The Fixx

Thinkman - Life Is A Full Time Occupation (1988)
(Rupert Hine)
EAC Rip | APE, IMG+CUE, LOG | 260,6 MB | MP3 CBR 320 Kbps | 89,4 MB | Complete Scans (300 dpi) | 10,2 MB
New Wave, Synth-Pop | Label: Island | Catalog Number: 258 894 | Time: 42:19 | RAR | RS.com

The second album by Rupert Hine's fake group Thinkman, Life Is a Full Time Occupation expanded the theme of media manipulation that was its main objective, but only halfheartedly. The topic was wearing thin. "Watchman, Walkman, Thinkman," "Willpower," and "Voices in Local Time" do complement well the material found on The Formula (and to a certain extent they could be leftovers). This verse from "Voices in Local Time" sums up the message Hine was trying to get through: "Don't trust in the slogan/Don't fall for the line/They'll be eating your mind." The other songs mostly fall in the category of mid-'80s dance-pop tunes: simple, light, somehow uninvolved. Hine is a careful producer and a good songwriter, so even when he aims low he hits the target, but fans of his usually intelligent (even intellectual) pop will be disappointed by "Never a Tear" and "Dance Yourself Sane," which both sound closer to Thomas Dolby circa Aliens Ate My Buick than vintage Hine. He would strike a better balance for Thinkman's final album, Hard Hat Zone. Chester Kayman and the Fixx's James West-Oram contribute good guitar parts but they are not enough to raise the level of this weaker effort. AMG

The second album by Rupert Hine's fake group Thinkman, Life Is a Full Time Occupation expanded the theme of media manipulation that was its main objective, but only halfheartedly. The topic was wearing thin. "Watchman, Walkman, Thinkman," "Willpower," and "Voices in Local Time" do complement well the material found on The Formula (and to a certain extent they could be leftovers). This verse from "Voices in Local Time" sums up the message Hine was trying to get through: "Don't trust in the slogan/Don't fall for the line/They'll be eating your mind." The other songs mostly fall in the category of mid-'80s dance-pop tunes: simple, light, somehow uninvolved. Hine is a careful producer and a good songwriter, so even when he aims low he hits the target…

Cutting Crew never deserved the hacking they received from critics. Music reviewers lined up to throttle Cutting Crew's debut album, Broadcast, when it was released in 1986. The slick guitar rock on Broadcast may not have wowed the rock & roll intelligentsia, but it's a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, an underrated collection of simple, heartfelt love songs and up-tempo pop that reside between the stylistic boundaries of new wave and mainstream rock. "(I Just) Died in Your Arms" and "I've Been in Love Before" immediately thrust Cutting Crew onto the U.S. charts; however, both songs aren't sufficient in summing up Broadcast's appeal. Nick VanEede's soulful croon is mesmerizing on "Any Colour" and "Sahara"; instead of bludgeoning the microphone with vocal histrionics common to late '80s rock, VanEede is thankfully restrained, imbuing every track with ample emotion.

If you're looking for the roots of alternative rock or obscure college playlist fodder, look elsewhere; this is prime-time '80s pop chart glory, as seen on MTV (over and over and over). Though the songs here cover a breadth of style and genre (if not necessarily substance), there's a remarkable unity of purpose and hook-laden musical accomplishment that's sorely missed. If this collection woefully shortchanges hip-hop, it still underscores a distinctly irony-free era where style admittedly triumphed over substance, as opposed to the '90s, where style caricatured substance.

While Saga began as a progressive rock band, increasing pop sensibilities put the group in a league with bands like the Fixx in the early '80s. This album, which follows the excellent Worlds Apart, is nearly as good as its predecessor; Michael Sadler's commanding voice leads the way while the rest of the band punches up the fairly succinctly written songs with loads of texture and occasional instrumental fireworks. The guitar/keyboard interplay between Jim Gilmour and Ian Crichton alone is enough to get music geeks salivating. Producer Rupert Hine gives the material just enough production sheen to make it sizzle on the airwaves ("The Flyer" was a minor radio hit). Equally enjoyable for pop fans and prog rock fans, this unfortunately was Saga's last great record.