I have been a fan of this album since I heard "Duel" on the CBC Radio program "Brave New Waves" with Brent Bambury in the mid 80's. Here is the thing - I always felt that this album "fit in" with the "post punk / new wave" genre. In recent years, however, I don't feel that it fits... I mean - how many new wave albums have jazzy bass solos? Any other fans here?
Yes I bought the Dr Mabuse 7" single in early 1984 after hearing it on BBC radio - ended up being a hit in the UK. After getting into Kraftwerk as a kid in the 70s I was still in my buy anything German and give it a try phase. Got my first CD Player in 1985 with my first Student Grant cheque (supposed to buy books etc don't tell anyone). Sold all my vinyl and bought all the Kraftwerk CD Catalogue on German import and also picked up "Secret Wish". Loved all the sound quality info on the rear sleeve - still gets regular play in my house (although the disc is now on my Hard Drive and played via my Squeezebox Touch). Interesting back history to "Secret Wish" from ZTT man Paul Morley here :- http://www.ztt.com/archive/dialogue/paul_morley_discusses_a_secret_wish_with_andrew_harrison.html
Haven't thought about Brave New Waves in a while. Many a night was spent staying up late listening to that program. Huge fan of A Secret Wish. I suppose the vocal performance borders on the absurd, with some beautiful singing, reciting, yelling and screaming all in the mix at one point or another. The music is a beautiful slab of melodic, industrial, futuristic technopop that oscillates between chaos and order. Somewhere in the mix is suppose to be Steve Howe and David Sylvian, but darned if I can find them. Actually, I think I heard a few plucks from Howe in there for a brief moment, but I have no idea where Sylvian was. Just love this album.
Great album. I prefer the vinyl mixes to the CD (the CD was released a little while after the vinyl, and features different mixes for several tracks). Still play it regularly, along with the myriad of Mabuse and p:Machinery mixes. I dont think it's post-punk, though. Maybe post-post-punk. If anything it's the 'new pop' Morley was championing during his last years at the NME: Simple Minds, Associates, ABC and so on.
Wow - great description! I just listened to "Wishful Thinking" (vinyl) and fell in love with it all over again too...
Thanks for the link! So, it looks like there was some intent at "genre defining" by bringing so many different elements to the mix. I was actually thinking "prog" when I listened to "Dream Within a Dream" earlier, but I wouldn't have dared suggest it...
I've always been a fan of this album, and still enjoy the Art Of Noise and some of the epic Frankie tracks. At the time I was totally into anything ZTT put out, and this album was definitely one of the highlights of that era. I love all the remixes too....well most.
I think this is a magnificent album. I've been a fan of it since 1988 when I bought it on cassette (!) Unfortunately the cassette died so I was really pleased when it was reissued as a double set in 2010. I think every song is wonderful, particularly The Chase and Dream within a Dream. Claudia Brucken had a superb voice.
The odd-seeming (at the time) variations in the CD editions of A Secret Wish are a big part of my collecting backstory. An amazing album regardless of which tracklisting your particular pressing has.
I believe the 2010 reissue has every version of the songs and alternate mixes. I was so glad that album was put out again.
She still does! Check out her recent cd/lp and live dvd <with a Propanda reunion on a few tracks> : http://www.amazon.com/This-Happened...id=1357437147&sr=8-3&keywords=claudia+brucken http://www.amazon.com/The-Lost-Found-Claudia-Brucken/dp/B009K677CE/ref=pd_sim_m_2 Both are very highly recommended.
One of my fav's from the 80's. And very good sound. Produced by Stephen Lipson and label boss Trevor Horn.
I'm pretty sure ZTT finally got those original lp mixes on the recent 2 cd Deluxe Edition of ASW. I could be wrong - as you say the whole Propaganda/ZTT release history can be quite confusing. Lazlo's discographies of Propaganda/Act/Claudia Brucken are priceless and essential guides, by the way. I've referred to them and many other discogs he's compiled quite often! If you've never been there, see for yourself : http://www.studio-nibble.com/lazlo-bin/discogs
I noticed that. Still very comprehensive for all the relevant early/original stuff or releases issued.
Yeah, both sets of mixes are on the deluxe set. I often refer to Lazlo's site. It's a gem. I bought pretty much every release and variant as they came out, but all these years later I get confused about which white label is which mix and so on - all those different 'Close to the edit' 12" editions for example! Between the 'Secret Wish' deluxe, 'Outside World' comp, recent 'Girls and Boys' comp and those 'Art of the 12"' CDs, I think pretty much every Propaganda version is now available on CD.
So, which 'comp' has the orchestra 'freak-out' that came at the end of "Femme Fatal" on the original 12" of "Mabuse"?
Being German, I found most attempts at German pop music (New German Wave (NDW), Sandra, Moti Special, Modern Talking etc.) rather embarrassing. However, Propaganda sounded and looked (those videos!) almost too good to be true - Stephen Lipson's finest hour IMO. One of my desert island discs too, even though I initially disliked "Jewel". Now it all makes sense. Great memories too. Yes, very memorable stuff - "there is no cause for concern!" According to the sleevenotes, Andrew Poppy's "The Beating Of Wings" (from the same year, also on ZTT), "borrowed Propaganda's machines". The album does sound similar indeed, albeit with a more neo-classical touch. The follow-up "Alphabed" is also recommended. Or get the 3 CD-Box "Andrew Poppy on Zang Tumb Tumb". As a massive Japan/Sylvian fan who also happened to translate the German Propaganda fansite into English, I can confirm Sylvian cannot be heard on the album proper, despite being thanked for his keyboard contributions. More than ten years ago, there was someone on eBay offering a collection of early demos, "The Secret Tapes of Dr. Mabuse", the selling of which was eventually stopped via a preliminary injunction on behalf of Michael Mertens. The said tape/CD had one track called "Sylvian's Machine", which happened to be Sylvian's original demo tape, whose main motif was used for the first 20 seconds of the "goodnight 32 remix" (available on the Deluxe Edition) and the "Razormaid Extended Mix" of "P:Machinery" (and possibly other mixes too). Steve Howe (who also contributed to the title track of Frankie's first album) is clearly audible during the instrumental break on "The Murder Of Love", and possibly the second half of "Dream Within A Dream" too, though that could also be Ralf Dörper or John McGeoch; the latter did some fantastic soloing on the "Polish" mix, my favourite of all the P:Machinery mixes. As for the OP's question: I never associated that album with post-punk (with the possible exception of the Josef K cover). To me, it's new pop with a dash of prog, thanks to the numerous drum/percussion breaks, proggy guitar solos and overall experimental nature.
Mine, too. I have the original 12" of it, then the pretty rare cd single "P:Machinery T-Empo Remix" that also had it. Now, it's on the Secret Wish Deluxe Edition cd reissue , but it was hard to find on cd until then. I like the "Beta wrap-around" mix as well.