The 1986 Listening Post - Dead or Alive - Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know

Dead or Alive - Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know

#506

November 21 1986

Dead or Alive

Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know

Genre: Dance Rock

3.25 out of 5

Highlights:

Brand New Love

I’ll Save You All My Kisses

This record wants to be a party. But, more so, it kind of wants to be Frankie Goes to Hollywood. But not this year’s Frankie. It wants to capture the “Two Tribes” Frankie. And Frankie Say, “No Pete. Spin right round and find a different sound.” “But, Holly! ‘Come Inside’ is soooooo Frankie, amirite????”

You could put Side One of this record, drop some Molly and have a heckuva good 20 minutes. The second side reminds me of Meco’s Star Wars & Other Galactic Funk record. Side one was disco Star Wars and that was a blast. Side two consisted of 3 mediocre disco tracks called “Other”, “Galactic” and “Funk”. 

No one needed that. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/mad-bad-and-dangerous-to-know/217004024

The 1985 Listening Post - Dead or Alive - Youthquake

Dead or Alive - Youthquake

#185

May 1985

Dead or Alive

Youthquake

4 out of 5

Highlights:

You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)

Big Daddy of the Rhythm

Lover Come Back (To Me)

My Heart Goes Bang (Get Me to the Doctor)

Oh, the incongruity of it all. Pete Burns sounds like a snotty goth-punk, the music is amped up disco (is this…the beginnings of “House”?) and it’s so fucking infectious I wanna do lines off the glass coffee table and hit the dance floor. 

Like most of this style a little goes a log way. “DJ Hit that Button” is excellent. Until the 7th minute or so. And then you realize that the song is actually 3:25 and that’s when it hits you: This is meant for the dance floor. Not for listening on a sunny Friday afternoon during lunch. 

But I kind of want to get to that dance floor. Screw this lunch. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/youthquake-bonus-track-version/211418750