peterr@utcsrgv.UUCP (Peter Rowley) (08/11/83)
Yaz (Yazoo in Britain) are indeed no more. Vince Clarke (ex of Depeche Mode) and Alf Moyet split up, for a variety of reasons. Vince's tastes lay in catchy pop, while Alf's lean heavily towards the blues (she's now forming a blues band). Vince didn't like touring, Alf did. But while it lasted, the blues/pop tensions in the band created some impressive music, a lot of it recorded on first takes and sounding very fresh. They had some bad clunkers too (e.g. "I before E" on the first album). But "Only You", "Winter Kills", and "Nobody's Diary" are all very good in my opinion. Two albums are out, the 2nd just recently: "Upstairs at Eric's" and "You and Me Both". There are a few 12" singles out too, including "Situation" and "Nobody's Diary". But stay away from the singles if you have no interest at all in dance music; that's the market they were re-mixed for. My vote for best Joy Division song: "Love Will Tear Us Apart", written just before the sad end. Best New Order (Joy Division w/o Curtis) song: "Ceremony". For some reason, these singles are not on the albums, and I don't think the albums are quite as strong, though still good. Another recommended JD single: Atmosphere/She's Lost Control. Some very "atmospheric" percussion on both sides of this one. JD albums: Unknown Pleasures, Closer, Still (double live album) NO albums: Movement, "Power, Corruption, and Lies" The last New Order album has moved heavily towards disco, giving them the nickname New Ordeal. I saw New Order in concert once. They were far too loud, causing them to blow the fuses every 5 minutes (they eventually gave up). While things were being fixed, horrendous disco music was played, and this was when their music was anything but disco. Nice to hear a live version of Ceremony, but I'd never see them again. They clearly didn't care a bit about the audience.
mem@sii.UUCP (Mark Mallett) (12/27/83)
b Greetings A couple of things about Yaz. (I realize that there was some discussion of Yaz earlier in the year but I managed to miss it..). First: what is their history (like, who are they, where are they now, like that)? There is not an abundance of credits on the album jacket. If anybody wants to answer, please send me mail, because as I say, I think it has probably been discussed already. Second: I lent my "You and me both" album to a friend recently. I thought I'd share his response. He doesn't normally react in this fashion (and may not again after being published here..). Mark E. Mallett decvax!sii!mem >From: JKMARTIN 20-DEC-1983 10:08 >To: MEMALLETT >Subj: Music, sweet music.. >wow. as i listen to each track, i picture a woman going thru many >identifiable phases of a broken relationship: first, the crushing truth >that it is over; then the continuous thinking and dreaming of he lost love, >followed by anger and frustration. then comes what appears to be various >affairs with other men, possibly even a new, strong relationship. if this >isn't a (well put together) concept album, then it sure is coincidental. >i prefer to think it is deliberate. >the music is nothing less than genius, with melodic lines seldom seen in >contemporary music. i rate the album "best new artist [for me] and album >for 1983". i am in love. i plan to buy it immediately. meantime, i shall >be content to listen to the tape i have made. > ...over and over and over again... >of course i am speaking of the Yaz album "You and Me Both". fascinating, >truly fascinating. thanks for turning me on to it. now i have Yaz and Sky >on one tape, back to back. what a pair.