Thompson Twins - Original Album Classics (2012)

A box set from Arista featuring the Thompson Twins' second through sixth studio albums as they were originally released in the UK (in other words, there's no disc of the US release, In The Name Of Love). Budget-priced so no bonus tracks. And because I haven't posted this picture on the blog recently, here's the original twins from the Tintin cartoon series (that's Thomson on the left and Thompson on the right):

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SET (1982)
11 tracks, 42 minutes

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: (not released in the US)

U.S. charted singles:	Pop	Dance
In the Name of Love	109	1

After starting strong with In The Name Of Love, this album quickly defaults into a quirkiness that sometimes works, but mostly doesn't - the comparison to Talking Heads below is spot on and I also hear a few attempts to jump on the same train as Malcolm McLaren acts of the time. Steve Lillywhite's production style is evident. That said, I still dig In The Name Of Love, Bouncing, The Rowe, and Fool's Gold. The rest is harmless enough except for the penultimate track, Crazy Dog, which is to be avoided.

Smash Hits, March 18, 1982, p. 27

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QUICK STEP & SIDE KICK (1983)
10 tracks, 38 minutes

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #34
• Billboard Rock: #39
• CashBox: #43
• Rolling Stone: #29

U.S. charted singles:	Pop	Dance
Lies	30	1
Love On Your Side	45	6

The group, now a trio, finally found their voice as a synth-pop-funk-dance band, heavy on the pop. In the US, this album was titled simply Side Kicks, and it's a tale of two album sides here: In general, I really dig side one (tracks 1- 5 on CD) while not as much for the quirkier songs that lead off side two. Still, once you accept the oddness, there's really no track you need to skip until you get to the end; just end your play after 9 tracks.

Should I have picked up this album in '83? Probably, but, to be fair, I really had no idea what I was doing in the spring of of 1983. I'd like to have a do-over on that junior year in high school, but that's a story for another time. (Wow, that took a dark turn rather quickly, huh?)

Track 3, If You Were Here, became popular through its use in the movie Sixteen Candles. For a full, definitive listing of that fantastic soundtrack, click here.

Smash Hits, March 3, 1983, p. 41

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INTO THE GAP (1984)
9 tracks, 43 minutes

Note: this release was originally purchased as a cassette tape, later replaced by this CD.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #10
• Billboard Rock: #10
• CashBox: #9
• Rolling Stone: #8

U.S. charted singles:	Pop	Dance	AC
Hold Me Now	3	1	8
Doctor! Doctor!	11	18	35
You Take Me Up	44
The Gap	69

Now we're to the reason I ordered this box set. As mentioned above, I had this one on cassette and that tape got quite a bit of playing time in my car during the spring of 1984, which was my senior year in high school. I wanted to get a CD copy and this box set was just a few dollars more than the single disc, so why not? Despite the error in the track listing on the album cover, Arista front-loaded the singles so side 1 of my "Qualitape" got quite a bit more playing time in my Pioneer deck than side 2.

I'm partial to the four singles listed above but I enjoyed all 9 tracks during today's spin. As a teen, I thought the album fell apart at the end (I just wanted the hits, I guess), but today I'm liking the subtlety of what was side 2 (tracks 6-9) much more than I did then. Overall, I like Into The Gap much better that Mr. Rimmer:

Smash Hits, February 16, 1984, p. 29

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HERE'S TO FUTURE DAYS (1985)
10 tracks, 43 minutes

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #20
• CashBox: #27
• Rolling Stone: #15

U.S. charted singles:	Pop	Dance	AC
Lay Your Hands on Me	6	46	14
King for a Day	8		13

The 2008 deluxe CD edition of this album has previously appeared on the blog: Here's To Future Days. Yes, I played the CD included in this box set for three reasons: 1) for a synth band, this album contains some tasty guitar work courtesy of Nile Rodgers and Steve Stevens, 2) the goal of the The CD Project is to listen to all CDs in my collection (now cleverly dubbed "The Markives" by a faithful reader), and 3) it's a good album with "college daze" memories attached.

Speaking of Thompson Twins in 1985, you remember Madonna, Steve Stevens, and Nile Rodgers joining them onstage at Live Aid for a Beatles cover? I certainly didn't, but here it is:

Cocaine is a hell of a drug.

Smash Hits, September 11, 1985, p. 77

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CLOSE TO THE BONE (1987)
10 tracks, 42 minutes

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #76
• CashBox: #61

U.S. charted singles:	Pop
Get That Love	31

This is my first exposure to this album - heck, I don't even remember the single by name even though I've heard before on a greatest hits compilation. So the trio has now become a husband-wife duo. This album is dark and, according to this Chicago Tribune article, it's very easy to see why: Currie's mother died on the same day the singer lost the baby she and Bailey were expecting. Heartbreaking.

On this initial spin, Bushbaby, Perfect Day, and Dancing In Your Shoes stand out to me. And I now remember Get That Love, which, as the below review points out, is the obvious pick for a single.

Billboard, April 11, 1987, p. 72

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Personal Memory Associated with these CDs: My first exposure to Thompson Twins was seeing the bizarre video for Lies on MTV. I might have like the song better if the video hadn't been so distracting, but that video's DIY ethic was prevalent on the network back then.

During the spring of my senior year in high school, two cassette tapes never left my car: The Romantics' In Heat and Thompson Twins' Into The Gap.  During lunch, my buddies Brett and Roy would pile into the Markmobile and we'd scramble off campus to grab something from a local fast food place before stopping by the convenience store to stock up on candy and gum for our afternoon classes.  Those cassettes usually blasted loudly as we rode around our small town like we were Ren and Willard in a VW bug riding around Bomont.

Here's To Future Days, was put on almost nightly after dinner in my college dorm room as I chewed the fat with buddies Larry and Jim, so I got quite a bit of play time. After listening each night, I usually hit the practice room or visited my new girlfriend. That girlfriend has been my wife for more than 30 years now, so my time spent with her paid off better than my time spent in a practice room.

I saw Tom Bailey in concert last year and he sang all the hits. Not only that, he came out to the lobby afterwards to hang out with fans - none of this $150 "VIP meet-and-greet ticket package" mess for Tom. Cool guy.

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Vintage TT Pinbacks from my collection.
I wore the one on the left to the aforementioned Tom Bailey show.

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Previously revisited for the blog:
Science Fiction (2018)
Greatest Hits (1996)
Big Trash (1989)
Here's To Future Days (1985)