THE HUMAN LEAGUE
The Virgin Years (UME)
In 1981, The Human League released Dare: a record that marked a pivotal shift in the group’s sound and image, following a change in lineup. The departure of future Heaven 17 members Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware, and the arrival of Joanne Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley, saw a move to more commercial waters, and what would become a classic synthpop signature.
With an unquestionable lasting influence on pop music, the impact of Dare – fronted by vocalist Phil Oakey – can be traced in the decades since its release and the album launched a prosperous career for the group in the decade that followed, collected on this new vinyl box set, The Virgin Years.
The Virgin Years opens with Dare, a particularly impressive album to kick off with and one which introduces listeners to Don’t You Want Me and Love Action (I Believe In Love), among a shimmering tracklist of others. Following the album, The Human League’s Virgin contract yielded 1984’s Hysteria, which offered Louise and The Lebanon; the mature Crash from 1986, that notably spawned Human; and 1990’s long-awaited Romantic? – plus 1983 EP Fascination, which featured the eponymous single as well as Mirror Man.
This new limited edition set amounts to a treasure chest of the band’s Virgin discography, beautifully presented with original artwork and each album pressed on different coloured vinyl. A fantastic homage to The Human League’s work in the 1980s – four records (and one EP) that shaped British popular music in the late 20th century – The Virgin Years is a collector’s essential.
words CHLOË EDWARDS
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