Spandau Ballet True CD

This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.
By 1983, with the new romantic movement they'd sprung from a rapidly fading memory, the members of Spandau Ballet showed they had no intention of traveling the same path. Always ambitious, the British quintet really got down to business: Gone were the kilts, frilly shirts, and makeup -- as well as the sometimes chilly electronics of their first two albums. Instead, after recording at Compass Point Studios in the sun-soaked Bahamas, the group turned up in smartly tailored suits, with a sleek and mainstream sound to match. That came courtesy of producers Steve Jolley and Tony Swain, who gave Spandau the sort of pop-R&B sheen that had produced hits for clients like Imagination. And it also reflected the growing skill of guitarist Gary Kemp, the band's primary songwriter, who crafted a set of tunes aimed squarely at the charts. The one that succeeded most spectacularly, of course, was the title cut, a glossily-updated Motown-style ballad that became one of the decade's biggest hits -- aided by a video that cast singer Tony Hadley as a young Frank Sinatra, crooning about the sound of his soul. But Kemp had more arrows in his quiver, as well; the catchy soft disco of "Communication" and "Lifeline" coyly suggests, rather than demands, listeners' presence on the dancefloor, while the suave, spy flick-inspired "Gold" finally gives Hadley an appropriately rich setting for his dramatic warble. Some listeners at the time called the album an MOR sellout, but its slick surfaces remain tough to resist, and while none of the cuts generate the excitement of past singles like "To Cut a Long Story Short" or "Chant No. 1," True remains Spandau Ballet's most consistent and best all-around album. ~ Dan LeRoy
While Spandau Ballet's first two albums earned them European popularity, their third, TRUE, made them worldwide stars. The idiosyncratic blend of Bowie, funk, New Wave, and electronics that marked their earlier work was traded in for a smoother, much more accessible sound here. One couldn't really accuse the band of selling out, though, as the elegantly soulful ballad sound at the heart of TRUE played a role in their musical inspiration from the beginning (remember, the New Romantics were essentially soul boys, not rockers). The title track, a glistening slow-dance classic, both literally and musically evocative of Marvin Gaye, was an international smash, and made Spandau Ballet a household name. "Lifeline" expands on this aspect of the group's sound, evincing a noticeable Philly Soul influence, and "Communication" is catchy, mid-tempo R&B/pop. Such tracks as "Gold," however, would not have sounded out of place on a Broadway or Vegas stage, foreshadowing the ever more commercial sound Spandau would pursue as the 1980s wore on.