Afternoons in Utopia

Last updated

Afternoons in Utopia
AlphavilleAIU.jpg
Studio album by
Released5 June 1986
RecordedSeptember 1985 – May 1986
Genre
Length46:36
Label Warner / Atlantic
Producer Peter Walsh, Wolfgang Loos, Steve Thompson, Michael Barbiero
Alphaville chronology
Forever Young
(1984)
Afternoons in Utopia
(1986)
Alphaville Amiga Compilation
(1988)
Singles from Afternoons in Utopia
  1. "Dance with Me"
    Released: March 1986
  2. "Universal Daddy"
    Released: June 1986
  3. "Jerusalem"
    Released: November 1986
  4. "Sensations"
    Released: December 1986
  5. "Red Rose"
    Released: April 1987

Afternoons in Utopia is the second album by German synth-pop band Alphaville, released in 1986 via Warner Music. The album was recorded between September 1985 and May 1986. [1]

Contents

A remastered and re-released version of the album, on both CD and vinyl, was released on 7 May 2021. [2]

Background

Afternoons in Utopia is the follow-up to Alphaville's successful first album, Forever Young . [3] Singer/songwriter Marian Gold said of these albums, "our first album emerged from the smut of the Here and Now and our second led back to our roots in Sugar Candy Mountain", [3] and the band employed no less than 27 guest musicians and singers to record the songs. [1] Alphaville released five singles from the album: "Dance with Me", "Universal Daddy", "Jerusalem", "Sensations" and "Red Rose", with all but "Sensations" charting internationally.

The album was remastered and re-released in May 2021 and includes the original album, plus "14 remastered B-sides, 12-inch and seven-inch remixes, demos and a rare live version of the single 'Dance With Me'. [2] The release was overseen by original band members Gold and Bernhard Lloyd, and was remastered by Lloyd and Stefan Betke. [4]

Reviews

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]

Reviews for this album were again generally positive, with one reviewer saying "at points things are just bad yup-funk for wine bars, but a couple of misfires aside, Afternoons in Utopia holds up well" and "in retrospect it's actually a successful endeavour, perfectly evocative of a mainstream style." [6] The album finished in the Top 20 in five European countries and at #174 the US. Another reviewer points out that "by the time of this album's 1986 release, synth-pop was no longer a chart concern." [7]

Album notes

The album's lyrics make several references to cosmic entities ("sci-fi" as one reviewer called it), [6] including comets, the planet Mars and its landscape, and a starship. When the word "smile" is used in the songs "Afternoons in Utopia," "Lassie Come Home," and "Red Rose," it's printed in the liner notes as the acronym S.M.I².L.E., a reference to Timothy Leary, which stands for "Space Migration, Increased Intelligence, [and] Life Extension." [1]

Marian Gold, singer and songwriter for the band, acknowledged that the message of their music was different from their previous album with this comment which accompanied the song "Sensations" in the liner notes for the 1992 release First Harvest 1984-92: "Sometimes people used to say, 'Have they gone crazy now? Talking with dolphins and all that!!' But I think that once we've learned the language of the dolphins - this mutual approach - that could be the moment of significant change in our messed up civilization. [8]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Marian Gold, Bernhard Lloyd and Ricky Echolette, except as noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."IAO" 0:42
2."Fantastic Dream" 3:56
3."Jerusalem" 4:09
4."Dance With Me" 3:59
5."Afternoons in Utopia" 3:08
6."Sensations" 4:24
7."20th Century" 1:25
8."The Voyager" 4:37
9."Carol Masters" 4:32
10."Universal Daddy" 3:57
11."Lassie Come Home" 6:59
12."Red Rose" 4:05
13."Lady Bright"Albert & The Heart of Gold0:43

2021 Remaster

The first disc of the 2021 remaster is the same as the original 1986 release.

Disc Two
No.TitleLength
1."Dance with Me (Empire Remix)"8:14
2."Universal Daddy (Aquarian Dance Mix)"6:16
3."Jerusalem (The Palace Version)"6:17
4."Sensations (Club Mix)"6:08
5."Red Rose (The Remix)"7:53
6."The Nelson Highrise (Sector 2: The Mirror)" (B-side to "Dance with Me")3:43
7."Next Generation" (B-side to "Universal Daddy" and the US release of "Red Rose")3:58
8."Vingt Mille Lieues Sous Les Mers (Incl. The Nelson Highrise (Sector 3: The Garage))" (B-side to "Jerusalem" and "Sensations")5:00
9."Big Yello Sun (Concrete Soundtraxx for Imaginary Films I)" (B-side to the European release of "Red Rose")6:47
10."Red Rose (7" Remix)"4:36
11."Sensations (7" Remix)"4:13
12."Carol Masters (Original Demo)"4:08
13."Lassie Come Home (Original Demo)"7:25
14."Dance with Me (Unplugged - Live in Salt Lake City 1999)"4:49

The first song on the album, "IAO" ("International Aquarian Opera"), begins with the word "night" and fades into the short IAO chorus, which itself is a lyric from the song "Afternoons in Utopia". The album ends with the song "Lady Bright", a limerick about relativity, wherein the Lady Bright leaves one day and returns "the previous ...[night]", with the word "night" omitted, thus the album loops back to its beginning.

The song "Afternoons in Utopia" is dedicated "For Inka" in the liner notes for the album.

Chart positions

Chart (1986)Peak
position
Germany Albums Chart [9] 13
Italy Albums Chart41
Norway Albums Chart [10] 8
Sweden Albums Chart [11] 7
Switzerland Albums Chart [12] 12
US Billboard 200 [13] 174
Chart (2021)Peak
position
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) [14] 14

Album credits

Afternoons in Utopia was composed by Marian Gold, Bernhard Lloyd, and Ricky Echolette. All songs produced by Peter Walsh except where noted. [1]

Related Research Articles

Alphaville (band) German synth-pop band

Alphaville is a German synth-pop band formed in Münster in 1982. They gained popularity in the 1980s. The group was founded by singer Marian Gold, Bernhard Lloyd, and Frank Mertens. They achieved chart success with the singles "Forever Young", "Big in Japan", "Sounds Like a Melody", "The Jet Set" and "Dance with Me". Gold remains the only continuous member of Alphaville.

<i>Kaleidoscope World</i> (Swing Out Sister album) 1989 studio album by Swing Out Sister

Kaleidoscope World is the second studio album by the British band Swing Out Sister. It was released in 1989 and features the singles "You on My Mind", "Where in the World?", "Forever Blue", and "Waiting Game". With the addition of an orchestra, this album features a more sophisticated, easy listening/retro sound than their previous synth-oriented debut album, 1987's It's Better to Travel. The album reached #9 on the UK Albums Chart.

<i>Radio Musicola</i> 1986 studio album by Nik Kershaw

Radio Musicola is the third studio album by the English singer-songwriter Nik Kershaw. It was originally released in October 1986, on the label MCA Records, just under two years after Kershaw's previous album, The Riddle. It was the first album to be produced by Kershaw. It features guest backing vocalists, including Icehouse's Iva Davies, and Night's Stevie Lange, and Miriam Stockley.

The Bleeding Heart Band was the name Roger Waters gave his backing band for a brief period of his post-Pink Floyd solo career.

<i>Spoiled Girl</i> 1985 studio album by Carly Simon

Spoiled Girl is the 12th studio album by the American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Epic Records, in June 1985.

<i>Affirmation</i> (Beverley Knight album) 2004 studio album by Beverley Knight

Affirmation is the fourth studio album by British singer-songwriter Beverley Knight. It was released by Parlophone Records on 28 June 2004 in the United Kingdom. The album peaked at number 11 on the UK Albums Chart, while reaching number 83 in Switzerland. Affirmation was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on 2 July 2004, less than a week after the album was released, and had reached gold staus by December 2004. It features three hit singles, "Come As You Are", "Not Too Late for Love" and "Keep This Fire Burning", which all entered the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart.

<i>The Breathtaking Blue</i> 1989 studio album by Alphaville

The Breathtaking Blue is the third album by German synth-pop band Alphaville, released in April 1989. A companion video, Songlines, was released in September 1989. The CD release of this album was one of the first commercial CD+G format discs. Alphaville released three singles from the album, "Romeos", "Summer Rain" and "Mysteries of Love", the first of which charted internationally.

<i>Islands</i> (Kajagoogoo album) 1984 studio album by Kajagoogoo/Kaja

Islands is the second album by English new wave band Kajagoogoo, released on 21 May 1984 on the EMI label.

<i>Time for Fantasy</i> 1988 studio album by Amii Stewart

Time for Fantasy is a studio album by Amii Stewart released in 1988. One of the ballads, "I Still Believe," which had already become a major hit for pop singer Brenda K. Starr in 1987, was also covered by Mariah Carey some ten years later. The album has been re-released as Dusty Road, Heartache To Heartache, Run In The Night and It's Fantasy.

<i>Indigo</i> (Matt Bianco album) 1988 studio album by Matt Bianco

Indigo is the third album by British pop/jazz/soul/dance band Matt Bianco, released in July 1988.

<i>In Your Eyes</i> (George Benson album) 1983 studio album by George Benson

In Your Eyes is a 1983 album by George Benson. It is his only album produced by producer Arif Mardin. It includes the hit "Lady Love Me ". The title track would later be covered by Jeffrey Osborne for his 1986 album Emotional.

<i>Lets Boogie</i> 1987 studio album by Shakin Stevens

Let's Boogie is an album by Welsh rock and roll singer Shakin' Stevens, released in October 1987 by Epic Records. It peaked at number 59 on the UK Albums Chart.

<i>Big Thing</i> (Blue Zone album) 1988 studio album by Blue Zone

Big Thing is the debut album by Lisa Stansfield's band, Blue Zone. It was released by Arista Records in June 1988. The songs were written by Blue Zone members: Stansfield, Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, and produced by Paul Staveley O'Duffy. The album also includes one cover, "Jackie," co-produced by Ric Wake. Big Thing spawned three singles: "On Fire," "Thinking About His Baby" and "Jackie." A remastered and expanded deluxe 2-CD set was released in the United Kingdom on 18 November 2016; it was the album's first release in the band's native country.

<i>Snowfall on the Sahara</i> 1999 studio album by Natalie Cole

Snowfall on the Sahara is a studio album by American singer Natalie Cole. It was released by Elektra Records on June 22, 1999 in the United States.

<i>Love Makes No Sense</i> 1993 studio album by Alexander ONeal

Love Makes No Sense is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Alexander O'Neal. The album was O'Neal's final release for Tabu, and his first album made without formal production from Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

<i>Postcards from Home</i> 1986 studio album by Nick Heyward

Postcards from Home is the second solo album by English singer-songwriter Nick Heyward. It was released in October 1986 through Arista Records and produced two UK chart singles, ‘’Over the Weekend’’ (#43) and ‘’Goodbye Yesterday’’ (#82).

<i>Chapter and Verse</i> (Bruce Springsteen album) 2016 compilation album by Bruce Springsteen

Chapter and Verse is a compilation album by Bruce Springsteen that was released on September 23, 2016. The album is a companion piece to Springsteen's 500-plus-page autobiography, Born to Run, which was released four days later. The career-spanning album features eighteen songs handpicked by Springsteen, five of which have never been released. The album contains Springsteen's earliest recording from 1966 and late '60s/early '70s songs from his tenure in The Castiles, Steel Mill and The Bruce Springsteen Band along with his first 1972 demos for Columbia Records and songs from his studio albums from 1973 until 2012.

<i>Love Remembers</i> (album) 1993 studio album by George Benson

Love Remembers is the 28th album by George Benson, released June 8, 1993. This album charted at No. 1 on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Albums chart, as well as No. 7 on its Jazz Albums chart.

<i>Brothers Keeper</i> (Neville Brothers album) 1990 studio album by The Neville Brothers

Brother's Keeper is the fifth studio album by the New Orleans band, The Neville Brothers. It was released in 1990 on A&M Records.

<i>Black Is the Night: The Definitive Anthology</i> 2019 album

Black Is the Night: The Definitive Anthology is a 2-CD, career-spanning compilation album by the British rock band the Damned, released on 1 November 2019. It collects tracks from most of the band's studio albums between 1977 and 2018, as well as selected non-album singles and B-sides. It also includes the new track "Black Is the Night". Of the band's eleven studio albums to date, Not of This Earth (1995) and So, Who's Paranoid? (2008) are not represented on the anthology. All tracks were chosen by the band themselves, and sequenced thematically instead of chronologically.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Afternoons in Utopia (CD liner notes). Alphaville. Warner / Atlantic. 1986.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. 1 2 Sinclair, Paul (5 March 2021). "Alphaville / Afternoons in Utopia and The Breathtaking Blue reissues" . Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Alphaville announce new remastered Deluxe Editions". 25 March 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  4. Afternoons in Utopia (2021 remaster) (CD liner notes). Alphaville. WEA / Rhino. 2021.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. Allmusic review
  6. 1 2 "All Music Guide". answers.com.
  7. "MusicFolio". musicfolio.com.
  8. First Harvest 1984-92 liner notes
  9. "German chart". Charts-Surfer. Archived from the original on 28 June 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
  10. "Norwegian albums chart". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
  11. "Swedish albums chart". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
  12. "Swiss albums chart". Die Offizielle Schweizer Hitparade. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
  13. "Artist Chart History: Albums". Billboard charts . Retrieved 1 July 2009.
  14. "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2021. 19. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved May 21, 2021.