The 1985 Listening Post - Blancmange - Believe You Me

Blancmange - Believe You Me

#382/1018

October 4 1985

Blancmange

Believe You Me

Genre: SynthPop

2.75 out of 5

Highlights:

Other Animals

I went through an Erasure phase. This was because my girlfriend at the time LOVED that one album of theirs that was a huge hit and so I bought a bunch of Erasure albums from Ameoba for, like, nothing, and then burned CDs for her. This was the last gasp of LP - CD burning. Around early 2000. It brought me back to making mix-tapes. A tedious process that was made even more tedious with CDs.

But I did it and I had to listen to a LOT of Erasure at the time. 

This is cut rate Erasure. And it does get a wee bit more interesting toward the end (especially the attempt at loveliness that is “John”).

It’s fine. I’m sure someone out there loves it. 

That person is not me. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/believe-you-me-deluxe-edition/1434399489

The 1984 Listening Post - Blancmange - Mange Tout

Blancmange - Mange Tout

#122

May 1984

Blancmange

Mange Tout

3 out of 5

Highlights:
Don’t Tell Me

Blind Vision

See the Train

I never loved Kraftwerk. And I get bored of Disco. So, of course I would enjoy Blancmange. I don’t get it. The heart wants what the heart wants. 

Not as aggro as Depeche Mode but close. Incorporating the afro-centric rhythms that seem to define a lot of 80s dance music this is in the same Soft Cell wheelhouse but I don’t get the sense that they want to be any more than a provider of content for 80s dance halls. When they sing “Murder” I don’t think they mean it, I think they would prefer if instead of everybody getting “out” that a choreographed dance number took place instead.  ;) When they try their hand at paisley rock “Time Became the Tide” they quickly determine that no one wants that shit so they move right on to ripping off Gergio Morodor/Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” for the track, “That’s Love, That’s What it Is”.

Ultimately, and this might sound strange, Blancmange makes me miss top notch Devo. 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/mange-tout-deluxe-edition/1434311270