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THE REVIEW
"Forever Young" is the debut album by Alphaville, a German group composed of Marian Gold, Bernhard Lloyd, and Frank Mertens that, in the mid-'80s, achieved great success thanks to the first singles released from the album in question. Among the major exponents of synth-pop/electro-pop and electronics of the decade, in this work composed of ten songs, five singles were released (firstly "Big In Japan", followed closely by "Sounds Like A Melody", "Forever Young", "The Jet Set", and "A Victory Of Love").
Without describing a track-by-track that might turn out to be almost repetitive, it's worth emphasizing that overall, the songs are characterized by lots of melodies and a certain beat with driving rhythms, often and willingly where the verses are sung more slowly, only to give way to a much more upbeat chorus ("A Victory Of Love", "Fallen Angel", just to name a couple of examples).
Synthesizers are used extensively for the tracks' bases, then the keyboards do the rest, accompanying and giving prominence to the individual pieces.
From my point of view, the most important and representative tracks of the album are "Big In Japan" and "Forever Young". The first, which is the first single as well as the first hit, reflects the aforementioned description, an interesting synthesized base accompanies the famous chorus which, with its sustained and engaging pace, will inspire some bands for covers of the hit some decades later (one of which being Guano Apes in 2001, who reinterprets it in a rock version). The second, on the other hand (which was initially the band's name before it was changed to Alphaville), is the third single by the group, their definitive consecration. It's a captivating, slow, and dreamy ballad, characterized by sweet keyboard pads and beautiful lyrics, and every time one listens to it again, it exudes a strong sense of nostalgia.
Riding the wave of success, they will later release their second album in 1986, "Afternoons In Utopia", launched by the single "Dance With Me", which will enjoy good success.
In the following years, however, they will lose the initial notoriety, partly due to the gradual disappearance of synth-pop.
Nonetheless, it is an album I sincerely recommend to fans of the genre.
The album's tracklist is as follows: "A Victory Of Love", "Summer In Berlin", "Big In Japan", "To Germany With Love", "Fallen Angel", "Forever Young", "In The Mood", "Sounds Like A Melody", "Lies", "The Jet Set".Loading comments slowly
Summary by Bot
Alphaville's debut album Forever Young is a quintessential 80s synth-pop record featuring hits like Big In Japan and Forever Young. The album blends melodic, rhythmic synths with engaging choruses and nostalgic ballads. It achieved significant success with multiple singles and remains a recommended listen for fans of the genre. Despite losing some prominence after the decade, the album stands as a classic in electronic music history.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
01 Big in Japan (03:52)
Winter's cityside
Crystal bits of snowflakes all around my head
And in the wind
I had no illusions
That I'd ever find a glimps of summer's heatwaves
In your eyes
You did what you did to me, now it's history I see
Here's my comeback on the road again
Things will happen while they can
I'm waiting for my man tonight
It's easy when your big in Japan
When your big in Japan, tonight
Big in Japan, be tight
Big in Japan, oo the Eastern sea's so blue
Big in Japan, alright
Pay, then I'll sleep by your side
Things are easy when you're big in Japan
When you're big in Japan
Neon on my naked skin
Passing silhouettes of strange illuminated mannequins
Shall I stay here at the Zoo
Or shall I go and change my point of view
For other ugly scenes
You did what you did to me, now it's history I see
Things will happen while they can
I'm waiting for my man tonight
It's easy when you're big in Japan
When your big in Japan, tonight
Big in Japan, be tight
Big in Japan, oo the Eastern sea's so blue
Big in Japan, alright
Pay, then I'll sleep by your side
Things are easy when you're big in Japan
When your big in Japan, tonight
Big in Japan, be tight
Big in Japan, oo the Eastern sea's so blue
Big in Japan, alright
Pay, then I'll sleep by your side
Things are easy when you're big in Japan
When you're big in Japan
When your big in Japan, tonight
Big in Japan, be tight
Big in Japan, oo the Eastern sea's so blue
Big in Japan, alright
Pay, then I'll sleep by your side
Things are easy when you're big in Japan
When you're big in Japan
Alphaville
Alphaville are a German synth-pop/new wave group formed in 1982 in Münster by Marian Gold, Bernhard Lloyd, and Frank Mertens. Named after Jean‑Luc Godard’s film, they broke through with the 1984 singles “Big in Japan,” “Sounds Like a Melody,” and the iconic “Forever Young,” and continued with albums including Afternoons in Utopia, The Breathtaking Blue, and Prostitute.04 Reviews
