Oh, go ahead, laugh! You can’t go wrong with A Flock Of Seagulls. Oft incorrectly labeled as a one-hit wonder (excuse me, but they did both “I Ran” and “Wishing”, the latter of which is only slightly more obscure than the former), A Flock Of Seagulls has one of those distinctly 80s sounds that lands the band on many a new-wave compilation. With a combination of sounds – from the Gary Numan-esque wall o’ synths padding out the background, to the thick guitar work vaguely reminiscent of Big Country – it’s almost enough to wipe the memory of the mondo bizarro, aluminum-foil-drenched music videos and those haircuts out of one’s mind.
Sadly, as with many other bands of that era (for that matter, any era), A Flock Of Seagulls’ best-of compilation proves that, like quite a few one or two hit wonders, the reason they achieved that rarified status was because very few of their songs stood out. Among the better album tracks gracing this compilation are “(It’s Not Me) Talking” and “Transfer Affection” – and they earned my unending love and devotion by including a longer remix of my favorite Seagulls song, “Wishing”.
If, like me, you like a little 80s flashback every so often, I can give this one a good recommendation.
- I Ran (4:55)
- Space Age Love Song (3:45)
- Telecommunication (2:29)
- The More You Live, The More You Love (4:09)
- Nightmares (4:36)
- Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You) (5:30)
- (It’s Not Me) Talking (5:00)
- Transfer Affection (5:20)
- Who’s That Girl (She’s Got It) (4:17)
- D.N.A. (2:30)
- Wishing – extended version (9:08)
- The Story Of A Young Heart (6:07)
Released by: Jive / RCA
Release date: 1991
Total running time: 58:41