You have a PM, Avondale...

Many thanks Smudge

Will follow through on this when back in UK after weekend. It will be good to get up to speed with the rest of you guys

There´s a beer coming your way if we ever meet up

Fellow Taste Tarantulas,
Thanks to this hallowed cyber hall's amazing comradeship, I have now joined that illicit, select club of Roxologists who have savoured the forbidden fruits of the "Alphaville Album" and I must say, I enjoyed it.
As the great "wrighta" said earlier in this thread, it really is "Frantic's" darker twin and it is really interesting to see how the songs evolved over time. Indeed, there is something about experiencing this lost gem that has left me feeling like a character out of a Le Carre novel who has hacked into our hero's studio and listened to a work in progress.
There are many things I like about "Alphaville". I love the rougher, more experimental feel of tracks like "Cruel" and "San Simeon" but for me, the real find was "Sonnet No.18". Evidently it is on some compilation albums but this one had passed me by altogether and I really think it's quite beautiful.The Bard of Avon would have been delighted!
Of course, not everything is great — "You Can Dance" has never worked for me in any its multiple forms and it's no better here. Also, "This Love" is no match for Jerry Burns' original. But these are small things and,taken as a total, the unreleased "Alphaville Tapes" are another testimony to our hero's brilliance.
Speak to your local spook.
Regards,
Windswept

Windswept,what do you think of Bryan's version of Don't be Cruel ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSoiyCoE ... pQ&index=8

Cher Ian,
I love it - from the get go I always thought our hero may have modelled the lilt in his voice a little on The King.
Furthermore, I think some of his side projects are his best works.
I'm a great "Taxi" fan.
Regards,
Windswept

The sonnet 18 on alphaville is slightly different to the version which turned up on the slave to love compilation, it having a more predominent piano backing by Steve Nieve than the officially released version.