The Best Of A Flock Of Seagulls

Flock Of Seagulls | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 5, 1991)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Jive
• ASIN: B0000004U8
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #46,555 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. I Ran

2. Space Age Love Song

3. Telecommunication

4. The More You Live, The More You Love

5. Nightmares

6. Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You)

7. (It's Not For Me) Talking

8. Transfer Affection

9. Who's That Girl (She's Got It)

10. D.N.A.

11. Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You) (Extended Version)

12. The Story Of A Young Heart

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

"And I ra-a-an, I ran so far awa-a-ay...." OK, now that you've got that stuck in your head for the rest of the day, you may as well go ahead and get the rest of the hits and misses from the most badly coifed outfit in synth-pop history. Frontman Mike Score, a former hairdresser, is responsible for this Liverpool band's worst and best aspects, the latter being a talent for almost painfully catchy pop melodies and synth hooks that bounce along nicely over gradually descending bass lines. In addition to the aforementioned "I Ran," this best-of sports two versions of the equally sublime "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)" and a selection of tracks from AFOS's six-year career, including "It's Not Me Talking." --Bill Forman

Product Description

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: FLOCK OF SEAGULLS
Title: BEST OF FLOCK OF SEAGULLS
Street Release Date: 02/12/1991
Domestic
Genre: ROCK/POP

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars And I ran...I ran so far awaaaaay! March 1, 2004

By Daniel J. Hamlow HALL OF FAME

Format:Audio CD

Funny cascading haircuts aside, this electropop band hailing from Liverpool had one of the best-known singles that defined the genre along with Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran. No, the lead singer's name wasn't Jonathan Livingston, but hairdresser Mike Score, as I recall. This compilation collects their hits from their first four albums. "I Ran" is their best known single, a US Top Ten hit, which incorporates keyboards, drum machines, jangling guitars, and weird sound effects, they all signalled a futuristic pop sound that blew the doors wide open for the Second British Invasion. I don't know what this did for girls who had "almond hair and tawny eyes" who have aurora borealis around their head. Were men that blown away that they ran so far away?

A song with a similar sound is the upbeat romantic "Space Age Love Song," with futuristic sound effects, and the guitar here makes me wonder if the power-pop group Voice of the Beehive were influenced by them.

The jamming "Telecommunication," with that great power-pop guitar, is another favourite along with "I Ran," mentioning futuristic communication technology, such as laser beams into TV screens. At nearly two and-a-half minutes, it's a nice bite-sized nugget of space age pop.

Reflective lyrics, dreamy but edgy guitars, windy sound effects, the same constant drums, and a lesson well-taught permeates "The More You Live, The More You Love." with all sorts of cliches such as "the more you love the more you grow," "nothing last forever," and "true love turns to pain."

"Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You)" turned out to be their only big UK hit from their Listen album.... Wistful airy synth fills done after the refrain matches the equally longing, "If I had a photograph of you, or something to remind me, I wouldn't spend my life just wishing." For those wanting to dwell in more yearning, there is an extended nine minute version included.

The Devo/Missing Persons-speed tempo of "(It's Not Me) Talking" has more sci-fi motifs, with an intense barrage of keyboards, drum machines, and those jangling guitars. The difficulty of emotional readjustment is told in "Transfer Affection."

"Who's That Girl (She's Got It)" is a later single in their career, but the energy remains unabated, heavy drums, power synths, and brief keyboards glisses rattled after the title is sung. In other words, they've got it.

The instrumental "D.N.A." from their first album has the same energy as the other songs from there, with that guitar and drum backing making it work. And the mostly instrumental title track to their 1984 album, "The Story of a Young Heart," featuring a loud clanging guitar amid a wall of noise synth and keyboards, closes things off, with repeated echoing of the title lyrics from "The More You Live, The More You Love."

A Flock of Seagulls had a flock of great songs with a consistent sound, but methinks they were eclipsed by their fellow British Invasion members, to wit Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran, Eurythmics, Thomas Dolby, and Ultravox, which is too bad because practically everything here is worthy of the Top 10 or Top 20. If I had a time machine, I'd run so far away... well, maybe to the dawn of the Second British Invasion,... up to 1986, loop, then repeat. Read more ›

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Why this collection is crucial for Flock collectors September 14, 2006

By Daniel W. Kelly TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

For starters, it has the 9 minute 12" version of "Wishing." But it ALSO has the 7" remix of "The More You Live The More You Love," which I've always felt is far superior to the LP version, because it's much more new wave sounding. ALSO, note that the track listing has always been wrong on this disc, including on the CD insert itself. The final track on here is NOT The Story of A Young Heart--it is the FULL MOON REMIX of "The More You Live The More You Love," which was the B-side to the original 12". "The Story of A Young Heart" can be found on the Platinum and Gold Collection.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars 80's definitive pop band April 23, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Audio CD

With songs like "I RAN", "SPACE AGE LOVE SONG" and "WISHING". The Flock of Seagulls established themselves as crafty song writers in the first order. Amazing hooks and catchy lyrics, anybody can enjoy them. A must have for any 80's music lover.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Lot's of goodies in this goody. March 16, 2000

By Oegla

Format:Audio CD

The "Masters" of the 80's compiled some of their best selections on one cd. Fortunately, most of the tunes are from the 1st 3 releases ("FOS", "Listen",and "Story of a Young Heart")with the master guitar legend of the 80's (Paul Reynolds).Paul was absent on their 4th release "Dream Come True" (AKA Flock 4). This was not as good and way different from the 1st 3. Flock 4 sold very little. This "Best of" CD is worth it even if "I Ran" was missing. You can't go wrong buying this great and emal cd! Whoa oh, wa hoo!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Relatively excellent! October 25, 2005

By KEJ

Format:Audio CD

I purchased this CD when it first came out, solely for "Space Age Love Song." What a pleasant surprise it was to then find *6* great tracks on this CD. That's an amazing feat, considering that *most* albums have no more than two good tracks and the rest is "filler." I loved the four songs that were released as singles, plus the last two songs on the album. These guys know how to craft a song-- every single one is "music" rather than "noise". The best track, I thought, was the 12th/last one. I totally dig it!!!!! Awesome work, guys!!!! This is a band that transcends the 1990s because of its quality.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting music! April 10, 2004

By Herr von Sazkin

Format:Audio CD

I listen to a lot of 70s and 80s stuff and until recently knew about A Flock of Seagulls only through their hit song... "I Ran". I decided to buy this CD and was absolutely stunned by their music.

Their songs, including the aforementioned, are an amazing mix of space age rock and synth. I particularly liked "Telecommunication" (which has a strange start but has a groovy beat to it), "The More You Live, The More You Love" (a fabulous song, as well as the extended version). "Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You)" is another classic song...a lovely catchy tune that is hard to forget and I just can't get enough of it.

It is not uncommon that groups as these still have a following after all these years. The 70s and 80s saw a lot of great music rolled out and some of the greatest bands to ever take the spotlight. Unfortunately, it is not the case these days. The talent seems to concentrate more on how shocking a video can be or how much skin one can show or how well a one can dance. How well one can sing or compose music is not so much of a criteria. And that saddens me. I doubt the songs rolled out today will ever be remembered 20 years hence.

Thus, it is not surprising to see bands as Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Dire Straits, Phil Collins, The Eagles, A-ha, U2, Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and the like still having a solid and faithful fan following. These were the groups that did all the hard work themselves, from writing their own music to playing the instruments and experimenting with different tunes, and most continue to do so even today. Sadly, in my opinion, the only experimenting today's groups do is with shock value.