Customer Reviews

Warm Leatherette / T.V.O.D.

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Normal = one Daniel Miller, the eventual head of Mute Records. From this initial single sprang one of the most important labels in modern, trendsetting music from the late 1970s onward, one which gave us Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, Einsturzende Neubauten, and very much so on. This is a raw piece of work, bedroom-recorded, and very much a part of the industrial outgrowths of the UK punk scene, like similar efforts by Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle, Robert Rental, Thomas Leer, and others. Imagine a garage-band Kraftwerk, and you'll get the idea. The sad thing about this meager single, though, is that there's more to the Daniel Miller oeuvre than this, and it's nigh-impossible to get, such as an intense and exposed-nerve-raw live set by Miller (as The Normal) and Robert Rental which was released on Rough Trade c. 1980. So, this gets five stars, both for content and historical import, but a full compilation of The Normal et al would likely get a theoretical six.

Well, for a while I thought my family were the only weirdos who had ever heard this piece. Very original. I grew up with it as my older brother used to listen to bands such as this and Throbbing Grissle, Dali's Car, The Residents, and many more. I can imagine Tim Burton listening to this kind of stuff. At any rate a top notch piece of music for any gothic/electronic/weird fan.

I remember when I heard it for the 1st time on college radio in 1978...It blew me away....It sounded so fresh and different. Unlike anything I had ever heard before. And almost 30 yrs. later It would still stand out,and be relevent if it was released today..That says alot. Theres not many songs I could say that about....A true groundbreaking masterpiece...Its a shame that there are only 2 songs by the Normal (aka D.M.) There probably could have been alot more.....AHH What A Great Era In Music. I miss it!!!

The fact that they never recorded anything else has been bothering me since i first bought this 45 when it came out. I heard it once on k-roq, when to Zed records in Long Beach and bought it. I was AMAZED to see it on cd. Theres only one other band i can think of that should have recorded more and thats Spitting Teeth.

Even after all the electronic bands that have come out over the last 20 years or so have yet to even the strong driving nature of this song. Its hard to believe a song like this was recorded in someone's bedroom. If you like Krafwerk, you will definetly like this one.

Warm Leatherette is one of the most innovative and creative songs of the New Wave. The sound is raw and creative and the lyrics create an almost Performance Art-like feeling. A very unique, and somewhat touching song, the type that comes around only once in awhile.

This song was of course made famous by Grace Jones in her 1980 version on the album of the same name. I like hers, but I love this even more. Similar to the more melodic side of Suicide, especially songs like Ghost Rider, Keep Your Dreams, Cheree and I Remember. I would say this orginal version is more eerie and hypnotic than Grace Jone's fuller, but still ominous, rendition. A brilliant classic of synthesizer rock, with intelligent, poetic lyrics.

The Normal has a sound similar to Kraftwerk, but a much richer sound. The only thing that is a disappointment is there are only 2 songs! This means playing them over and over much to the annoyance of your friends.