

And what is its concept? Look at its title. For the "sugar" of love, you pay dearly. The album's last song, the string- swollen "All That Glitters" drives this home mournfully. Other stand-out tracks include the lovely "Walking on Air" with its windy whooshing sounds, its trembling synth-mandolin, clicking percussion, gorgeous melody, and poetic lyrics. Check these out, and tell me OMD doesn't rank with the best songwriters:

"No footsteps on the stair tonight.
No cigarettes for me to light.
No heavy, scented clothes to fall to the floor.
But I hear you calling when you're not there...
Walking on air..."

"It's a Long Long Way," a lush piece of dance pop about a silent film star limns a classic dreamer's tale: "Born in Kansas on an ordinary plain," the actress flees to New York at 17 and makes it big. By the second verse, she's washed up. OMD's cheery sonics and melancholy voices account emotionally for both her success and her failure.

"Neon Lights," the album's dreamy Kraftwerk cover, uses airy gang vocals and lush synth sound to produce hypnotic beauty. One can almost see the L.A. basin at night--or any cityscape salted with lights. "The city's made of light," declares the song with child-like wonder.

"Was It Something I Said?" begins gently but crescendoes in its furor as a jilted lover airs his complaint. The instrumental "Apollo XVI" has aged well, and "Walk Tall" is a quiet classic whose angst-ridden vocal contradicts its self-confident lyrics.

All in all, this is well-made stuff: highly romantic, cleanly produced, memorably melodic.

Others come close and sure I can probably agree that OMD's best song probably isn't on this album. But, in terms of consistency and quality, this album is incredible. As an avid OMD music collector, I can attest that all OMD albums have fillers or other unappealing songs, but this has by far the least. This is a melodic, poetic, romantic, shake your hips, and mood making album....a must have. You will easily find several songs appealing, I guarantee it!

P.S. it's about the music, not how you naively think all artists should be stuck in their 'innovative' or 'pioneering' stage. No artist or band has ever done that, so grow up yourself!

This is truly a masterpiece. This album was created after the Andy McCluskey/ Paul Humphreys split. Most people didn't bank of Andy McCluskey being able to pull off an album of this caliber without Paul Humphreys. However , he did. The songs on this album are very melodic and full of emotion. This album is primarily electronic, meaning it doesn't have the live brass sounds that "Crush" and "Pacific Age" had. It would seem like a contradiction, to say that an electronic album could have a lot of emotion. Most people would equate electronic music as being cold and emotionless, yet OMD has proven through the years that the electronic/synth sound and emotions can coexist. This album is a testament to that fact.

The album starts off with "Sailing on the Seven Seas". It has a Gary Glitter type drum beat with blues piano riffs. This is one of the powerhouses on the album.

"Pandora's Box" follows and it maybe the best OMD song ever. It is a song about silent film star Louise Brooks. The song is very poppy, but yet has a tinge of sadness to it. The background singers combine with McCluskey's voice and make the song soar with greatness. This truly is a must listen.

"Then You Turn Away" is a slower song about caring about someone who doesn't feel the same way. It is easy to identify with. "Speed of Light" is an energetic song that contains lyrics that compare emotions to physics. "Was It Something I Said" is a very powerful song that starts off mellow and then explodes with fury, before slowing back down. McCluskey's vocals on "Was It Something I Said" are brilliant. "Big Town" tells of loneliness of urban life and how that life can make someone lose touch with his/her emotions and feelings.

"Call My Name" is a gem. It is almost in the class of "Pandora's Box". The song is gorgeous with Vox Choir synth sounds in the background. The song is dancy, but yet sounds angelic. Again, this is a song about liking someone who doesn't feel the same way.

"Apollo XI" is an instrumental song which uses snippets of the audio from the U.S.'s moon landing. This song is reminiscent of the song "Southern" from the Pacific Age album. This shows off the creative side of OMD being able to tie historic events with modern times. "Walking On Air" has a ghostly feel to it or a Casablanca type feel to it. "Neon Lights" is a good cover of the Kraftwerk song from the Man-Machine album. "All That Glitters" is a sad song about how things are never what they appear to be.

This album mixes melancholia with catchy melodies and beats like no other album around. This album is very underrated and hopefully someday it will get the recognition it deserves.

I have owned this album since it came out in 1991. And I just recently re-discovered it the other day after finding it the other day under a bunch of car parts. One of the GREATEST things about this album is that it does not have a bad track. As someone else here has said, these songs will take you to another world. The faster songs will literally do so at the speed of light (no pun intended). Be careful here, as this CD certainly helped to place alot of my money in the hands of the California Highway Patrol back in the day. And even the slower songs are interesting and inspiring rather than dull and boring. Now it might be nice if I could tell you something nice and wishy-washy about emotions conveyed in these songs. But as with any CD, this is a little above the head of a typical gearhead. Even a new-wave loving gearhead such as myself (Are there any others on this planet?). All I know is that this is one GREAT CD that I was glad to find once again.

This is one of my favorite albums--it is one of a handful of albums that I will love for as long as I breathe. It is incredible! Andy McCluskey's singing is inspiring, heartfelt, soaring. He has a rich voice w/ a good range, and, more importantly, a distinctive romantic timbre. The lyrics are mature, coherent, and worthy of repetition, especially to a lover right after a romantic tragedy. The album's tone is of urban romanticism, the trademark OMD sound--melodramatic, almost innocent, and yet very stylish and confident. The production is superb--melodic lines vibrate w/ clarity throughout, sliding and flying over concise rhythmic grooves.

There is no one mood to the album for it ranges from the innocent and angelic, to the rueful and jaded, to the heights of emotional power and the depths of romantic desperation. Some fast, frolicking, and very danceable, others languid, moody, and poignant.

The first half of this album is superb and the second half is quite good. Overall I think it is a fantastic artwork for I can listen to most of the songs over and over and....

My favorite songs are: Sailing on the 7 Seas; PANDORA'S BOX (an incredible artistic feat! One of the best songs I've ever heard); Then You Turn Away; Speed of Light; Was it Something I Said?; Big Town; Call My Name; Walking on Air; and All That Glitters. This is 9 out of 12 songs that are infinitely good....

If you are a dreamy romantic in love w/ unique music (like myself) then indulge in Sugar Tax...

OMD's first three albums were spectacular, and the last three were also pretty amazing. The stuff in between from Junk Culture to the Pacific Age is hit or miss with me. The Pacific Age was the ultimate low point of OMD, in my opinion, with almost no depth or charisma, and almost no salvageable material. When Sugar Tax was released, it renewed my almost lost faith in one of my favorite bands of all time. Yes it was a new direction alltogether, and some not accepting of the changes may have been turned away. Maybe some people just couldn't stomach the idea of OMD doing dance music, but this is not only one of OMD's best albums ever, but also some of the best dance music that was made at the time. Too bad it went unnoticed. The only track on this album that I don't particularily care for is Apollo XI--it's kind of a dumb filler instrumental song. The cover of Kraftwerk's Neon Lights is very cool--interesting song to cover. My favorite tracks are Pandora's Box, Call My Name, Speed of Light, Was It Something I Said--hell, the rest of the album is excellent. Fans of the Pet Shop Boys and Erasure will definately like this. This is one of my all time favorite albums that I own, and one of OMD's most easily listenable.

This albums "SUGAR TAX" was done without the help of Paul Humphreys. Andy McCluskey did it on his own and I have to say, its FANTASTIC. It is one of my favorate OMD albums of all times. "Pandora's Box", "Speed of Light", "Call my Name", and "Sailing on the Seven Seas" are breathe taking. The entire album is just awsome. Andy did it and did it with a bang. No one thought that it was possible and that OMD was over after Paul left the band. Andy showed everyone that OMD lives on. I hope that one of these I hear that OMD is reformed and another great album would be on its way. The last album "UNIVERSAL" was released in 1996 and its a little hard to get in the US, but its available as import.

This is one of the most beautiful albums I've bought in a long time. I admit I'm a newby as far as OMD fans go, but I've long been into other awesome bands of the 80's such as New Order and A-Ha. This album certainly stands up to some of their best masterpieces. The first seven songs, especially, will take you away into another world entirely. Some are fast-paced dance anthems and some are slower-paced ballads but they're all laced with a dreamy romantic aura. On the negative side I would have to say that Apollo XI interrupts this flow and I don't feel it conforms well with the rest of the album. However, "Walk Tall" and "Neon Nights" offer more beauty afterwards. Overall I think this CD is solid. I recommend this masterpiece to others who are only just not getting into OMD. More so than I do the Singles.

If you are a fan of the OMD of the 1980's, then you may be a little disappointed by what is otherwise an excellent album. The daring lyrics and electronic experimentation has given way to a more upbeat and commercial rendering, but I suppose still with the "old OMD sound" just below the surface. The album grew on me tremendously, and I recommend it without reservation. All songs can hold their own, but of course the tracks "Sailing on the Seven Seas", "Pandora's Box" and "Was it Something I Said" stand out, but again these being a little too commercial for hardened OMD fans.

If this is your first OMD album, or you are wanting to buy the first one, then do take a look at their "Best Of" compilation, as well as the excellent albums "Crush" and "Architecture & Morality" perhaps before looking at their other work.

This cd is so amazingly gorgeous. Every single song is beautiful and achingly dreamy in every possible way. OMD on this cd has a dreamy, innocent sound, lots of haunting instrumental, angelic female voices, McCluskey's brit-boy voice--all fuses together like a call from heaven. Pure bliss, esp. the track "was it something i said" which is positively MANDATORY listening for tortured souls. Pained and heartfelt, this cd hits you like no other omd cd. It is more "emotional" than it's others, (except maybe for Liberator)