It's certainly taken some time, but finally the Associates' third album from 1982 has got a deserved reissue. As a testament to the 80's images of excess, flamboyance, glamour and generally everything being over the top, this serves as a fine example. But whereas their contemporaries now sound superficial, Associates had two major assets, firstly the operatic splendour of Billy Mackenzie's voice and secondly the gloriously bonkers soundscapes developed by Alan Rankine. One only has to cock an ear to the third track, 'Bap De La Bap' where the liaison of minds first proves to be a match made in heaven; Mackenzie sounding like he is fighting a screaming battle in the synthetic hellhole created by his accomplice. 'Party Fears Two', a top ten hit originally, contains one of the most memorable piano riffs ever, complemented by Mackenzie's paranoid lyric putting himself in the minds of two party gatecrashers ("I'll have a shower and then phone my brother up. Within the hour I'll smash another cup."). Save the two rather pointless instrumentals the original album is a masterpiece of unhinged originality. Extra tracks featured include many of their later singles of which the euphoric '18 Carat Love Affair' and the rawer, guitar sounds of 'The Room We Sat In Before' impress the most.