I first became aware of Spandau Ballet when the New Musical Express did a feature on a trendy unsigned band who were apparently destined to become the next big thing, and the label New Romantics had already been attached. I was intrigued so it was therefore a bit of a surprise when I came home from school one day shortly afterwards, to hear a session version of "To Cut A Long Story Short" being played on Radio One's Peter Powell's afternoon show, who at the time was far from trendy. However, the song had a fresh new sound, and I was impressed, but not enough to go out and buy a frilly shirt or some tartan !
Several Radio One DJs then played the song on their programmes even though Spandau Ballet didn't have a recording contract at the time, so it was several months before the single was officially released. I didn't buy the song when it came out, and it was 5 to 6 months later before the first album, "Journeys To Glory", hit the record stores.
It was only when the third single, "Muscle Bound" was released that I went out and bought the album, and the sticker shows I paid £3.49. Although I liked the LP, I was actually slightly disappointed with the record, as I was expecting it to be a little better !
Looking at the track listing now, I can remember all of the songs on side one, but side two is a bit of a haze, but I expect it will all come flooding back after the opening couple of bars of each song !
The album begins with "To Cut A Long Story Short", with its sizzling synthesizer riff, a commanding vocal, a rising middle 8 and an interlude of just bass and drums before the synth returns. It is by far and away the standout song on the album.
"Reformation" is a synthpop track, with a bouncing Euro/Cossack disco beat intro. "Bleak and tired western skies. Silence crashing with quiet lies. Shattered glass reflects elation. Reformation, reformation".
The Ultravox influenced "Mandolin" has a big synth intro before leading to softer bass lines for the verse. No mandolin is played on the song...."Mandolin, oh mandolin, waiting in the dark. Centuries passed down upon your smooth Venetian skin".
"Muscle Bound" has dramatic heavy drums and a stomping Russian/Cossack guitar/bass beat for the intro, and laddish "Work till you're muscle bound all night long" chanting backing vocals in the chorus. Ironically, a mandolin is played in the outro !
The fast paced instrumental "Age Of Blows" opens side two, with the guitar and synths sounding like something from a 1960's spy thriller or a detective show. There is a hint of Joy Division in bass line and there's a bit of Gregorian chanting with the "la la la"s near the finish.
The punk-funk "The Freeze" has funky choppy guitar and bass for intro and a delightful cartoonish synth solo break in the middle. Unusually there is no chorus, with instead the guitar and synth filling in. Furthermore there is only one verse, which is repeated two and a half times. I had forget this was a single ! "Blue sing La Lune, sing Lagoon. These visions are making me stay. The art in pretending it's art.The question is where do you pay?
The toe-tapping "Confused" has a circular guitar riff throughout that reminded me of something else, but maybe it's this song ! The synth towards end is similar to the that at the end of Emerson Lake and Palmer's "Lucky Man" !
The six minute long album closer "Toys" has a much slower pace, but a big dramatic vocal. It has a slight Siouxsie And The Banshees feel to it but is probably the weakest track on the album. "They'll look for reasons again and again. Let them go,let them go let them go".
Listening again after over 40 years, "Journeys To Glory" is a good album, and was much better than I expected it to be !
Track Listing :
Side One :
1. To Cut A Long Story Short
2. Reformation
3. Mandolin
4. Muscle Bound
1. Age Of Blows
2. The Freeze
3. Confused
4. Toys
Released 1981
UK Chart Position : 5
Singles :
To Cut A Long Story Short ( No 5 - 1980 )
The Freeze ( No 17 - 1981 )
Muscle Bound ( No 10 - 1981 )
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