Title: Dare!
Artiste: The Human League
Year: 1981
Chronological position: Third album
Previous experience of this artiste?: Apart from the singles and greatest hits, nothing.
Why is this considered a classic? According to my good friend Wiki, this was where Phil Oakey changed the direction of the band from art-rock and experimental to a basic pop band, ensuring big hits for them. But more importantly this album had an influence on just about every aspect of pop, new wave, avant-garde and other music. They call it a "genre-defining" album, and you can certainly hear Human League's influence on many many pop bands down the eighties and nineties, and further.
My thoughts
One minute (or thereabouts in) ---- Good, great, bad, meh, still waiting or other? Good
One track in --- Great
Halfway through --- Great
Finished --- Great
Comments: Is this Tubeway Army or Kraftwerk? Well once our Phil starts to sing, the question is answered: it's neither, it's Human League. Just a blip there at the start. I don't know the opening track but I really like it, which says something considering I know much of this album, as would anyone who's been subjected to the charts and radio airplay around this time. Always liked
Open your heart though. Have to say gets a little tedious with
I am the law (come on! Everybody knows DREDD is the Law!) but ah, then comes
Seconds and we're on a pleasant ride to the end of the album. Love-lah!
Favourite track(s): Of those I didn't already know?
Seconds, Darkness, Do or die and
That's what dreams are made of.
Least favourite track(s): Get Carter, I am the Law
Final impression --- Great synthpop album, certainly deserves its place as a classic. Even given the obvious hit singles I knew, some great tracks here.
Do I feel, at the end, A) I wish I had listened to this sooner
B) I'm sorry I bothered
C) I might end up liking this
D) Have to wait and see
Again, A is for Ah why didn't I listen to this years ago?