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Rating: What I am reviewing and recommending to everyone today is "First Harvest", a collection of the greatest hits of Alphaville from 1984 to 1992. A perfect CD in every respect, excellent for nostalgics of synth-pop bands and very beautiful for all listeners of techno-pop music.
A melodic and sweet music, graceful and digital, futuristic as an evolution of the punk movement, but calm, sweet, and poetic in its synthesized sounds. Alphaville took their name from a future city in a Jean-Luc Godard film; the iconic song that still perfectly remembers them today is "Big in Japan", the first track of the twenty-one proposed here.
Alphaville is a group already successful with their biography typical of a happy-ending story. It all began when a group of friends consisting of Bernhard Lloyd and his girlfriend Gieselmann, Marian Gold and his girlfriend Mummert, Julia Snyder, and Ulli Sprick, a computer expert passionate about music and art, decided to form a band.
The guys did not have a significant fortune to bring the project called Nelson to life, but they had thought of joining their maximum resources together to have a starting point and moved from Berlin to Munster in Westphalia in an apartment rented from Mummert's grandmother.
The guys lived together and played in the basement, proposing their results in various local venues. In '83, the then "Forever Young" began to have various record proposals.
Thus, Alphaville was born, whose new spot-on name not only wanted to pay homage to the French director Godard but aimed to introduce the figure of the computer, which, besides being the main object of the science fiction film, is the defining element of the "new way of playing", and the computer indeed revolutionized the music world, raising a huge dust cloud of controversies.
Albums upon albums were created, success seemed never to stop, and from "Forever Young" in 1984, we reached "United" in 1996. Before the release of History in 1993, the label WEA promoted a collection of Alphaville's greatest hits, the reviewed First Harvest.
Robotic, experimental, computerized, digitally sampled sounds compose fantastic melodies like in "Sound Like A Melody" with poetic and romantic lyrics and very rhythmic yet at the same time delicate and sweet tonality due to Marian Gold's fantastic soft voice.
There are more danceable and lively tracks like the cheerful and charged "Sensations" and others where Gold's extensive and pure timbre is very remarkable, such as in "The Mysteries Of Love". Some tracks like "Lassie Come Home" are more relaxing and calm, with melancholic poetic bases and very abstract and psychedelic lyrics, while others like "Jerusalem" retain the character of melancholy, but wrapped in mystical/melodic contexts of intense atmosphere.
Some tracks are instead more lively and energetic, full of that energy that only the synth-pop current can transmit, as is the case with the beautiful Dance With Me, a pearl of '80s dance.
Don't miss the fantastic "For a Million" a song of pure playful and atmospheric electronic expressiveness, a wonderful ballad with a happy and invoking chorus.
A deeper, lower, and mysterious voice sings silently in "A Victory Of Love", with a somewhat dark and gothic base, while many experimental sounds can be heard in the beautiful "The Jest Song", cheerful, fast, and with choruses.
There is also a remixed version of Big in Japan, with an initial message that, if played backward, announces the creators of the mix.
Other tracks deserve to be listened to, like "Forever Young" from the first album that still bore the old name of the band, and "Summer in Berlin" very soft and serene.
An excellent album capable of accompanying the human mood in its thousand facets, a collection of small masterpieces of an artistic current far from commercial. Try it to believe it.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Big in Japan (03:55)
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
02 Sounds Like a Melody (04:29)
It's a trick of my mind
Two faces bathing in the screenlight
She's so soft and warm in my arms
I tune it into the scene
My hands are resting on her shoulders
When we're dancing away for a while
Oh we're moving, we're falling
We step into the fire
By the hour of the wolf in a midnight dream
There's no reason to hurry
Just start that brand new story
Set it alight, we're head over heels in love
Head over heels
The ringing of your laughter
It sounds like a melody
To once forbidden places
We'll go for a while
The ringing of your laughter
It sounds like a melody
To once forbidden places
We'll go for a while
It's the definite show
Our shadows resting in the moonlight
It's so clear and bright in your eyes
It's the touch of your sighs
My lips are resting on your shoulder
When we're moving so soft and slow
We need the ecstasy, the jealousy
The comedy of love
Like the Cary Grants and Kellys once before
Give me more tragedy, more harmony
And fantasy, my dear
And set it alight, just starting that satellite
Set it alight
The ringing of your laughter
It sounds like a melody
To once forbidden places
We'll go for a while
The ringing of your laughter
It sounds like a melody
To once forbidden places
We'll go for a, go for a while
03 Sensations (03:58)
Listen to the news changes are coming soon
Atlantic engineers & cities in the moon
You better look across the ocean
Now tell me what you see
The southern cross explodes into the colours of the sea
Mighty Maomoondog skips across the waves
Kick the door & hit the shore & be somebody else
Supersonic landscapes are melting in your hair
Bubblegum comedians are planting skylarks in the air
Here we go with the new sensation
We‚re on every station
Such a kind of a legend to turn you on
Dig that rhythm Genie
And listen to the voice of the dolphin
Listen to your radio...
All across the planet, politicians tremble
Continental sister‚s rocking with the liquid gambler
Now the time is here, now it‚s coming true
The enigmatic ecstasy is overwhelming you
Acrobats & Comets streaking by
40,000 sirens are waiting in the sky
Innersexual circuits are cruising without fear
All inviting you for partytiming here
That‚s the start of the new sensation
We‚re on every station
Such a kind of a legend to turn you on
Dig that rhythm Genie
And listen to the voice of the dolphin
Listen to your radio...
Listen to me - Listen to the voice of the dolphin
You‚d better return to the sea - listen to his Majesty
You‚d better return to the sea - You better return to the me...
Here's the new sensation
We're on every station...
05 Lassie Come Home (06:58)
Lonely boy gazing on the afternoon
People drifting cross the surface of the twilight day
There's a Little Yellow Man, standing by the railway station
Painting portraits on the brick - walls of Billie Holloway
Lovely Lady S. M. I. L. E.
Dance, my dear, I'm only operating on "Lassie Come Home"
"This was authentic you" she spoke,
"this was authentic you who blew me cold"
He had no chance to realize,
It hit her straight between the eyes
So I've been told
In the park, she's giving out some photographs
On which she's giving out some photos of what she hands around
"They videod a ghost tonight", she said before I turned it out
"It rode an orange paper - bike, and left without a sound. "
Keep on riding, Sir
Open up the door and shout it out:
"Lassie Come Home, Come Home!!"
"This was authentic you?" she spoke, "this was authentic you who blew, who blew
Me cold"
I had no chance to realize,
It hit her straight between the eyes
So I've been told
Lonely Girl dancing in the music - hall
Lightning struck her silver starship and turned it into stone
And now it's falling all the time into that void beyond her gray eyes
Somewhere a telephone is ringing, but nobody's at home
"Hello Junkie - Sweetheart, listen now
This is your Captain calling:
Your Captain is dead. "
Keep on riding, Sir, open up the door
And shout it out - shout it out...
Lassie come home - Lassie come home Lassie come home - Lassie come
Home...
06 Jerusalem (03:35)
Waiting on this empty street
Watching the river's waves go by
Feeling mellow, lighting a cigarette
Silver moon floats through the night
Eris, Princess of the Isles
Disperse your sparkling trace
Lead him on to the house of love
Where the God may turn his eyes
To Jerusalem we pray
It's time to meet you there
Let's take love to Jerusalem - oh, yeah
Let's make love
You might be the one I'm waiting for
I think we've met somewhere for sure
Chasing shadows leaves you feeling blue
This situation needs a cure
New assassins, new messiahs
Keepers of the balbanced law
Strangest lovers of the fire
Which ignites the Halo of our souls
In Jerusalem we pray
It's time to meet you there
Let's take love to Jerusalem - oh, yeah
Let's make love
Big yellow cadillac, carry me back home
On glory roads of pure delight
We head out for the stars
07 Dance With Me (04:08)
When the heat of light melts into the speeding time
When the king returns from the ivory city side
Let the Magnet-Mages wave the signals, flashing, oh, so fast
There you'll meet me dear under the moonshine
In a lover's Heaven, we'll keep our promises at last
In a lover's Heaven, we'll forget the past
Do you want to dance with me
Through one of those lonely nights
It's more than a dream, maybe
We're reaching the gardens of delight
Do you want to dance with me
Through one of those lonely nights
It's more than a dream, maybe
We're drowning in Empires of Delight
In the stardust dawn underneath the crystal roofs
Where the Solar Boys are playing games they never lose
Where the sailors are swaying through the Lightdomes
Shining from the skies
There you'll meet me, darling, anyway
In a lover's Heaven, we'll keep our promises at last
In a lover's Heaven, we'll forget the past
Do you want to dance with me
Through one of those lonely nights
It's more than a dream, maybe
We're reaching the gardens of delight
Do you want to dance with me
Through one of those lonely nights
It's more than a dream, maybe
We're drowning in Empires of Delight
08 For a Million (06:09)
Oh, I love to dance
Under an alien sun
Along the dunes with you
I kiss you in the sand
We give so that we live
Beside the sleepy snakes
They dream of you and me
When will they ever end?
CHORUS
For a million years they dream
For a million years they dream
And the fog conceals and hides and eats our souls
Before they open up their eyes again
How far we'll be
Remember me
Won't stop loving you
Although it seems to be
Our time is running out
I'm leaving you behind
No matter what they say
We'd never meet again
Our love is bigger
Than our lives
CHORUS
(And we know that yesterday)
(The moon was brown)
(And that today it is black)
(And that tomorrow it is red)
(And we know that when we go to the Sun)
(The Moon comes along) (hello there!)
(And the cows in the pasture graze)
(And we know that we know what we know)
(Is it truth?)
09 A Victory of Love (04:13)
"Mysteries Of Love"
All I want is you, don't you know that
Forever loving you, don't you know that it's true?
I'm leaving you tonight, but don't listen if they say
That we'll never meet again in the land of make believe
We cannot lose the race, breaking the secret spells
They put on us, my love
We're far out of their reach, a million years ahead
They never understand
[CHORUS]
The mysteries of love
Here's the mysteries of love
Give your body to the mysteries
Tear down your uniforms
Here's the mysteries of love
All I want to be, don't you know that
All we wanna be is free like the birds of the sea?
We kiss the last good byes and are sailing with a smile
'Cross the iron borderlines that butterflies despise
We cannot lose at all
Breaking the secret spells they put on us, my love
Forever out of reach, a million dreams ahead
They'll never understand
[CHORUS]
[CHORUS]
[CHORUS]
Ah, forever loving you
(Forever loving you)
The mysteries of love
(The mysteries of love)
The mysteries of love
The mysteries
(Yeah, the mysteries)
The mysteries of love
Tear down your uniforms
(Tear down your uniforms)
They never understand
They never understand
(Forever loving you)
The mysteries of love
(Forever loving you)
The mysteries of love
The mysteries of love
(So don't you, don't you, don't go there)
The mysteries of love
[CHORUS]
10 The Jet Set (03:40)
Yeah! Get ready for the show
This is the time, now gimme that beat
Feel how the rhythm grips your feet
Kitty baby, take my hand
She's like a devil, heaven sent
I'm in her arms and she's in mine
Maybe we make the film on time
Sitting in the 15th row
Oh baby, baby, I love you so
We are the jet set society
We are the jet set and that means liberty, liberty
The jet set society
We are the jet set set, we are the jet set set
Society
We're on the run, we know where to go
We got the tickets for the midnight show
These nights are burning out so fast
Hop on the beam, you won't be last
The Russians seem to be that way
We love them like we love D. Kaye
We need no money, we get it for free
We are the high-high-high society
We are the jet set society
We are the jet set and that means liberty, liberty
The jet set society
We are the jet set set, we are the jet set set
Society
We are the jet set, hop on the beam
We are the jet set, hop on the beam
We are the jet set, hop on the beam
We are the jet set, hop on the beam
Hop on the beam
Shine on, society, shine on, liberty
Shine on, luxury, shine on, society
Streets are full of love and fear
This could be the final year
Enrico's dead but still okay
We dance the streets, feeling well
If she's a liar, I'm her lover
If she's a priestess, I'm her cover
If she's a lady, I'm her man
If she's a man, I'll do what I can
We are the jet set society
We are the jet set and that means liberty, liberty
The jet set society
We are the jet set set, we are the jet set set
Society
Let's go to the moon
11 Red Rose (04:38)
Little girl - do you know what you are (do you know)
This baby's gonna be a STAR - do you know-wow
A Teenangel-Empress from Hollywood highs
(With wonderful eyes)
You're beautiful - put on your strato-blue suit -
(Put it on)
I know that you're in the mood to fly
And you get the power to make it come true -
The most exciting news
CHORUS
We'll be together 'til the end of time
And when you S.M.I.L.E., Red Rose
It's just like Blue Sunshine, Blue Sunshine
Oh, we're ascending and we'll never die
'Cause when we kiss, Red Rose
We're changing 6 to 9
It's Revolution Time
When 6 turns into 9
Move over - closer to my phantasies (pretty baby)
We're standing at the turn of the centuries
The daughter of time is groovin' Tonight - Tonight - Tonight
Tonight, little dreamer, you're the DJ of your soul (little dreamer)
C'mon let's swing to that Rock and Roll
The sweetest arrows of desire
Will set this night on fire
CHORUS
(Change, change 6 to 9)
(Change, change 6 to 9)
(Change, change 6 to 9)
(Change, change 6 to 9)
Above the City of the million Moons
We'll reach the Palace of the Sun
DO WHAT YOU WILL - shall be your destiny
We will unfold the secrets of the new JERUSALEM
CHORUS
12 Romeos (04:52)
There's a boy
With a little black dog
There's a boy
With a little black dog
And he looks
At his watch
For a while
And the falling years
Wash away his make up
And the falling years
Wash away his make up
Just like rain
On the fading snow
He's a lonesome streetside romeo
You can see him from your windows tonite
This world's a divided place, you know
He's awaiting you
He's a lonesome streetside romeo
You can see him from your windows tonite
This world's a divided place, you know
He's awaiting you
All the boys
Are locked in a fortress
All the girls
Are locked in a fortress
Just because
It's a crime
It could be
It could be
Flesh and blood
In iron and steel
Flesh and blood
In iron and steel
Just because
It's a crime
It could be
It could be
We're all lonesome streetside romeos
You can see us from your windows tonite
This world's a divided place, you know
We're awaiting you
We're all lonesome streetside romeos
You can see us from your windows tonite
This world's a divided place, you know
We're awaiting you
We're all lonesome streetside romeos
You can see us from your windows tonite
This world's a divided place, you know
We're awaiting you
We're all lonesome streetside romeos
You can see us from your windows tonite
This world's a divided place, you know
We're awaiting you
La la la la la la la
We chose a different side
La la la la la la la
We chose a different side, a different side
(We're all lonesome streetside romeos)
We chose a different side
(This world's a divided place, you know)
We chose a different side, a different side
(We're all lonesome streetside romeos)
This world's a divided place, you know
(This world's a divided place, you know)
We're awaiting you, we're awaiting you
(We're all lonesome streetside romeos)
We chose a different side
We all change our points of view sometimes
We're awaiting you
You can see us from your windows tonite
A different side
A different side
(This world's a divided place, you know)
(We're awaiting you)
Awaiting you
gold/1987
13 Summer Rain (04:10)
World without a breeze
Heartbeat of the heat above the harbour
Lazy day lies dazed upon the shelf
Atomic lizards lick at the blaze of a light that is forever
No move in the solid skies
No gleaming metal out of the breathtaking blue
My golden circus girls all sailed away
The lion tamers are no longer due to play
Whoever breaks the Seven Seals
And lets the angry angels free
I do not know
Just waiting here
For summer rain
For summer rain
Or anything else
Prophet hold your head up
Into a cluster of bees and listen
"Love of my life
Here is all our honey
Yes, we can change the world, together"
And if we're still invited to walk in this party
I'd go for a saucerful of secrets or more
But the last thing I heard of was that GOD had left the lines
For a brand new universe
HE was supposed to say
My golden circus girls all sailed away
The lion tamers are no longer due to play
Whoever breaks the Seven Seals and lets the angry angels free
I do not know
Just waiting over there
For summer rain
For summer rain
What a glorious feeling
I'm happy again
Just cool rain
14 Forever Young (03:48)
Let's dance in style, let's dance for a while
Heaven can wait we're only watching the skies
Hoping for the best but expecting the worst
Are you gonna drop the bomb or not?
Let us die young or let us live forever
We don't have the power but we never say never
Sitting in a sandpit, life is a short trip
The music's for the sad men
Can you imagine when this race is won
Turn our golden faces into the sun
Praising our leaders we're getting in tune
The music's played by the - the mad men
Forever young, I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever, forever and ever
Forever young, I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever? Forever young
Some are like water, some are like the heat
Some are a melody and some are the beat
Sooner or later they all will be gone
why don't they stay young
It's so hard to get old without a cause
I don't want to perish like a fading horse
Youth's like diamonds in the sun
and diamonds are forever
So many adventures couldn't happen today
So many songs we forgot to play
So many dreams swinging out of the blue
We let them come true
Forever young, I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever, forever and ever
Forever young, I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever, forever and ever
Forever young, I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever?
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