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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
i'm just a johnny come lately, November 5, 2001
I heard the first Beat LP ("I Just Can't Stop It") in a small town record shop in 1980 and instantly fell in love with this band's brand of ska/soul/rock. For some strange reason, I never bought "Wha'ppen" and never got familiar with it. I confess to reading some less than enthusiastic reviews and shying away. Of course, I did buy "Special Beat Service" and found it to be par excellent. So I ordered "Wha'ppen" a couple of months ago and it arrived a few weeks back and I've been wearing it out. Damn! How did I miss this? This is a great collection of snaky sweet, politically smart songs. "Doors of Your Heart"... I've loved that song for years... and "Too Nice to Talk To" has always been a favorite. But every other single song on this CD, including the bonus tracks, is outstanding. These songs are textural wonders. Great stinging guitar work and the incredible Saxa on his horn make this a stunning recording. I regret not discovering it sooner, but it sure is a nice find after-the-fact. Oh yeah... one more thing... I had the pleasure of meeting Dave Wakeling in Nashville this past summer and he's a very nice fellow who cares about the people that support him. If he comes to a venue near you, don't miss the show. You'll get your money's worth and more. Wear your dancin' shoes. He is truly one of the great talents of the 80's and continues to make significant music. He may be the most underrated recording artist of the past two decades. Buy this CD. You won't regret it. It sounds best in the early evening. I'm the Big Oh and I gotta go.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Follow-up to "I Just Can't Stop It", March 25, 2001
For whatever reason I bought this album much later on than the other two English Beat albums - something about it "not being as good". That's complete nonsense. This album is excellent and it was a welcome revelation to hear it years later, after the fact as it were. There's not a weak track on this CD. Plenty of soulful saxophone solos abound. "Dreamhome in NZ", "Walk Away", and "Monkey Murders" are lost 80's classics to go along with the better-known "Doors of Your Heart" and "Too Nice to Talk To". Love the alternate version of "Get-A-Job" found here. I rank this second Beat album in the all-too-short trilogy of albums from these guys right up there next to "I Just Can't Stop It"; it's certainly a stronger album from start to finish than "Special Beat Service" - their final album - where the strain of not having widespread commercial acceptance sounded like it had taken its toll. Looking back, I wish the English Beat had stayed together long enough to record a few more gems like "Wha'ppen?". They probably do too.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The second, difficult, album, December 10, 1999
With Wha'ppen, the Beat get socially conscious with almost all the songs -- see "Dream Home in NZ," "Get a Job" and "I am Your Flag" for proof. Along with this lyrical change, they go to reggae's roots and further away from the Two Tone ska scene they never really fit in with in the first place.All three Beat albums are different, but this is the oddest of the three. A lot of great stuff to be found, for sure ("Drowning" is a favorite of Michael Stipe's), but the least satisfying of the catalog, though definitely worth owning. "Walk Away" is a great beakup song. Let's hope London re-issues the UK-only b.p.m. comp that featured a bonus-discs worth of 12" versions, including "March of the Swivelheads," which was featured in Ferris Beuller's Day Off.
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