TCCDM Pulls One Out..."The Age Of Plastic" - Buggles (1980)

"The Age Of Plastic" - Buggles (1980)

     Geoff Downes and Trevor Horn were the Buggles.  The duo delivered some cool electronic new wave with a tasty synth-pop bend.  Their first album, "The Age Of Plastic" has a very cool futuristic aura, but not cold.  The songs thread their way around the room in a spacey, dream-filled fashion with added hints of tension throughout.  Subtle, not jarring.  The mix is sweet with groovy sound effects and the vinyl really brings it all out.  Nothing wasted.  The square is a cool snapshot vibe-of-the-times and it still tastes great. 

The album's most famous track, "Video Killed The Radio Star" became a time-stamp for the introduction of video music and is still one of the best pop songs to come out of the eighties.  I never tire of it.  But "The Age Of Plastic" is much more than just that song.  I was surprised by how entertaining this album was.  It's a spin for fun as well as for some active listening.  

"The Age Of Plastic" - Buggles (back)

Favorites include: (Of course "Video Killed The Radio Star")
But other gems include...
"Living in the Plastic Age"
"Clean, Clean"
"Elstree"
"Astroboy (And The Proles On Parade)"

My copy is a 1983 reissue on the purple Island label with a skyscraper.  The "SRC" stamped in deadwax denotes a Specialty Records Corporation pressing.  The vinyl loves the needle and sounds fantastic.  Geoff Downes and Trevor Horn were no hacks.  Both were asked to join Yes while the band was recording their album, "Drama." (Let that sink in a moment.)  Downes was also a founding member of the band Asia among numerous other projects.  Horn has been a full-time award-winning producer for decades.  This square was had for a $2 steal.   

Island Records label

Cat #
90090-1
SIDE 1  DEADWAX
ST-IL- 835181 A  SRC  1-1  STERLING
SIDE 2  DEADWAX
ST-IL- 83 5182 A  1-2  SRC stamped

"Clean Clean" - Buggles / "The Age Of Plastic" (1980)

TRACKS:
A1  "Living In The Plastic Age" 5:12
A2  "Video Killed The Radio Star" 4:08
A3  "Kid Dynamo" 3:27
A4  "I Love You (Miss Robot)" 4:55
B1  "Clean, Clean" 3:53
B2  "Elstree" 4:27
B3  "Astroboy (And The Proles On Parade)" 4:48
B4  "Johnny On The Monorail" 5:26

PERSONNEL:
Geoff Downes - keyboards, synthesizers, drums, percussion, vocoder, producer
Trevor Horn - vocals, bass, guitars, producer
ADDITIONAL:
Bruce Woolley - guitar
Dave Birch - guitars (A1, A2)
Richard James Burgess - drums
Paul Robinson - drums
Phil Towner - drums (A2)
Tina Charles - b-vocals
Debi Doss & Linda Jardim - b-vocals (A2)

Good stuff.

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