Don't know where I heard them first but I bought the album as soon as I saw it. Martin over at Martin's View has professed to being a huge fan of 5 Star (and sould get around to reviewing this album around this time next year) and Dirk Digglinator recently proclaimed their Luxury Of Life his absolute favorite album of the Eighties in an informal poll. Even this guy feels this CD is one of the best albums ever - he goes out on a limb and says this is best 5 Star album by far, rating it ten fingers out of ten. Then, in a follow-up video review, he proclaims their second album, Silk & Steel (he pronounces it Slick & Steel) the group's best album. (Look 4play1981 up, he's got more Five Star album review videos.) A dissenting voice in the 5 Star lovefest is Mark over at The CD Project. Upon hearing the group's single "System Addict" on an Eighties compilation in 2011, he wrote: "Bad British synth r&b. Avoid if possible." Like the rest of the family group's 80s output, neither one of these albums is available yet on Spotify.
Luxury Of Life - 5 Star (1985)
Sadly, I no longer have this album on the Vinyl Wall. The 12" of "All Fall Down" is only 5 Star I have on vinyl.
Day 61
is
July 10th
After being called out like that, I went back a gave "System Addict" another listen. On second listen, I caught the homonymic title, but I stand by my 2011 comment. Sounds like a generic cut from any 1985 soundtrack compilation to me. We'll have to agree to disagree about this one, my friend.
ReplyDeleteHands down, this is the most infectious Dance/Pop/R&B album I've ever heard. There's no album that comes close. I can't even begin to rationalize my love for it, nor could I properly explain to naysayers why they're wrong to dismiss it. I will say, however, that there's never been an album that I've listened to as incessantly at the time of its release, that I can still appreciate with fresh ears to this day. Can't say that for other all-time 80's favorites of mine like Madonna's debut, or MJ's "Thriller"... Both are so overplayed at this point, that I can't appreciate them objectively the way I do "Luxury Of Life" (or "Silk & Steel", for that matter). For whatever reason, Five Star still does the trick for me after all these years.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Dirk Digglinator, and I'm an "Addict".
My name is Martin Maenza, and I am a "System Addict". Love love love this album. And, yes, Herc, it will definitely get reviewed on my blog at some point.
ReplyDelete