Rip It Up

Dead or Alive

1997: Epic/CBS 44255

1. Brand New Lover
2. My Heart Goes Bang
3. Something in My House
4. Lover Come Back to Me
5. You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)
6. I’ll Save You All My Kisses
7. In Too Deep
8. Hooked on Love

Pete Burns was always waaaaayyy too over-the-top gay-gay-gay-gay-GAY for me, but he sure could put out some intense music with this band…not all of it good, mind you. I bought this compilation so I could have the tracks that truly were killer: “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” and “Brand New Lover.” But it introduced me to a few other treats, probably tops among them “In Too Deep.” As for the silly videos, draw the veil.

“Spin” remains a blisteringly fun sonic thrash to me, decades later, with all that sequencing and carnival-ride propulsion (better on the dance floor than on headphones, suprisingly). But I really should get that track on a different release than this one, which brackets it somewhat differently. Kinda creepy stalker-like lyric, though, come to think of it.

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Comments © 2006 Mark Ellis Walker, except as noted, and no claim is made to the images and quoted lyrics.