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New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)

Simple Minds

1982

New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)
Album Summary

New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84) is the fifth studio album by Scottish band Simple Minds. The album was released in September 1982 by record label Virgin, and was a turning point for the band as they gained critical and commercial success in the UK and Europe.

Wikipedia

Rating

2.95

Votes

10123
Genres
Rock
New Wave
Pop

Reviews

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Wed Nov 17 2021
5

This couldn't be more of its time if it tried. It's the musical equivalent of Molly Ringwald doing a Jane Fonda workout while wearing leg warmers and a Walkman. Very 1980s. But the 1980s was the best era for music (it just was alright), so that's just fine.

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Thu Jan 26 2023
2

This album slipped across my mind without leaving any trace of it's time there.

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Mon May 10 2021
5

In listening to this for the first time in nearly 40 years my observations are 1) Jim Kerr's voice is just sooo smoooth, nothing like their first few albums, it's like he hired Mel Torme or Brian Ferry as a vocal coach 2) the band lays down beautiful textures and is happy to stay in the background and let Kerr sing 3) There are so many pop hooks and pop songs in general (!) - it's like they are shooting for that massive hit that would be heard in grocery stores and bus stations for decades to come, but that was still a year or two away. Sue says their prior album was better, which I can't disagree with, and smoe fans would have been disappointed by the less-edgy sound of this album. Before I gave it too high a mark I wanted to make sure the lyrics weren't fluff so I looked up King is White and in the Crowd - it's about the assassination of Anwar Sadat. Good enough for me.

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Tue Jun 08 2021
1

“ We heard the deacon's hopeful eulogy/ At least in dying you don't have to deal with New Wave for a second time” - The Hold Steady, “Multitude of Casualties” Hard to argue with that sentiment when an album like this comes along. This list is bloated with indistinguishable New Wave records, and this one in particular seems to revel in the genre’s worst overindulgences. Some of the instrumentation is interesting in a sort of curio way, but there was nothing here to make me want to listen again. Favourite track: “Promised You A Miracle”

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Thu Jul 15 2021
5

Richly textured beautifully crafted songs making for a complete, cohesive album.

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Tue Feb 23 2021
2

Couple of amazing singles and a big load of rubbish

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Thu Aug 11 2022
5

Every song sounds like it's going to be "Relax" by Frankie goes to Hollywood, but they always turn out to be better.

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Wed Oct 05 2022
5

I along with most people really only know their one big hit, Don't You (Forget About Me), so this was a real treat to hear the band a few years prior. First thing of note to me was how involved the bass playing is; every song has a slick bass line that drives them forward. The layering of the mix with different synth sounds along with the rest of the band makes for a really fun soundscape that shifts with each song. Overall I’d say I was definitely not expecting 80’s pop to be so fine tuned; make no mistake, this is an album firmly planted in the 80’s, but even 40 years on now, it still sounds great. Extra points for so many of the album's 9 songs hitting the 5-minute mark. Top pick from first listen is "Colours Fly and Catherine Wheel." Even though this is the shortest song, the bass line drives the groove right from the get-go, the drum playing perfectly syncopated and I love the sparse hits from the synth, it creates such a vibe. Shout out to the single "Glittering Prize" and it’s ethereal like synths and constantly moving bass line.

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Fri Dec 09 2022
4

A great groover that earns itself a solid, strong 4 from me. Really easy to make a mediocre muck of this genre, but they do it right with catchy hooks, varied production backing the synth-i-ness of it all, and a dramatically romantic lead with a brass voice. No moments where they go above and beyond to me, feels more slow burn on the dance floor in a drug haze type vibes, so at 4 it stays. Standout Tracks: Someone Somewhere In Summertime, Promised You A Miracle, Somebody up There Likes You, Hunter And The Hunted

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Sat May 01 2021
2

I just can't stand those 80's synths... this, as much of the decade stuff i've been hearing just did not age well

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Thu Sep 17 2020
4

Really didn't think I'd like it but, actually did.

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Wed Mar 23 2022
5

One of my favourite new-wave albums.

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Mon Dec 18 2023
4

The version of this I listened to showed a 2016 date. I kept saying to myself, “Wow, this sounds a lot like early 80s electronica, but better.” Turns out I was listening to a re-release…or AppleMusic has the wrong date. Either way when I realized it was released in 1982, everything made more sense. New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84) stands above most 80s electronica for me, especially tracks like Someone Somewhere, Hunter and Hunted, and the title track. I can hear snippets of Chromatics, a modern electronica band I dig, in this album. The bass guitar is badass. It carries the album. Derek Forbes, take a bow. The producer, Peter Walsh, should also be commended for pushing the bass so far forward in the mix.

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Wed Mar 03 2021
2

I don't like Simple Minds. It's a band that once was great and then... it's just not even ok. I see this album as the begining of their decadence.

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Tue May 04 2021
1

Shite, twaddle, and unredeemable, synthetic trash.

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Tue Nov 10 2020
1

Horrible album cover! Nothing standing out for me on this one.

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Wed Mar 10 2021
5

Brilliant. Was brilliant when released, and still is today

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Fri Nov 19 2021
5

I've always loved this band. This is a great album.

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Tue Aug 16 2022
5

Magnificent as is this band as well.

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Sun Sep 11 2022
5

oh nice, that one-hit-wonder band this album was really good, I’m not too picky when it comes to this genre solid 9/10

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Thu Nov 24 2022
5

Wonderful in the day. Lots of good songs.

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Fri Dec 30 2022
5

LOVE 80s synth pop. Really enjoyed this!!

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Wed Mar 08 2023
5

I love this album, capturing a moment where the chilly Euro-fluenced dance music they'd been perfecting on Empires and Dance and the Sister Feelings Call set thaw out with a new pop sensibility. It's really one mood, with pop sunshine ('Miracle') and longer more abstract tracks (King Is White) moving the dial back and forth but never leaving the unique mood they create on this album. From hereon in the law of diminishing artistic returns/bigger sales would kick in, as their writing and arrangements became simpler. But marvel at how complete an achievement this is.

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Fri May 12 2023
5

Brilliant 80's album! Every track is good.

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Fri May 12 2023
5

Iconic music executed at its best. One of my all time favourite groups, who produced a quality of sound that is as fresh today as it was 40 years ago.

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Mon Sep 04 2023
5

My favourite Simple Minds album used to be Once Upon a Time (I like the commercial Big Music sound). Then it became this album (the consensus album) but ultimately would go for Real to Real Cacophony. All three albums are very different from each other, but obviously 5 stars. There is not a single weak track on New Gold Dream and the songs are in the "right" order. A perfect album. Overall score: 10/10.

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Thu Sep 21 2023
5

I was surprised how gorgeous, lush and catchy so many songs were from this album. I genuinely went in with the presumption that Simple Minds were a one hit wonder, and here I am leaving with more songs that I genuinely prefer Don't you (forget about me). It's a wonderful cosmonaut of an album that leaves you entranced in it's simple but beautiful synths. It's not only so great on first listen but I think I'm definitely going to be coming back to this regularly. I do however wish the vocals were a little louder or present. I think the group could've put them a bit more into the centre focus. But first impressions are good, I was not expecting this to be one of my favorites of the previous albums I've listened to. And if you just want to listen to some genuinely great synth pop, go nuts!

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Tue Oct 17 2023
5

I love New Wave so I was bound to enjoy this. The use of actual drums really helps this album, and the bass and guitar parts both jump out as particularly fantastic as well. I can definitely see the influence this album had.

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Fri Nov 03 2023
5

An absolutely fantastic album for New Wave alternative. 3 absolutely undeniably great and catchy songs, and the rest exude a kind of haunting electronic beat that makes it a great listen.

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Sun Nov 19 2023
5

First of all, those bass lines! 🤌 I hadn't heard this one at all before, although I of course I knew and liked Don't You Forget About Me. This is one of the dreamier and more ethereal 80s pop/new-wave albums I've heard up to this point... Which of course means it's right up my alley. Sparkling 80s synth + chugging funky bass + layers of reverb + smooth vocals... I mean, yeah, that's plenty enough to love for me already.

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Wed Jan 31 2024
5

This album is awesome. Sound slike billy idol a bit

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Fri Nov 27 2020
4

This one was fun. I liked quite a few of the songs and added them to some playlists. While it's not a favorite album, I think it's one I will return to.

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Tue Jun 15 2021
4

Pretty strong 80s vibes. New age and movie like soundtrack tunes

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Fri Mar 05 2021
4

badass synth pop that must have sounded like the future in 1982 fav track: promised you a miracle

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Mon Jun 14 2021
4

I enjoy this sort of thing. Drama and all. Like the prominent bass. Perhaps it sticks out more in contrast to the synths than it would to the more common guitar centered rock sound? Elements sound balanced and clear. Reminds me of Roxy Music quite a bit. I also like when there's a single instrumental track on an album like here.

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Fri Apr 30 2021
4

This is a very 80s sound. Daughter and I enjoyed it as background music.

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Thu Jun 10 2021
4

Only know this band for the one hit, but this is a very enjoyable album. I was fully prepared for some christian rock based on this cover though. Very smooth '80s new wave, or "art pop" as they seem to call it. I'd put it in the same camp as that Steve McQueen album from Prefab Sprouts. Really, really loved "Glittering Prize." Favorite tracks: Glittering Prize, Someone Somewhere, Promised You a Miracle, Somebody Up There Likes You. Album art: It's so obviously designed to look like the hymnal books at church, I really love it. I'd never even thought of the idea of interpolating that art style. I still don't think it "fits" the music necessarily, but I think this one is super cool. 4/5

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Fri Mar 19 2021
4

Pleasant semi-atmospheric rock. Not life-changing, but maybe a good album to put on while working when you don't want to get distracted.

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Mon May 10 2021
4

I remember almost 40 years ago (OMG!) first listening to this album and being completely blown away by it. So much that I wrote a letter to the band gushing about how brilliant it was. That was a first (and last) for me. Back then I would have given it 5 stars instantly. Listening to it again now I find that some of the singles such as Promised you a miracle didn’t age too well and I cringe a bit at the overly pretentious lyrics and Jim Kerr’s 80s “New Romantic” singing style. However there are some real gems on this and I really like the more atmospheric and moody pieces such as Someone Somewhere, Big Sleep, Somebody up there and Hunter and the Hunted. It’s good to hear that the deep and propulsive bass and drums throughout the album still hit the spot.

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Wed May 12 2021
4

Loving the new wave/synth from this album. I have of course heard some Simple Minds. But not a ton. Now it’s time to look through more of their discography.

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Tue Jul 27 2021
4

Een 3,5. Maar omdat ik in het voorjaar naar een concert van ze ga, rond ik het af naar boven.

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Tue Jul 27 2021
4

Een voor mij wel ondergewaardeerde band. Hoe meer ik naar hun (vooral oudere) werk luister hoe beter ik het ga vinden. Goeie sound!

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Fri Aug 13 2021
4

Yllättävän hyvää kasaripaukuttelua.

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Sun Sep 05 2021
4

Overall this album was solid. Classic new wave. I enjoyed it, though I can't say I would revisit every single song on this album. 4/5 stars.

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Fri Sep 10 2021
4

Straight up 80s sound. That is not a bad thing. It's got the digital-sounding background with some funkiness to it.

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Fri Sep 17 2021
4

Beautiful, energetic, cutting edge

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Wed Sep 29 2021
4

kinda hesitating between 3 and 4 (again!). A bit soft rock, but I like softness every once in a while

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Sun Nov 07 2021
4

I’ve never listened to Simple Minds beyond the obvious hits before. Probably shouldn’t be surprised by how much I enjoyed this. Both the music and the vocal are pure 80s New Wave vibe.

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Fri Nov 12 2021
4

Resulta que me gustó un disco de Synth Pop ochentero. No lo imaginaba, pero (en la versión normal sin tracks extra) está bastante disfrutable y se va como agua. Mucho mejor que casi todo lo de la época que hemos oído.

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Wed Nov 24 2021
4

Better than I expected, not as bombastic

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Sun Nov 28 2021
4

Een beetje eenheidssoep, maar wel genietbaar

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Wed Dec 08 2021
4

Gold by name….. this is the transition album between post punk and stadium rock. Fantastic blend!

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Thu Jan 06 2022
4

Naf as fuck but spawned one of my favourite 90s dance tracks and the rest is decent. I'm feeling generous.

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Thu Jan 20 2022
4

I have a friend who loves this album but I'd never listened to it. Now I see why she loves it. It's a super cool new wave work, with a title that deftly looks forward to the future.

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Wed Mar 09 2022
4

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Someone somewhere

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Sat Apr 09 2022
4

Classic album from the '80s. Loved this at the time, still do. Has some f the 80s dated feel, but fares a lot better than most.

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Wed Apr 20 2022
4

It took me a minute to get into, but once I did I really enjoyed. I get some Jim Morrison vibes from the lead singer. The music itself is a hypnotizing pulsating blend of new wave and synth pop. Though the use of synth and echo dates the album a bit, it comes together very well. The arrangement is careful and deliberate and creates a sense of suspension and release throughout.

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Fri Apr 22 2022
4

This one really surprised me at just how good it is. The songs are excellent, the playing...particularly bass and drums absolutely first rate and funky as hell. Jim Kerr hasn't quite found his trademark voice, sometimes sounding like Howard DeSoto, but you definitely see the arena rock mega stars that's to come. An excellent 80s rock album. 4.5 🌟

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Sun May 15 2022
4

they had a vey unique sound that conjures up dark and brooding places but without the gloom of the goths

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Wed Jun 01 2022
4

This was a surprise for me. Enjoyed it quite a bit.

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Wed Jun 08 2022
4

Återigen, ett pangalbum? Det är så otippat att dessa är samma grabbar som gjorde don't you (forget about me)?? älskar älskar new wave

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Thu Jun 16 2022
4

This is a sold 3.5 star album.

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Thu Jun 23 2022
4

Perfect distillation of the 80s sound

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Thu Jun 23 2022
4

This one really surprised me at just how good it is. The songs are excellent, the playing...particularly bass and drums absolutely first rate and funky as hell. Jim Kerr hasn't quite found his trademark voice, sometimes sounding like Howard DeVoto, but you definitely see the arena rock mega stardom that's to come. An excellent 80s rock album. 4.5 🌟

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Mon Aug 22 2022
4

I don't know if I've heard more than one song from Simple Minds, and sometimes it takes me a minute to remember that that one song is from Simple Minds. Similar to the Pyschodelic Furs, Simple Minds are a band that I think I like, but I don't know enough of their catalog. I was pleasantly surprised by the album New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84). Their sound definitely takes me back to the 80s because I was present for what was on the radio at the time, and not because the tracks sounded like they are STUCK in the 80s. New Gold Dream could fit in with what's on the radio today. The album is consistently good or better. I found myself enjoying the album more as I continued to listen. My favorite tracks were "Somebody Up There Likes You (Instrumental)", "New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84)", and "Glittering Prize". I could easily listen to this album again.

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Mon Sep 19 2022
4

Definitely one of the most important new wave records of that time and maybe the best album by Simple Minds. This is a project which every pop music's fan really should enjoy, because this is a very well produced LP of that genre.

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Thu Oct 06 2022
4

I really enjoyed this album. The bass was great throughout each track. The only thing was that I had a difficult time hearing the lyrics.

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Fri Oct 07 2022
4

I really enjoyed the sound they make, quite 80s so nostalgic but more than that. 4*

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Wed Nov 02 2022
4

I can't tell if I genuinely liked this or if, due to my age, I am predisposed to feeling comforted by 80's synths and Jim Kerr's voice so there are may be two stars of bias in this rating.

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Fri Nov 04 2022
4

- симпатично - даже как депеш мод - британцы все ясно ;)))

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Wed Nov 09 2022
4

A band I'd tried getting into on the premise I was missing something. Conjures memories of the 80's and John Hughes movies but there's a lot more going on behind the facade. The hits are a real treat but the rest is a bit hit and miss as you'd expect. All in all this is high-end 80's New Wave.

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Wed Nov 16 2022
4

Photographing SM at a Day on the Green a few years ago (with the B-52s supporting) was one of life's great thrills. This is the album when they start to morph into the 80s stadium band they became. Some great songs - the title track, Glittering Prize, Promised You a Miracle - but not their best album. I prefer its predecessor, Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call, which, like their earlier albums, is a lot more 'Kraut-y' (if such a word exists). Some good footage of them on the Tube playing these songs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK-thT2IaaA with their best line-up.

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Wed Nov 30 2022
4

De sacrées bonnes synthpoperies qui auront trouvé leur public au creux de mes oreilles crasseuses.

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Thu Dec 08 2022
4

I like most 80's music and I have always liked Simple Minds just fine. I was the exact right age for Breakfast Club so there's that. Anyway, this is *very* 80's and I enjoyed it completely. I am not particularly convinced this album belongs on this list but I'm happy to have had it brought to my attention.

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Mon Dec 19 2022
4

Pure, shiny, hook-driven pop, and that is by no means a bad thing. Jim Kerr sounds great here.

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Fri Feb 03 2023
4

Holds up well, especially the relatively complex rhythms and the understated guitar work, which one sometimes must strain to hear over the synths, which never reach "ultimate '80s" degrees off cheesiness but are maybe more prominent than might be considered absolutely ideal. Kerr is a strong vocalist, believable, concerned sounding, a less showy Bono. One wishes there was an auto production filter to hear what this record, made with the studio tech available today or in the aughts, might have sounded. One suspects they were great live and wishes one had seen them so. And hey editors, they ruled more in the early and mid-80s, not late.

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Mon Feb 06 2023
4

Stylish and atmospheric, ‘New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)’ is up there with ‘The Lexicon Of Love’ by ABC and ‘Dare’ by The Human League as the best of the quintessential pop/synth/new wave albums from the early 80s.

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