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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great British Wave Debut., May 30, 2005
Upon hearing Kajagoogoo's biggest hit, "Too Shy," a person could easily dismiss them as another trendy 80's band in the fashion of peers like Duran Duran, ABC, and A Flock of Seagulls. You would be wrong, though, because the group may have been outrageous--for those times--in the looks department and had the overratedly cute frontman Limahl who I never particularly felt attracted to, they had good pop sensibilities in their new wave song structures and also displayed a knack for leaning toward contemporary jazz. Say what you will, Nick Beggs is a very good bass player, Limahl's relaxed and often quirky vocals bear a faint resemblance to Boz Scaggs, and Stuart Neale's keyboards really bring home the jazzy aspect of the group. Jez Strode is a competent drummer and Steve Askew has some great, funky riffs that gell with and enhance the other players. Simply put, Kajagoogoo was an underrated band who showed promise on White Feathers, and most Americans didn't stay around long enough to pick up their sophomore album, Islands, which is unbelievably great.
While WF is not my favorite Kajagoogoo album, it boasts great tracks aplenty and, if they sound a bit like Duran Duran, it's only because the album was produced by D2 keyboardist Nick Rhodes and their favorite producer Colin Thurston.
Best songs include "Too Shy" (but of course), but mostly because I love Stuart Neale's keyboards and Steve Askew's rhhthm guitar more than anything.
--"White Feathers" with its synth drum track and some really good guitar riffs.
--"Lies and Promises" is silly fun, and my niece always used to get the lyrics wrong ("Are your lies as good as your brother says?" LOL).
--"Kajagoogoo (Instrumental)" which is good, funky new wave/jazz and blues.
--"Ooh To Be Ah" is a great song about fashion and very dated sounding, but I love it for that very reason.
--"Ergonomics" has a great chorus: "All across the land it's made for the hand."
--"Hang on Now" is by far the best song on WF. It is a beautiful song brimming with sophistication and AC savvy. This song should have been a bigger Stateside hit than it ended up being.
I think that "Magical Man," "Frayo" (which I've never liked) and most of the bonus tracks outside of the extended versions of the original album tracks are throwaways, but "Take Another View" in all its pure new wave quirkiness has won me over after about 6 to 10 plays. This is a great cd version of the album some of us bought back in 1983, but it's too bad more people didn't give the band a chance after they dumped Limahl. The followup is 20 times better! However, if you're simply revisiting your past, this is a good buy, and I recommend it highly.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
new wave synthdance perfection for those who thought they were nothing more than "Too Shy", March 5, 2007
Those who have a Kajagoogoo/Limahl greatest hits collection (and there are many variations out there) may have been disappointed by the other "singles" beyond the two classic synthpop gems "Too Shy" and "never ending story" and not bothered to explore the bands full length albums further. In terms of White Feathers, the band's only album with Limahl as vocalist, the other singles that show up on compilations, "ooh to be ah" and "hang on now", are the weakest tracks on this brilliant synthdance album. Their downtempo, more jazzy arrangements do not represent the sounds you'll find on this CD--classic early new wave synth sounds in the style of Men Without Hats, Our Daughter's Wedding, and early Depeche. "White Feathers", "Lies and Promises", "Magician Man", "Ergonomics", "This Car is Fast", and "Frayo" are uptempo dance gems, and the bonus track "Interview Rooms" has the Duran Duran influence other reviewers spoke of.
The direction the band took after Limahl's departure was quite different and the follow-up albums just do not have that early 80s 'synth sound' like this classic. This is definitely THE Kajagoogoo CD to have in your collection if you only own one.
While the bonus tracks are great to have, I just want to point out that while there is an instrumental version of Too Shy here AND what is labeled as "The Midnight Mix", this midnight is not the version I am familiar with--it is PREDOMINANTLY instrumental as well. Vocals don't kick in until there is barely a minute and a half left on the mix. For the full vocal midnight mix, you'll have to get your hands on a copy of the CD "Kajagoogoo & Limahl: The Singles."
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
80's Electro Pop Band's Debut Album Remastered Plus!, December 15, 2004
I originally received Kajagoogoo's debut album "White Feathers" back in the early eighties, as a promo copy along with the 12" dance mix of "Too Shy". The major hit off the album was the infectuous already mentioned "Too Shy" soon followed by "Ooh To Be Ah" and "Hang On Now". The album features outstanding vocals by a young unknown singer named Limahl who sported a typically 80's shag new wave haircut utilizing various fancy tinting techniques. The video for "Too Shy" played on regular rotation on MTV gave Kajagoogoo the exposure they needed in the United States. While not an overwhelming success when compared to Duran Duran, The Thompson Twins, Tears For Fears, Simple Minds, etc. they did leave their mark on the 80's new wave music scene with this excellent release. The songs, basically heavily synthesized pop were catchy, and in my opinion, the best songs on "White Feathers" are "Too Shy", "Ooh To Be Ah", "Hang On Now", "Lies And Promises", "White Feathers", and "Magician Man". This expanded version of "White Feathers" includes the rare and extremely hard to find 12" dance mixes of "Too Shy" (also included is the instrumental version), "Ooh To Be Ah", and "Hang On Now". The other extra tracks "Take Another View", "Interview Rooms", "Animal Instincts" and "Introduction" are average to below average cuts not really adding much to this otherwise excellent re-issue. If you enjoyed listening to Duran Duran, Tears For Fears", "Naked Eyes", "The Human League", "A Flock Of Seagulls" and numerous other electro pop groups then you'll enjoy "White Feathers".
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