At first the album seemed to me overproduced and synthetical. Too much sounds, side walks, tempo changes. But now I understand that it's a "grower". I divide this album in two parts because of the song Start. I put songs "Intruder", "No Self Control" and "Start" in one part and the songs after Start in the other. If you'll hear the album for the first time you will definitely remeber "Games without Frontiers" which is a haunting and a beautiful song with Kate Bush back vocals, synthetic drums and a lot of background electronic stuff going on. It tells about the meaningless wars people start. Childish and stupid.
Next time you'll hear the album you'll catch yourself on the thought that you remember all the songs. You remember the kick ass drums by Phil Collins and the xylophone solo in the "Intruder", wind instruments and repetition of I don't know how to stop phrase in "No Self Control", and then goes this "Start" sounding like it is from some japanese role playing game for super nintendo after which bad guys from previous songs are left behind. After "Start" we get to know other people described in the songs. First one has has an amnesia in the song "I don't remember", then we get acquianted with a painfully ambitious guy in "Family Snapshot", then a man lost in the wires in "Through the wire", then a line-up of well known people from the past in "Games without frontiers".
And here we are listening to "Not One of Us". "You talk like we do, you look we do, but you know how it is... You're not one of us". And you may think do you really want to be one of us? Intruders with no self control palying games without frontiers just becuase their ambitions and a search for self-esteem tells'em to do so. Intruders who forget everything in a few years. Want it or no, but if you are reading this you are one of us. Will you be able to lead a normal life?
"Lead a normal life" is a next song with a beatiful xylophone. It gives time for anyone to think about the fact that behaviour matters, control matters, good will and passion and love matters.
But it turns out that it is still a prison or an asylum where you do not get a knife.
The album ends up with a song about Steve Biko an african activist which died in prison. And the eyes of the world are watching. Human is a desire to be a human. I think that this album is interesting both musically and lyrically. And I do think that some of the songs will make it to your best of list. I give up 9 polaroid shots from my cartridge for 10 for this one.
Remarkable songs are (almost all),
but most of i like these:
Family Snapshot, No Self Control, Games without Frontiers, Not One of Us, Biko
