SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE ALARM – MUSIC TELEVISION

THE ALARM
MUSIC TELEVISION
TWENTY FIRST CENTURY RECORDINGS

Music Television is an interesting, and to be honest, unexpected album from The Alarm. On this album, Mike Peters and company tackle cover versions of 1980s songs that were known for their video as well as the actual song. These are classic 1980s songs that were on high rotation of MTV and MuchMusic. This album is also a nod and tribute to an era long gone, as music television no longer exists. One can only see music videos on Youtube. But there was a time when a video could make or break a song. But what The Alarm have done is chosen songs that can and do exist without an accompanying video. The Alarm take these video classics and go back to a time when one listened to an album.

The one new song on the album, “Live Today, Love Tomorrow” is the strongest song on the album, as Peters is an incredible writer and he says a lot in a few words. There is one other original, a live recording of the wonderful Alarm song “Transition”, which comes alive in the performance. As for cover versions, his choices are very cool and not at all predictable. He tackles some electro beat songs, such as Belouis Some’s “Imagination” and goth songs like Gene Loves Jezebel’s “Screaming For Emmalene” which is performed to perfection (Gene Loves Jezebel and Some were scheduled for the tour with The Alarm). The inclusion of “Fame” to “Imagination” is wonderful and adds a great deal to the song. The cover of INXS’s “Don’t Change”, to my ears, is better than the original. The Alarm brings energy and a touch of melancholy to the song. Mike Peter’s vocals are very strong, and it all comes together. While their cover of “In The Air Tonight” is somewhat faithful to the original, but again, Peters puts his own unique spin on it and turns into something rather dramatic.

The song that may attract a great deal of attention is The Alarm’s take on “Beat It”. Peters tackles it very seriously and the result is a really rocking version of the song with a bluesy feel. Their version of “The Man Who Sold The World” is quite stirring, with a brilliant string arrangement and sparse feel. It has more in common with Midge Ure’s version than Nirvana’s or even David Bowie’s original. Again, it is Peters’ vocals that make the song and add the extra emotion and ambience. There are very creepy moments in the song and a sly reference to “Space Oddity”. The ending of the song comes out of the blue and works in so many ways.

Albums full of cover versions are always quite risky. With Music Television succeeds as The Alarm don’t rewrite the songs and make them unrecognizable, nor do they do straight covers that have one reaching for the original. Rather, they have taken the songs, and adapted them so the songs come together and become a new album from The Alarm. Peters layers each song and strays away from making it a retro album, but rather giving the songs a new lease on life. Quite frankly, once the song got going the original was forgotten. A great album.

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