Propaganda - A Secret Wish

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Lost Monkey, Jan 5, 2013.

  1. Lost Monkey

    Lost Monkey Forum Resident Thread Starter

    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?
     
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  2. 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
     
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  3. reapers

    reapers Forum Resident

    Location:
    Michigander
    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.
     
  4. Willowman

    Willowman Senior Member

    Location:
    London, UK
    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.
     
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  5. Lost Monkey

    Lost Monkey Forum Resident Thread Starter


    Wow - great description! I just listened to "Wishful Thinking" (vinyl) and fell in love with it all over again too...
     
  6. reapers

    reapers Forum Resident

    Location:
    Michigander
  7. Lost Monkey

    Lost Monkey Forum Resident Thread Starter

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  8. peteneatneat

    peteneatneat Forum Resident

    Location:
    Liverpool UK
    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.
     
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  9. eelkiller

    eelkiller One of the great unwashed

    Location:
    Northern Ontario
    I love the album, it is a good demo disc for equipment IMO. I just listened to the SACD last night
     
  10. marke

    marke Forum Resident

    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.
     
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  11. Runt

    Runt Senior Member

    Location:
    Motor City
    Love this album and have always found it quite proggy.
     
  12. Mondie

    Mondie Forum Resident

    The recent vinyl 25yr reissue is superb, love this album, grab it while its in print.
     
  13. Lazlo Nibble

    Lazlo Nibble Forum Resident

    Location:
    Denver, Colorado
    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. :laugh:
     
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  14. marke

    marke Forum Resident

    I believe the 2010 reissue has every version of the songs and alternate mixes. I was so glad that album was put out again.
     
  15. jsayers

    jsayers Just Drifting....

    Location:
    Horse Shoe, NC
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  16. HiFi Guy 008

    HiFi Guy 008 Forum Resident

    Location:
    New England
  17. jsayers

    jsayers Just Drifting....

    Location:
    Horse Shoe, NC
    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! :wave:

    If you've never been there, see for yourself :

    http://www.studio-nibble.com/lazlo-bin/discogs
     
  18. Lazlo Nibble

    Lazlo Nibble Forum Resident

    Location:
    Denver, Colorado
    Thanks, J. Those discographies are waaaaay out of date, FWIW. :sigh:
     
  19. jsayers

    jsayers Just Drifting....

    Location:
    Horse Shoe, NC
    I noticed that. Still very comprehensive for all the relevant early/original stuff or releases issued.
     
  20. Willowman

    Willowman Senior Member

    Location:
    London, UK
    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.
     
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  21. vince

    vince Stan Ricker's son-in-law

    So, which 'comp' has the orchestra 'freak-out' that came at the end of "Femme Fatal" on the original 12" of "Mabuse"?
     
  22. ippudo

    ippudo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Berlin, Germany
    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!" :winkgrin: 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.
     
  23. jsayers

    jsayers Just Drifting....

    Location:
    Horse Shoe, NC
    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. :)
     
    ippudo likes this.
  24. ippudo

    ippudo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Berlin, Germany
    That one's brilliant as well, yes!
     

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