Visage were a British synthpop band, formed in London in 1978. The band became closely linked to the burgeoning new romantic fashion movement of the early 1980s, and are best known for their hit "Fade to Grey".
“Beat Boy” was the third studio album. The album was recorded and released after lead singer Steve Strange decided to make Visage a live band instead of being solely a studio-based project, a decision that left him working only with drummer Rusty Egan and a trio of newer musicians. Almost completely without most of the high-profile sidemen like Midge Ure, keyboardist Billy Currie and bassist Barry Adamson who'd played such a big role in crafting the group's lush, haunting synth pop. Undeterred, Strange and Egan recruited a new lineup that gave a prominent role to saxophonist Gary Barnacle. But the real shock to fans was the shrieking, metallic guitar that appeared on most cuts, an intrusion that seemed completely at odds with the suave, continental image suggested by past hits like "Fade to Grey" and "The Damned Don't Cry." In fact, the guitar muscle worked surprisingly well when simply overlaid atop the group's familiar dance pulse, as on the title track and "The Promise." But straight-up rockers like the endless "Only the Good (Die Young)" and "Casualty" featured a lethal combination of ham-handed riffs and dumb lyrics, thoroughly alienating the blitz kids who'd once packed the London discos Strange and Egan ran. Those fans made a club hit of the melodic "Love Glove," the closest thing here to Visage's classic sound, but ignored the rest, making Beat Boy a disappointing swan song for the group. Yet despite the uneven songwriting, hindsight showed that Strange's ear for the next big trend hadn't deserted him. The next year, the success of Duran Duran offshoot the Power Station had synth poppers on both sides of the Atlantic scurrying to rough up their dance tracks with heavy guitar. Perhaps in this case, the colorfully costumed Strange who later displayed his sartorial sense in a new band, Strange Cruise, before largely bowing out of the music biz was just too far in front of the fashion curve.
“Beat Boy” was the third studio album. The album was recorded and released after lead singer Steve Strange decided to make Visage a live band instead of being solely a studio-based project, a decision that left him working only with drummer Rusty Egan and a trio of newer musicians. Almost completely without most of the high-profile sidemen like Midge Ure, keyboardist Billy Currie and bassist Barry Adamson who'd played such a big role in crafting the group's lush, haunting synth pop. Undeterred, Strange and Egan recruited a new lineup that gave a prominent role to saxophonist Gary Barnacle. But the real shock to fans was the shrieking, metallic guitar that appeared on most cuts, an intrusion that seemed completely at odds with the suave, continental image suggested by past hits like "Fade to Grey" and "The Damned Don't Cry." In fact, the guitar muscle worked surprisingly well when simply overlaid atop the group's familiar dance pulse, as on the title track and "The Promise." But straight-up rockers like the endless "Only the Good (Die Young)" and "Casualty" featured a lethal combination of ham-handed riffs and dumb lyrics, thoroughly alienating the blitz kids who'd once packed the London discos Strange and Egan ran. Those fans made a club hit of the melodic "Love Glove," the closest thing here to Visage's classic sound, but ignored the rest, making Beat Boy a disappointing swan song for the group. Yet despite the uneven songwriting, hindsight showed that Strange's ear for the next big trend hadn't deserted him. The next year, the success of Duran Duran offshoot the Power Station had synth poppers on both sides of the Atlantic scurrying to rough up their dance tracks with heavy guitar. Perhaps in this case, the colorfully costumed Strange who later displayed his sartorial sense in a new band, Strange Cruise, before largely bowing out of the music biz was just too far in front of the fashion curve.
Track listing
01. "Beat Boy" (Barnacle, Barnett, Egan, Dave Formula, Strange) - 6:46
02. "Casualty" (Barnacle, Barnett, Egan, Strange) - 5:28
03. "Questions" (Barnacle, Egan, Strange) - 6:11
04. "Only the Good (Die Young)" (Barnacle, Barnett, Billy Currie, Egan, Formula, Strange) - 5:58
05. "Can You Hear Me" (Barnacle, Egan, Strange) - 6:29
06. "The Promise" (Barnacle, Barnett, Egan, Strange) - 3:59
07. "Love Glove" (Barnacle, Egan, Strange) - 4:45
08. "Yesterday's Shadow" (Barnacle, Egan, Strange) - 6:29
Visage
Steve Strange – lead vocals
Andy Barnett – guitar
Steve Barnacle – bass
Gary Barnacle – saxophone
Rusty Egan – drums, electronic drum
Additional personnel
Billy Currie – keyboards
Dave Formula – keyboards
Marsha Raven – backing vocals
Karen Ramsey – backing vocals
Rose Patterson – backing vocals
Producer - Visage
Notes
Recorded at: Trident Studios, London
Genre: Synthpop, New Wave
Length: 40:33
Label: Polydor Records
© 1984
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