Scritti Politti held a somewhat unique position in the 1980s with a reputation for using instruments and techniques which were so 'of the time' that they sounded dated two weeks later. The saving grace, however, was Green Gartside's knack of turning otherwise banal ideas - such as making soul music with synthesizers and slap bass as he does here - into something curiously satisfying. Like Prefab Sprout's 'Swoon', this is a debut with plenty of ideas and experimental intent but it serves better as a pointer to the more fully-formed ideas on Gartside's best album 'Cupid And Psyche '85' than as a fine album in its own right. Somewhat strangely, the best three tracks appear at the end of the recording, namely 'Rock-A-Boy Blue', 'Gettin' Havin' & Holdin' and the excellent single 'The Sweetest Girl', all of which are blessed with Motown spirit. Twenty years after its original release this CD version represents a worthwhile landmark for fans of Gartside's later work.
Scritti Politti held a somewhat unique position in the 1980s with a reputation for using instruments and techniques which were so 'of the time' that they sounded dated two weeks later. The saving grace, however, was Green Gartside's knack of turning otherwise banal ideas - such as making soul music with synthesizers and slap bass as he does here - into something curiously satisfying. Like Prefab Sprout's 'Swoon', this is a debut with plenty of ideas and experimental intent but it serves better as a pointer to the more fully-formed ideas on Gartside's best album 'Cupid And Psyche '85' than as a fine album in its own right. Somewhat strangely, the best three tracks appear at the end of the recording, namely 'Rock-A-Boy Blue', 'Gettin' Havin' & Holdin' and the excellent single 'The Sweetest Girl', all of which are blessed with Motown spirit. Twenty years after its original release this CD version represents a worthwhile landmark for fans of Gartside's later work.
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