Berlin: any love?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by erikdavid5000, Sep 15, 2016.

  1. erikdavid5000

    erikdavid5000 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Was recently reminded of a long phone conversation with Teri Nunn I was lucky enough to have as a wee teenager, and it got me listening of their stuff extensively finally, and I'm now a rabid fan.

    Anyone ever see them live in their heyday?

    I actually think Count 3 & Pray is their strongest album and that Take My Breath Away is an absolute masterpiece, so my cred might be questionable. Lol.
     
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  2. autumn daze

    autumn daze I really don't belong here

    Location:
    Milton Keynes, UK
    Take My Breath Away, admittedly the only thing I've ever heard of theirs, really is a great song, very atmospheric too. I'm a sucker for those 80s film songs anyway, but that is definitely one of the best.
     
  3. Scott S.

    Scott S. lead singer for the best indie band on earth

    Location:
    Walmartville PA
    I have always thought Pleasure Victim is as great record.
     
  4. erikdavid5000

    erikdavid5000 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Yeah, it's amazing how well their stuff overall has aged. It reeks of 80's yet in a timeless way.

    Moroder's production on TMBA is gorgeous and it was a stroke of genius to get a not-quite-a-household-name New Wave singer to tackle it, rather than some mainstream mega-diva who would just overkill the thing. Terri has said she didn't sing it as a love song but rather expressing her own crushing loneliness. Such a fantastic vocal.
     
  5. Uther

    Uther Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicagoland
  6. mr_spenalzo

    mr_spenalzo Forum Resident

    Of course I knew "Take My Breath Away", which was one of those songs I'd hear on the radio over and over when I was 6 or so.
    And I saw Bands Reunited, and thought Terri Nunn looked/looks amazing.

    But just the other day I came across a copy of Pleasure Victim, and I love it! The title track (a song from the same year to rival "Save A Prayer"... like it's the one night stand's take on that "paradise") and "Sex (I'm A)" in particular. I'll check out some more of their records.
     
  7. Monosterio

    Monosterio Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Florida
    Hate "Take My Breath Away," love "Sex (I'm A ...)"

    Don't know anything else by them, AFAIK.
     
  8. richierichie

    richierichie My glass is always full.

    Bloody `ell! Looking at the heading I thought this was about Lou Reed`s `Berlin`, the miserable old coot at his most miserable. Oddly a fine album if you`re in the mood.
     
  9. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    No more Words, you've probably heard
    the US 12 inch is all I have by them. 'Take' I suffer from massive radio burnout...
     
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  10. Monosterio

    Monosterio Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Florida
    Just looked up "No More Words." If I ever heard it before, it didn't stick.
     
  11. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    I can only remember the chorus from radio decades ago. I actually forgot about it till I saw that single at a thrift :laugh:
     
  12. Beaneydave

    Beaneydave Forum Resident

    Me too!


    Peace and love✌
     
  13. Duke Fame

    Duke Fame Sold out the Enormodome

    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Not sure of the lineup, but saw them in the early 2000's as the opening act for Heart when we lived in Seattle. They were pretty good. I don't personally own anything of theirs though. If I'm going full on 80's I'd probably be more inclined to go with Duran Duran or The Police. I think there are even better 1 or 2 hit wonder bands from that era, specifically Tears For Fears, Mister Mister or The Outfield.
     
  14. Basenote66

    Basenote66 Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    I'm a fan. TMBA, courtesy of Terri's voice, led me to "Count Three and Pray" and then onto their earlier albums. They were definitely at the edgier end of US New Wave and that's no bad thing. Terri's vocal on the Sisters of Mercy track "Under the Gun" is incredible as well.
     
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  15. augustwest

    augustwest Forum Resident

    Location:
    los angeles, ca
    Liked them in the 80's but don't have much need for them now.
     
  16. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA

    Interesting. Didn't know that Teri Nunn had been offered the role on Dallas that ultimately went to Charlene Tilton. And she turned it down. And her manager dropped her. Not surprisingly!
     
    sunspot42 likes this.
  17. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    Check out the second album "Love Life". It's the best one.
     
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  18. Porkpie

    Porkpie Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Their Best of Album is fantastic - one of my all time favourites - Metro, Sex (I'm A), Like Flames, Masquerade, You Don't Know - you've inspired me to get it back into regular rotation. Good music for the gym. The track No More Words by Giorgio Moroder borrows heavily from the track Rush Rush he did with Debbie Harry for Scarface.
     
    sunspot42 likes this.
  19. Baba Oh Really

    Baba Oh Really Certified "Forum Favorite"

    Location:
    mid west, USA
    Lou Reed's Berlin = horrible. And after two stellar efforts, too.
     
  20. modrevolve

    modrevolve Forum Resident

    Turboholic, Porkpie and Curveboy like this.
  21. Surly

    Surly Bon Viv-oh-no-he-didn't

    Location:
    Sugar Land, TX
    I love Berlin. My first concert was Thompson Twins in 1984 with Berlin opening, so technically they were the first live band I ever saw! Their 3 core albums are all solid, but I prefer Love Life over the other two. My favorite song is "Now It's My Turn" (and the video is great as well). "The Metro" is a true new wave classic, but I consider all of them "classics" - "Sex (I'm A...)," "Masquerade," "You Don't Know," "No More Words," "Like Flames," and "Dancing In Berlin" (another favorite - that was a new single at the time when I saw that concert).

    I just re-watched that Bands Reunited episode the other night. One of the best ones of the series, along with Romeo Void.

    Pretty wild to think that Toni Childs was their original lead singer, and that "Take My Breath Away" was also offered to Martha Davis of The Motels.
     
  22. Curveboy

    Curveboy Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York City
    I like Berlin, especially Pleasure Victim and Love Life.
    Count 3 & Pray has some great moments, but doesn't flow well. Voyeur is 50/50 to for me; half is great and half sounds like discarded Britney Spears tracks. Animal is just terrible...I was angry I bought it.

    The Fall Into Heaven EP's are meh...I always want to like those tracks but every time I thrown them on I'm disappointed.

    The live discs have their moments; with songs like Matter of Time and Confession Time.

    PS - Berlin made a brief appearance on Younger this season playing out in the Hamptons.
     
    Purple likes this.
  23. Curveboy

    Curveboy Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York City
    PS - Berlin's re-recorded hits are one of the few that I think turned out pretty good.
     
  24. Purple

    Purple Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Pleasure Victim and Count Three and Pray are probably their best albums (AllMusic rates these the highest). I rate their most recent, Animal, about just as high, but that's not a full blooded Berlin album. My favorite song is probably "Like Flames" or "Pink and Velvet," but they have so many good songs.

    Love Life has some really good songs, but a bit more inconsistent compared to these three.
     
  25. Porkpie

    Porkpie Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    I hate when bands do that. I remember an album they put out late 90s (I think) with a version of Blondie's Shayla. I think Terri Nunn was definitely "channelling" Debbie Harry in a lot of ways. After the Best of in 1990 I lost interest in them as the line up changed. I listened to the album with Eye for an Eye on it but only liked that track. This reunion album sounds interesting, now we just need Pat Benatar to put out a new record too
     
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