Geography [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED]

Front 242

Product Details

• CD-R (April 28, 1992)
• Original Release Date: 1982
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000028L4
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #230,653 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Geography

This title is manufactured "on demand" when ordered from Amazon.com, using recordable media as authorized by the rights holder. Powered by CreateSpace, this on-demand program makes thousands of titles available that were previously unavailable. For reissued products, packaging may differ from original artwork. Amazon.com’s standard return policy will apply.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars the first of 242 masterpieces, April 2, 2001

By	D. M. MATALLIN "origami man" (Valencia, Spain) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In my humble opinion, there're were 5 great electronic bands in the first years of the 80's: Kraftwerk, The Klinik, Skinny Puppy,DAF and Front 242. Kraftwerk released a wondeful LP 'Computer World', but was on their way down. DAF released some of the best EBM works ever. The Klinik was releasing very minimalistic electronic material, quite interesting but this band would later eclipse after their break-up. Skinny puppy put the ground for the darker electronic music ever known. And Front 242 was beginning to create the style later known as Electronic body Music; 'Geography' is their first LP and as almost every debut has its virtues and defficiencies; This cd contains some of the best electronic songs of that age ('U-Men', 'Operating Tracks', even the naive 'GVDT') which reminds me of what Die Krupps was also making at the time; But it contains too many instrumental songs, some of which are quite monotonous and add nothing. But 'Geography' was a touchstone, which would later develop in the typical 242 style with 'No Comment'; 'Geography' still can remind of Depeche Mode and synth-pop, but it was already clear that this band was trying to do something different, not as dark as Skinny Puppy, (and in fact they never defined themselves as dark but danceable) but obviously not Erasure or Ultravox. 'Geography' may be the worst 242 album but being the first it always occupies a space among my favourite cds.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Lesson In Industrial Music, November 16, 1998

By	[e-mail] (Studio City, CA) - See all my reviews

Let's face it, there are a multitude of industrial bands wreaking havoc on the music scene today. And believe it or not, it has always been that way, though not so centrally in the U.S, or even London. To fully understand electronic music without peruving the biographies of such pioneers as Buchla, Moog, and Mr/Mrs Walter/Wendy Carlos...you need to send yourself back to the dawn of the era, in Germany and Belgium....and explore some of the first and finer attempts at man using machines to speak their musical language. Back when Kraftwerk were cranking out their staunchy beats, Front 242 emerged with a vigor unlike anything previously heard. Their debut album is much like being sucked into an old Atari 2600 system and duking it out with the circuits. Certainly it doesn't quite have the energy that the more current Front 242 invades our minds and ear drums with, but rest assured! This is NOT paltry, glassy-eyed, flat-response electronic music. The tracks on Geography have that very organic quality that few other electronic artists have succssfully acheived for 15 years following! The songs develop well, sometimes slowly, sometimes right away, but all are infectious in their own right. And it's all analog; no easy feat if you know your technology and you know what sort of equipment was available back then. Front 242 have managed to create alternate universes while simultaneously haunting you right here in your own living room. This is one of those records that you listen to once....and then maybe later that day, or the next day, you put it in again, and certain hooks or phrases from certain tracks will pique your memory. You'll say "Oh yeah...i remember this track!" and start to hum along as best you can.... After a few weeks, every track has its mark imbedded into your conscience, as much for its blips and synth sweeps as for its reverberating and lyrical aura. Years later, you'll pull this CD out of a box, put it in, and say "Where on earth has this been? This is great!"

To quote one of the tracks from the album: "It makes you feel glad....it makes you fill the air with your cries!"

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Geography ~ Front 242, May 16, 2005

By	Bjorn Viberg (European Union) - See all my reviews

Geography being Front 242's debute album started an entirely new form of electronic music, i.e., they started ebm, or electronic body music. Previous to this release electronic music did not not have the hard edge that Front 242 showcased with tracks such as U-men, Operating tracks, and many other fine examples. As with any debute album, yes this one also has a problem and that is the sometimes over simplified lyrics, something that improves over time. The new art for the cover is vastly superior to the one with the face and I have no idea what the band was thinking. This is a very important release and it is groundbreaking in the sense that they created a new form of electronic music, i.e., ebm.