Mike Peters and the rest of The Alarm's incredible first album, is still, 30 years after the release, a timeless rock classic!
This was the album that started it all for this amazing band, who for over 30 years now has given us numerous classics, such as 68 guns, Blaze of glory, The stand (all from this album), Spirit of '76, Rain in the summertime, etc. The list could go on, mentioning almost every Alarm-song, as a classic!
The album has a great sound, and deserves to be played with a quality HI-Fi system, where all of the albums different melodies and atmospheres can be experienced in the fullest!
Even the latest albums, where Mike Peters is the only one left of the founding members, Mr Peters still provide absolutely 1st class composing and arrangements, and still with a real rock'n roll attitude!
This is the right album to start with, if You are experiencing the music from The Alarm for the first time, and it even comes in a special edition, with lots of great live acts and melodies not on the original album. You should buy them both, but start listening on this one!
A lot of the music from the early 80's has lost some of its glory and pride, during the 30 years that have passed. But this isn't the case regarding the music from The Alarm, as their music is both timeless classic, and legendary! And classics and legends never dies, or goes out of style!
Buy, and enjoy!

Helpful

Beeg

A Refreshing Look at a Great Album

Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2016

Verified Purchase

A refreshing look at one of the great underrated albums of the 1980s. Mike Peters and company have not only rerecorded the entire album with an updated feel, they've revised melodies and repurposed riffs to a point where you feel like you're with an old friend that you've just met for the very first time.

This really can stand on it's own whether you know the original versions or not. Sure it's not 100% perfect, but it's a definite repeated listening purchase that has me wanting more (and took me to The Alarm's website to buy the B-side collection, which is also a solid 4/5 stars and not available on Amazon for some weird reason.) The only negative is that I should have bought this on vinyl.

Helpful

Brian

One of the very best albums I've heard

Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2013

Verified Purchase

Ok, include on this CD - Spirit of 76 and "maybe" Strength and you have probably the finest album of the 80s. On its own Declaration is near worth that distinction anyway. This album is so incredibly great and each song is just uplifting and awesome. Love this album and this band never came even close to this again.

Helpful

Leanna

Declaration: This not the original band or the original arrangements.

Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2016

Verified Purchase

Like another reviewer, I blame myself for not doing my due diligence before purchasing. I thought, too, "Same band name, same album title, same song list - must be the same." I'd been looking for a copy of the original Declaration on CD and it appears at around $96.99 (!!) on Amazon, so I thought they perhaps now have an alternate, affordable release. I was deceived and am consequently disappointed.

This is not the original band or the original arrangements. If you are looking for The Alarm of earlier days - Peters, Twist, Sharp, and Macdonald - look elsewhere. Mike and his friends & family have done well to make a respectable album here but I don't understand its true purpose. Editorial notes seem to point toward remaking the album for today's sound, to jump on the same bandwagon as Jack White, Mumford & Sons, etc., which flies in the face of the original band's originality and creativity. Is this album really just an attempt to cash in, using nostalgia (and ignorance, on my part) to wring more money out of songs that mean so much to so many? If not, then why not at least TITLE it differently? What's so hard about something like "Declaration: 2014?" Is the deception intentional? Perhaps naively, I expected more honesty and transparency from this group. The album may be musically solid, but it just doesn't sit well with me.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Michael Patton

Very good album

Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2013

Poor man's Clash..nothing to hang their hairy heads about. Passion and power to spare, nice guitar work. They're obviously angry about something, but I have yet to figure out what it is. Probably a "class warfare" thang, or maybe they aspire to lay siege on the Vatican! Hard to tell, but who cares? I smiled when I heard that "Tommy" acoustic cop on the first track (even on the intro, I half-expected John Entwistle's French horn to bleat in). This album is actually quite listenable. I recommend it, but "London Calling" it ain't.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Douglas R. Lindsay

Great CD!

Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2016

Verified Purchase

I already owned this album but it's second only to Strength! Great service from the seller! Thanks!

Helpful

luca b

This is the first album of the group maybe the best album.

Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2013

Verified Purchase

This is the first album of The Alarm originally recorded in 1984.
In my opinionion one of the best 80's rock band and Declaration maybe the best album.

Helpful

Craig Williams

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2016

Verified Purchase

A great album from my high school days.

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English

Amazon Customer

good value delivered on time happy customer.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 5, 2023

Verified Purchase

good cd

ロジングマン

いつ聴いてもすばらしい

Reviewed in Japan on December 29, 2005

Verified Purchase

中学時代このアルバムを初めて聴いた時、１曲目（本ＣＤでは２曲目）で鳥肌が立ったのを覚えています。生まれて初めてカッコイイと思ったバンド、今でも頑張っているようで何よりですね！若い方々も是非聴いてみて♪

9 people found this helpful

Translate review to English

Alexander Gärtner

Ein Klassiker der Achtziger - Energiegeladener Akustik- Rock

Reviewed in Germany on May 8, 2004

Verified Purchase

In ihren Anfangstagen bestand das charakteristische Soundmerkmal des Waliser Quartetts in der Angewohnheit, auf E- Gitarren zu verzichten und statt dessen über elektrisch verstärkte Akustikgitarren zu spielen. Später sollte sich das ändern, aber bei "Declaration" bestimmt dieser folkig- rockige Grundsound noch den Gesamteindruck. Außerdem gibt es die unverwechselbare Stimme von Mike Peters, gelegentliche Mundharmonika- Passagen und straighten Viervierteltakt zu hören.
Es handelt sich hierbei um das erste vollständige Album der Band, die im Vorjahr mit einer selbstbetitelten Mini- LP ("Eponymous") debütiert hatte. Wie man anhand der Bandfotos aus dieser Zeit deutlich erkennt, kamen Alarm ursprünglich aus der Punkbewegung. Wie bei vielen damaligen Bands wirken Outfit und Frisuren aus heutiger Sicht eher befremdlich. The Alarm lehnten jedoch die "No future"- Attitüde der Punks ab und verfassten statt dessen mitsingbare Songs, die Mut und Hoffnung vermitteln. Daher wurden sie oft als U2- Plagiat missverstanden. Tatsächlich verband die beiden Bands damals eine enge Freundschaft, U2 und The Alarm spielten bis 1987 eine ganze Reihe gemeinsamer Konzerte, und Bono hatte gelegentliche Gastauftritte mit den Walisern.
"Declaration" brachte die Band mit zwei Hits in die Charts ("68 Guns" und "Where were you hiding"), wurde zum Grundstein einer erfolgreichen US- Tour und gilt als absoluter Klassiker der Achtziger. Hier ist die remasterte CD- Version erhältlich, die zusätzlich zur LP die eher schwachen B- Seiten "What kind of hell", "Pavilion steps", "Second Generation" und "Reason 41" enthält. Außer diesen entbehrlichen Songs gibt es aber auch einige Perlen: Da ist das stimmungsvolle "Unbreak the promise", da ist das ungewöhnliche "The chant has just begun", und es gibt die gelungenen Coverversionen "Bells of Rhymney" und "Bound for glory" sowie die fantastische Folkrock- Hymne "Absolute reality" zu hören.
Das 24 Seiten dicke Booklet bietet dazu die vollständigen Texte, jede Menge Fotos und die Entstehungsgeschichte der Aufnahmen mit ausführlichen Kommentaren der Bandmitglieder.
Fazit: Diese CD ist ein Achtziger- Klassiker! Besonders Freunde der frühen U2 und Liebhaber sonstiger handgemachter, authentischer Rockmusik mit Punk- Wurzeln können bedenkenlos zugreifen. Und die liebevolle Aufmachung macht auch diese CD- Auflage voll empfehlenswert.

11 people found this helpful

Translate review to English

Zomby Woof

Where was I hiding when this band played live?

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 20, 2012

Verified Purchase

Yeah i've heard all the comparisons.
''the Welsh U2'' ''the punk Who'' but The Alarm were just a great band in their own right.The album starts at a fast pace with hardly time to breathe between Marching On, Where Were You Hiding and Third Light before we get to the anthemic Sixty Eight Guns. We are the Light provides some comparitively light relief before we are thrust back into the wind tunnel with Shout to the Devil. Blaze of Glory is also very anthemic and and has probably been sung by drunken Welshman just as much as Tom Jones' Delilah! Three more low-key (by this albums standards) songs follow before the album signs off with Howling Wind and finally we can wind down from this powerful onslaught of great punk/rock (as opposed to punk rock). If you must draw comparisons with other bands/albums then you can put this up there with U2s' War and Whos Next, yet they both seem a little staid when you experience the raw energy of this high octane masterpiece. I greatly regret never seeing this band live!!

2 people found this helpful

Phil

Excellent album! Would definitely recommend a listen!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 16, 2015

Verified Purchase

Was sceptical at first, as even though a fan of the band for years, I thought it might've been an album I either loved or hated! The good news is I loved it!

See more reviews

Declaration

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Product details

Important information

Customer reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries