Spins: Thompson Twins • Into the Gap 40th Anniversary LP
Thompson Twins
Into the Gap 40th anniversary LP
(BMG)
Thompson Twins’ fourth album, Into the Gap, is one of the emblematic New Wave albums of the ‘80s. The album was a creative, cultural, and commercial smash that saturated radio and then-influential MTV. The album’s indelible singles include a song of reconciliation, “Hold Me Now,” the moody and amorous “Doctor, Doctor,” and the battered but hopeful “You Take Me Up.” Initially released in February 1984, the multi-platinum selling album was still a force in pop culture during the summer of 1985 when the multi-gender and multiracial act performed “Hold Me Now” at Live Aid. The song was Thompson Twins’ highest-charting single in the US, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Into the Gap represents the peak of the marriage of Tom Bailey’s musical arrangements and emotive vocal performances with Alannah Currie’s relatable lyrics. For its 40th anniversary, the album has been remastered at Abbey Road and pressed onto red vinyl with terrific-sounding results. A three-CD deluxe edition is also available, which includes bonus tracks, edits, extended mixes, and new sleeve notes from band members Bailey, Currie, and Joe Leeway. The Thompson Twins’ influential synth-pop avoided rock guitars while blending traditional instruments and percussion with big synthesizer sounds. Currie’s notes say, “the human warmth with cool machines was what we aimed for.” (thompsontwinstombailey.co.uk)
– Jeff Elbel
8 out of 10
