"being an island / shying from trying / seems the easy way / such an easy way"
I've said it a few times before...don't get me started gushing about The Human League's Dare, quite possibly my favorite album of the '80s. No matter how many times a track from the 1981 masterpiece pops up in my iTunes, I can never bring myself to hit the "skip" button.
Forced to nail down a favorite track (no, not that one...), I'd probably pick the widescreen beauty of the ABBA-licious "Open Your Heart". From its en media res opening, picking up Phil Oakey's internal (?) monologue in progress, to the soaring synth chords over the verses, from the shiny, chrome Martin Rushnet production, to the optimistic hope in the lyrics:
And so you stand here with the years ahead Potentially calling With open heart or with a spirit dead You walk on
Lies the reason Faith or treason Playing a part End concealing Try revealing Open your heart
..."Open Your Heart" just gets me each time. And the video is a shot on tape, New Romantic, meaningless symbolism hoot and a half:
If you like this site and you don't already own it, please, I'm begging you here, get yourself a copy of Dare. It's even been re-mastered with the long out of print Love & Dancing instrumental EP tacked on as a bonus, and the music is more relevant today than ever. Plus, through the magic of iTunes, you can even delete...that song.
That much is true.
"Open Your Heart" was not released as a single in the States.
* All songs are for sampling purposes only. If the album is currently in print, you'll see an Amazon link to purchase it. Supporting artists is a good thing, since labels are run by soulless whores. I KEED! Sorta. Look, if you like it, and it's in print, support 'em. If you're the artist or copyright holder, a quick e-mail to me will bring the song down ASAP. But compliment my writing first.
* Don't e-mail me asking me to repost dead links or to send you a song you can't find. Believe it or not, I have a life outside my blogging. I KEED! But don't do it.
* One more, and this is a biggie -- do NOT hotlink directly to my audio files and post them on your site, big shot. That's just disrespectful, rude, and a theft of my hard-earned bandwith.
Now, get readin', get downloadiN', and play nice. I loves me some comments. Bring it!
Forced to nail down a favorite track (no, not that one...), I'd probably pick the widescreen beauty of the ABBA-licious "Open Your Heart". From its en media res opening, picking up Phil Oakey's internal (?) monologue in progress, to the soaring synth chords over the verses, from the shiny, chrome Martin Rushnet production, to the optimistic hope in the lyrics:
or on 
