Bug out your eyes like a buggle and go back to the main Buggles page NOW! The Age of Plazzztek! Overall Album Score: 9.4 out of 10 The Buggles! Yup, these are the dudes who wrote "Video Killed the Radio Star," that went on to being the first video broadcast on MTV. But, don't fool yourself into thinking that that's the only song on here worth pooing on. There are two songs on here that are equally as good. Namely, they're the title track and "Elstree." In fact, all of these songs are quite excellent. This album, as a whole, is probably one of the most essential New Wave classics out there. Not only do the principal band members Geoffrey Downes and Trevor Horn exhibit exceptional songwriting talent, they do a super job producing the sucker. And, I find it a travesty that the band only came up with one album after this, the currently inaccessible Adventures in Modern Recording. In fact, after The Buggles, Downes and Horn went and joined Yes to make the Drama album. However, that didn't go over too well. Horn stayed on with the band as a producer for the rest of the 80's, and Geoffrey Downes went on to be one of the founding members of Asia. WELL, must I even MENTION that nothing either of these fellas went on to do even threatened to equal the heights of this masterpiece? NOOOOO!!! This is one of the coolest 80's albums on the planet Earth. It's not only milks out all this 80's New Romantics/New Wave/Electro Synth-Pop for all it was ever worth musically, the lyrics are darned cool, as well. Every song here tells of some futuristic prophesy that sets my stupid imagination a-soaring. (Understandably, none of these prophecies are correct ... video didn't really kill the radio star, did it?) It's too bad pop-music today can't be this good. This was a modest commercial success at the time ... and it makes me wonder why today's pop music can't be so neat. Why? WHY? WHY?????? CHRISTINA AGUILERIIONIEIANS SUCKS! Overall album score: 9.4 out of 10 (A great album! I fell in love with it almost immediately. It's wholly intelligent and enjoyable.) Song Average Score: 9.1 (Every song here has a good - if not superb - melody and they were all intelligently produced until they shone. Also, every single song on this album explains some sort of very cool futuristic prophecies.) Album Tilt: 9.5 (I can't give an album I enjoy this much less than a 9. This is among the most interesting albums ever produced, but as I mentioned earlier, it's not perfect...and I doubt you will think it's perfect either - just remarkably good!) Artist Tilt: 9.5 (The Buggles only made one other album: the half-hearted The Adventures of Modern Recording. After that, the principle members of the group split up and joined Yes. For a first-time effort from a newly-formed band, this album is about as good as they could have hoped for.) Track Reviews Living in the Plastic Age 10/10 This well-polished and immaculately-produced song is a perfect example of my arguments in the main body of this review - the melody is catchy, the instrumentation is diverse and interesting, and the lyrics are intelligent. The lyrics here are predictions that the world will basically turn to plastic - even people looking "half their age." It's a very interesting 80's pop tune that's almost shamefully fun to listen to. Video Killed the Radio Star 10/10 This song is immortalized in quiz games ... it was made into the first music video MTV ever played, which was an interesting move on their part. So, video didn't kill the radio star - people will always prefer radio to music videos because you can listen to 'radio stars' while doing other things such as driving and schoolwork - but something has obviously killed the video star because MTV doesn't play music videos anymore! Again, this is a spotless, catchy pop number. Kid Dynamo 9/10 In yet another catchy tune, this ones a little more intense and doesn't have quite good of melodies as the previous two. Still, the production here is remarkable. This song tells the story of a member of the working class going about his or her shallow life - but still remembering, I'm guessing, the old days and his own dreams. Yet another good song that brings Christina Aghnioeponsasdifowile out of the H20. I Love You (Miss Robot) 8/10 This track isn't as bold as the others, but I still enjoy it. This is a slower song, and there's nothing particularly catchy about it, but I do like the instrumentation and the immaculate production here. It's enjoyable, but it doesn't seem to stand out. This song tells the story about how people will one day turn to machines for love. (EW!) It reminds me of that Phillip K. Dick story Steven Speilhead turned into a movie recently - "A.I." (Remember that robot-male-prostitute?) Clean, Clean 8.5/10 This seems to be a quirky telling of some futuristic war. (I can't seem to put my figure out exactly what they're insinuating.) It's interesting, though. The melodic value here is very high - but it really pales in comparison with most of the other songs. As in everything here, the instrumentation and production is immaculate. A very good song indeed, and it's even among the worst in the album! (Put it on a Christina Agieroengdodo album, and it'd be the best by far.) Elstree 10/10 This song arguably has the best melody of them all. It's a bouncier and a very catchy tune (and this is a melody I don't mind having stuck in my head). I interpret the lyrics here as a story of a movie star who, a long time ago, played roles in B-movies - back when things were more real - "there's no technology could make up the song/they stop the orchestra and you get it wrong." I think perhaps this might be an allegory to society in general…and the media today does project a false image of society. (But it always did that, so it's not really so startling a prophecy.) A great song! Astro Boy (and the Proles on Parade) 8.5/10 Again, this is a very well-produced song that is a good listen - but the melody here isn't memorable. The lyrics here are on the same vein as "I Love You (Miss Robot)" probably about how people will contact each other through machines. (The Internet?) Well, this song doesn't sound much like it was talking about the Internet, as we know it (you know, the one invented by Al Gore) - but it's interesting just the same. Johnnny on the Monorail 9/10 For me, these lyrics are more cryptic than anything! I think it's about the Orwellian Big Brother...the lyrics would seem to suggest that, but the chorus consisting of "Johnny on the Monorail" leaves me utterly clueless! Just the same, this song is very strong in its melodic value - its chorus is especially catchy. A wonderful song to close this excellent album with! And I put this challenge forth to Christina Aguilerigoenirgnoeirngoeirngoeirng: Beat this, ho. PLASTIC! HAH! Anyway, do you have any comments? Leave them here

All reviews are copyrighted by the author, Michael Lawrence. He's believes in the power of plastic.