![]() It’s easily the track that I most wish had been included from the very start.īut now that that’s over with, I’d like to drill down and talk about how the album operates in its original form, as the artist intended. It captures the misery and futility of modern war, as well as the sunset of the British Empire after the Second World War.and there’s a sample of a dolphin, too. ![]() ![]() “One of Our Submarines” in particular is often considered one of the best tracks of Dolby’s career-melancholy, claustrophobic, and stinging in its poignant sense of tragedy. Its in-your-face and flamboyant hooks make it feel like a very unwarranted intrusion on an otherwise fairly serious and contemplative LP, which seems to have been intended as a fairly tight and thoughtful concept album.Īside from that glaring issue, there are a few other tracks that have appeared on later versions of the album that weren’t there from the start, namely, the two tracks from Dolby’s first ever-release, a double A-side of “Urges” and “Leipzig,” as well as “One of Our Submarines,” the B-side of some versions of “She Blinded Me With Science.” All of these tracks are excellent, and mesh with the thematic and sonic character of the album quite well. I’m sure it helped them move copies of it, but its inclusion kind of ruins the vibe, to be honest. And the original version of it does NOT include “She Blinded Me With Science.” While I’d never argue that it’s a bad song, since it is insanely fun, and catchy to the point of being irresistable, it really does not belong on this album. It’s actually a tough album to talk about, insofar as it’s hard to pin down what exactly constitutes “The Golden Age of Wireless.” It’s had quite a few different pressings, and a variety of different track listings. Or, at least it WAS, in its original form. He really ought to be, though, because The Golden Age of Wireless is a true masterpiece. Thomas Dolby is also British, but he’s apparently more famous here than he is across the pond-which is still not that famous. Growing up in the US, I went through the whole gauntlet of alleged “one hit wonders” of 80s synth-pop, and a great many of them turned out to be British artists who had perfectly respectable careers in their native UK: Gary Numan, Soft Cell, and OMD, for example. Many of you Yankees didn't need to click that link, because this song is oversaturated! But if you’re from elsewhere in the world, you might not know it. Chances are pretty good you’ve heard his big hit, “She Blinded Me With Science,” before.at least, if you’re American. ![]() The CD's most famous track is Dolby's quirky 1982 smash "She Blinded Me With Science," but he is equally strong on material that ranges from the infectious new wave hit "Hyperactive!" and the jazz-influenced "The Key to Her Ferrari" (which British jazz singer Claire Martin interpreted in 1995) to the moody "The Ability to Swing," the eerie "Mulu the Rain Forest" and the humorous, Prince-influenced "Airhead." Less impressive but decent nonetheless are Dolby's version of George Clinton's "Hot Sauce" and the funk tune "May the Cube Be With You." For those seeking an introductory overview of Dolby's 1980s work, Hyperactive! would be a logical place to go.Today, I’ll be talking about a stellar album by one of those artists who have gone down in history as “one hit wonders,” despite producing a deep catalogue that’s often more impressive than that one song they end up known for: it’s The Golden Age of Wireless, the debut LP of Thomas Dolby. Released in 1999, this collection focuses on his EMI output spanning the years 1982-1988, painting a generally impressive picture of him. The new wave/synth-pop artist wasn't afraid to experiment, and while his experiments didn't always work, many of them did. Although Thomas Dolby wasn't all that consistent in the 1980s, he certainly deserves to be recognized as one of the decade's major risk-takers. ![]()
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