Vegas
Vegas

THE REVIEW

I blame grunge, flannel shirts, and the post-concert stinkers if, in the early '90s, everything that wasn't "aligned" and groundbreaking was dismissed as useless and outdated. It's true that the eighties produced both a lot of Good and Bad, and towards the end, it was hard to figure out what could be proposed as alternative. Some good ideas did emerge but, as mentioned, they didn't even have time to take off.

For example, this very elegant and interesting project by Terry Hall (The Specials) and Dave Stewart (Eurythmics) under the name Vegas. A '92 record that sees Hall's voice lending itself to Stewart's still brilliant production flair. A songwriting collaboration from two pop gentlemen. Simple songs but very well produced, like "Possessed" or "She's Alright".

Terry Hall's voice is one of my absolute favorites and completes my personal male quartet (alongside Almond, Sylvian, and Buchanan) of the best crooners ever. Dave Stewart contributes to creating easy yet solid atmospheres, seasoning guitars and electronics with touches of dub and reggae. Some fantastic crescendos and a cover of Aznavour close the magical circle of an album that slipped away too quickly.

Now. Together with the re-emerging grunge artists who just can't make it, I take this out-of-print album back in hand and listen to it again, marveling—not that much—at how current and sexy it is. Unlike those horrid flannel shirts.