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Have to say. When I 1st Heard this album. I thought it's over. But as the years have gone by I find myself playing this album more and more. I have always loved. He watches it all. ( Should have been a single). In my opinion the only weak song goes to Charmed lives.
You are spot on. Same with me but once I listened to it i realised what a masterpiece it is from never to skin on skin absolutely amazing bar charmed lives(and if I'm honest the little death was a struggle ) this is a great album as are all the rats albums including citizens all different and all great in their own ways never the same as some groups do where you can't tell if he differences between albums they have always been brave in experimenting with songs. What more can I say genius
You are spot on. Same with me but once I listened to it i realised what a masterpiece it is from never to skin on skin absolutely amazing bar charmed lives(and if I'm honest the little death was a struggle ) this is a great album as are all the rats albums including citizens all different and all great in their own ways never the same as some groups do where you can't tell if he differences between albums they have always been brave in experimenting with songs. What more can I say genius
Very similar thoughts. I was 15 and V Deep seemed so different to Tonic and Surfacing. School mates were rapidly cooling to the Rats and warming to Duran, Wham and Spandau. But it grew on me and House on Fire rekindled interest. This and Million Years and He Watches It All are belters. I do struggle with Charmed Lives and the Little Death.
Happy times walking round Bruma in my 5deep t shirt (although people asked me why it said Europe looked ugly on back?)I was a proud rats fan and still am never lost the yearning for their music (although cooled abit in early 00s
I was 15 in 1981. There seemed an eternity from when Mondo Bongo and the single Elephants Graveyard were released in Jan 1981, to when Never in a Million Years came out in autumn 1981.
To me Mondo Bongo was the big move away, and V Deep was a natural progression from that. In some ways it was contemporary with the keyboards and horns of the time. A storm Breaks could easily have been Pig Bag. Now, whether it was wise to be contemporary with Duran etc or stick to RnB, who knows? I remember my friends screaming for the guitars.
All I do know, is that I enjoyed the album very much - apart from Charmed Lives, Little Death and re-worked version of Up all night (thought original far superior). What struck me where the lyrics. Gone were the story telling of old.
Thought the album cover was fab - although very similar to that of Ultravox and Quartet cover.
I was 15 in 1981. There seemed an eternity from when Mondo Bongo and the single Elephants Graveyard were released in Jan 1981, to when Never in a Million Years came out in autumn 1981.
To me Mondo Bongo was the big move away, and V Deep was a natural progression from that. In some ways it was contemporary with the keyboards and horns of the time. A storm Breaks could easily have been Pig Bag. Now, whether it was wise to be contemporary with Duran etc or stick to RnB, who knows? I remember my friends screaming for the guitars.
All I do know, is that I enjoyed the album very much - apart from Charmed Lives, Little Death and re-worked version of Up all night (thought original far superior). What struck me where the lyrics. Gone were the story telling of old.
Thought the album cover was fab - although very similar to that of Ultravox and Quartet cover.
I identify with a lot of the above. I struggled with The Bitter End at first, but I've come to regard it much more over the years. When I bought the album around April 1982, that was the first time I had heard Up All Night. I thought it was great. What version are you referring to when you say the 'original' was 'far superior'?
You're right about the story telling of old going. This was about recognising the best years were over and the fightback was on, when the critics were saying it was all over. House on Fire was story telling of a sort, more travel reflections/observations on another continent etc. The gritty urban tales which defined them to an extent were absent.
I heard up all night in1981 I bought rat tracks to after mondobongo came out in 1981 and loved it don't mind the 5deep version love the album apart from little death even did not mind charmed lives too much although it was poor as a single then came the masterpiece that is in the long grass which should have sold like hot cakes and not bombed like it did the public in general missed a Great album more fool them (I played itlg to friends who were amazed at how good it was) I love all the albums
How many noticeably different versions of Up All Night are there I wonder? I've heard a couple, excluding the extremely long version, but prefer the V Deep version on balance.
I've only heard USA version ,(long version) and the UK/Ireland version's. Same with Drag me down. And Lucky. Which in my opinion the USA version's of both song fair better than the UK/Ireland album versions.
Remember reading the sleeve notes. "Good luck to Gerry" without knowing he,d left. lack of info then was a bummer. Always though it was ahead of its time, maybe trying to compete with the popier sounds of the time like Wham, Spandau etc
-- Edited by KevH on Tuesday 21st of April 2020 05:50:29 PM
I have 2 versions of up all night 1 on 7inch German single also us version on Columbia label I think they're slightly different to each other on plus l.p. Versions all are great also heard it live on concerto have on code like out here on this forum have quite a few rats singles albums cds etc since citizen come out I have found the old stuff seems to have a new lease of life and am loving playing them
My spell check went wrong again should say live 1982concert on code just a side point pollinated no1was coupled with Mary on a Spanish version of the first single hoping to get a copy after lockdown
