Sunday, October 22, 2006

Everybody Move to Prove the Groove

When I was 17 I went on an economics fieldtrip (yes they did exist) to Sheffield. It seemed like going to a musical Mecca with the well documented rise of the Sheffield synth sound in full swing. I had been an avid follower of The Human League for a couple of years and now disastrously they had just split. My thoughts at the time were that the split would herald the end of this revolution that was going to destroy rock. In fact, of course, it led to the birth of both Heaven 17 and the new Human League and rather than destroy rock and pop the synth sound embraced them wholeheartedly. Both Caberet Voltaire and Comsat Angels were already in place, and then came ABC later that year with 'Tears are not Enough'. It was an extraordinary time for this smallish city and I just loved the place. Looking back now it was all so short lived and of course Sheffeld has since produced other great bands - Pulp and Arctic Monkeys for starters anybody - but the late seventies / early eighties was just inspirational.

Tracks

ABC - Poison Arrow (mp3)
Human League - Crow and a Baby (mp3)
Comsat Angels - It's History (mp3)
Heaven 17 - (We Dont Need This) Fascist Groove Thang (mp3)
Caberet Voltaire - Don't Argue (mp3)

Buy ABC right here
Buy Human League here
Come on buy Comsat Angels here
Buy Caberet Voltaire here
Buy Heaven 17 here

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