Flakation

Overall Album Score: 8.1 out of 10

Wow, they didn't change what-so-ever. This could legitimately be titled Beauty and the Beat, Part II. Naturally, the good news is if you liked the previous album, then it's a pretty safe bet that you'll like this one as well. Luckily, they proved that they were still capable of writing quality new wave music. Sure, it's not quite as good, but that shouldn't be a big shocker. This continues to be fun music and without any severe lapses of taste. I'd go as far to say that this album is more fun than drugs. .........Um not that I would know what drugs are like unless we're talking about Tylenol or ... allergy meds. Well, it's funner than that.

If you read my review of their debut, then you won't need me to describe the music. ... OK, maybe I'll just sum it up to save you the trouble of mouse clicks. This is happy-go-lucky new wave music fully equipped with good beats and good times! Unfortunately, with that comes the inevitable point that these guys had NO diversity. The saminess is a weakness. However, there are enough interesting compositions to keep the material generally sounding fresh. In particular, "He's So Strange," utilizes a minor chord sequence, and "Girl of 100 Lists" reminds me of a pirate shanty. On a more negative note, there's the confused "It's Everything But Partytime." But "Worlds Away," one of the few mid-tempo tunes, serves as a nice conclusion.

The biggest disappointment with Vacation is of the more subtle variety. The creativity levels have dropped off a little too noticeably. Whereas almost every composition in Beauty in the Beat had me brimming with glee, there were plenty of times in Vacation in which I merely shrugged my shoulders. Likewise, there's not anything nearly as interesting as "Automatic." They really lost me with their cover of "Cool Jerk," where their youthful exuberance that I hailed so much was reduced to cheekiness. Well, at least it's fun.

So, just consider this the weaker sibling of the debut. Oh, and the Go-Go's had another hit in this album. It's called "Vacation." I'm sure you've heard it before; it's everywhere! It hit #8 on the charts!!! Yay!!!!!

Overall Album Score: 8.1 out of 10 (This is such a fun album! But their spark is slowly fading...)

Average Song Score: 8.4 (More of that carefree fun and solid songwriting abilities.)

Album Tilt: 8.0 (Well it's throwaway of course, but I would think you would want to keep it for the good times you can have!)

Artist Rating: 8.0 (Count them down slightly for sounding so samey. Eh, they were never much interested in being artists anyway. At least they're tasteful!!)

Track Reviews

Vacation 9.5/10

Hey, what were you expecting, "LIGHT MY FIRE??" No way, man. They are the Go-Go's and they make no excuses. Gosh, the comfortable thing about this album right from the beginning is they sound exactly like they did in the debut. Sure, they lost a little bit of their edge, but surprisingly as little as humanly possible. I can't say that "Vacation" is quite as infectious as "Our Lips Are Sealed," but it's remarkably close. If anything their sense of harmonies has increased since the first album --- they sure seem to know how to do chord progressions, which is a major part of the reason this song sounds so great. I can't forget to mention that the melody is catchy, and the smooth flow and mood is enough to make me happy. I guess that means listening to this song is just like vacation! Hey, I like vacation!!

He's So Strange 9.5/10

Wow, what a mood. Geez, they're using a minor chord sequence aren't they? That delivers quite a menacing mood, and I'm drawn into it right from the beginning. It's still hopelessly poppy thanks to the upbeat new wave beat and the smooth flow. The melody is good, but the real highlight is the perfect instrumentation. They have such a good handle on their instruments, and they don't ruin it with excessive synthesizer sounds. I especially love those crunchy guitar licks in the middle! Yummy!!

Girl of 100 Lists 9/10

They're continuing to deliver the goods! Other than the usual, fast-paced new wave instrumentation, this sounds like a ... er ... pirate shanty! How funny!! Anyway, they're still keeping their happy, upbeat flavor to their music. They're certainly not very diverse, but whatever. They're keeping it fun. The chord progression is certainly unique, and this is such a fun song to hear!

We Don't Get Along 8/10

This continues to be inoffensive new wave music with a happy beat, and it's as fun as ever. But, this one lacks a certain distinctive flavor. The three previous songs were distinct in their own way, but this track seems like a toss-off. Just ordinary new wave without gimmicks and a melody that's almost uninteresting! I will say that the crunchy guitar is mightily tasty, though.

I Think It's Me 9/10

Hey, bring me summa that surf-guitar! Whenever the Go-Go's emulate surf-rock, they seem to come off best. The melody isn't so much catchy, but that surf riff certainly is. As expected, this song has such nice flow; they're not letting our new wave party go!

It's Everything But Partytime 7.5/10

...er, maybe they are letting the new wave party go. Oh well. I can imagine that they probably started the songwriting process on this song thinking that they needed to write a ballad sometime. After all, how can you expect someone to appreciate an album that's just full of new wave dance song! Well, they still had to include an upbeat section, because it was pretty boring! ... Unfortunately, this is where the Go-Go's melodic limitations really begins to surface in a bad way. I will say that I enjoy the instrumentation.

Get Up and Go 7.5/10

Oh yeah, those Adam Ant drums will never get old!!! (I'm not being sarcastic; I genuinely like those thunderous drums.) This is another one of their upbeat songs that you can get up and dance to it without even paying attention! Hey, the drumming is great!! The problem is, however, that I'm sitting down and paying attention to it, and the melody is pretty dang bland. It's one of their worst melodies so far in their career. Fortunately, that doesn't keep this song from being fun anyway.

This Old Feeling 8.5/10

Much better! Don't you see what a nice melody can do to a song? It makes it even more fun even though the drumming isn't quite as vivaceous. The star of this show is that saxophone in the instrumental interlude. It's not a cheesy sax, either! They keep it rough, raw and real. Lovely!!

Cool Jerk 7/10

Why the hell did they need to do this? They were always perfectly capable of writing their own material, so what's the deal with this cover? ... Most importantly, why is it so boring? Technically, I have nothing against covers, but only when the band actually makes it interesting. Carlisle does this audience participation thing in the middle of it, and I'm, like, just sitting here and shrugging my shoulders. This is such a disappointment!!

The Way You Dance 8/10

Yay!! This is another one of their excellent, carefree new wave tunes! This one's quite a lot of fun, and I'm bouncing up and down with glee. Unfortunately, this isn't one iota different than what they've done before, so --- well, I just don't have anything much to say about it.

Beatnik Beach 8/10

I bet you can guess what this song sounds like. Oh yeah!!! New wave surf-rock! My favorite!!! I'm half expecting some pirate-clad new waver to hollar "WIPE OUT!!!" The surf guitars are as fun as ever, and those thunderous drums are still quite fun. As someone who pretends to be a music critic, I'm really wishing they would do something less predictable. But I have to recognize that this song is a lot of fun, and that's worth a lot! Unfortunately, the melody isn't enticing. This is all spirit but no tune!

Worlds Away 9/10

Hey, here's something different! It's a mid-tempoed tune. It's not a ballad, so they're not quite to that point of diversity. I like this smooth pace, and the melody is quite catchy. The instrumentation is a little synth heavier than they've been known for being, but this is still that great new wave band. I think they might have still made some creative arrangements, but there's not much to complain about here. This is a nice closer to the album 'cos it makes me smile.

Are aliens real or are they false? Send your thoughts here!