Track-by-Track: From Please to Nonetheless

[Too Many Shadows]

Love this. This has early 80s Trevor Horn all over it. Take the extended mix of Owner of a Lonely Heart for example, some of the crazy Art of Noise stuff, FGTH's Welcome to the Pleasuredome (Urban Mix).

are you serious?

It certainly sounds like something ZTT would throw out as the zillionth remix for one of their bands. Complete with some dada dog’s dinner sleeve notes written by Paul Morley for good measure.

[G_Goalden]

I went to an Acid House night in Birmingham in September 1988 (the same week the Domino dancing remix was released) and it sounded just like TSOTAS.

And then when they played it on the quadraphonic speakers as part of the 1989 tour it sounded fantastic.

This is one of those PSB tracks that make them the band they are. The masses can have the hits, but if this kicked off the Funny Girls gig I would be in my absolute element.

G.

[Pinhead44]

Their first marmite track.

I love marmite, I don't like this.

[Gabby]

I'm a fan of TSOTAS. It's just totally mental. At a time when my mates thought PSB were a bit samey (they weren't btw) this was proof positive that they could be experimental and unlike anything they had been up to that point.

We also used to have bets on who could slather and eat the most Marmite on their toast, which was the easiest thing for me to win.

If this is Marmite, give me an extra serving on that toast!

[jasonjohn]

on Highlights it's the opening track, but at the actual concert it was like an intermission track before It's A Sin?

The chaos of this song is a nice lead into to a proper banger

I've always kinda liked it

[petshopgrrl]

I'm a fan of TSOTAS. It's just totally mental. At a time when my mates thought PSB were a bit samey (they weren't btw) this was proof positive that they could be experimental and unlike anything they had been up to that point.

We also used to have bets on who could slather and eat the most Marmite on their toast, which was the easiest thing for me to win.

If this is Marmite, give me an extra serving on that toast!

Ah, a kindred spirit! I love me some Marmite and I love me some TSOTAS for all the above reasons, much to the chagrin of my dearly beloved who I won't let skip this one in the car (or the next one either).

TSOTAS is just deliciously bonkers. I love the contrasts - the manic rhythms, the soaring sampled soprano and the gloriously disdainful overacting vocal. It all comes across as one big psychotic poetry slam. It'll be a long time before I tire of hearing Neil snarling "and would the last person to leave / ONCE YOU'VE ALL FINISHED KISSING!"

(It kind of reminds me of "Jewel" by Propaganda (another ZTT act with Horn and Lipson producing), which was the rowdy B-side version of "Duel" and another song I loved back in the 80s. Ooh, just got chills going back and playing this! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLDtbcosKcw)

[nonesuch]

I was expecting this to be terrible, but it's actually pretty cool; I quite like it.

[neilgregory72]

Well I like it too.
It sounds like they had a lot of fun in the studio coming up with the track, just messing around, and that comes across in the recording.
It fits well with the whole package.

[TallThinMan]

'The Sound of the Atom Splitting' is the sound of Neil, Chris, Trevor Horn and Steve Lipson trying to make an acid house track. Don't forget that acid house was brand new when they made this.

The sound of acid house is the sound of the Roland TB-303 Bassline synthesiser. A little silver box they stopped making in 1984 that for years had been discarded as junk in charity shops around the world. They go for over three grand now. You either like it or you don't.

I love 'The Sound of the Atom Splitting'. It sounds like its title.

[Neilatrone]

Track 39 : What Keeps Mankind Alive?
Introspective Further Listening Track 6 Second Disc

A cover version? A reimagining? It's nearly 100 years old

[Too Many Shadows]

A good choice. Wasn’t Weill someone else bridging the gap between art and pop?

[leesmapman]

The song Richard Coles (another Bronski Beat connection there!) worked on Odd track, but I like it.

[Pinhead44]

For me, this is one of the most disappointing songs they have ever done.

The irritation of Neil's vocal on The sound of the atom, carries over to this track too. At least with TSOTAS, I can appreciate what they are doing with the music, this track has no redeeming features at all !

Skip.

[Too Many Shadows]

Track 39 : What Keeps Mankind Alive?
Introspective Further Listening Track 6 Second Disc

A cover version? A reimagining? It's nearly 100 years old

I think this falls into the same category as classical music or canonical work such as The Great American Songbook. Do orchestras cover Bach? Did Ella Fitzgerald cover Cole Porter?

[nonesuch]

I think they did a decent job with the task at hand. The peppiness of their version suits the absurdity of the song.