SPUTFESSST 2010

My thoughts and pictures from SputfeSSSt 2010 are now available for you to peruse. I’ve not actually reviewed SputfeSSSt as such, as one of the organisers I’ll leave it to others to say whether they thought the night was a success or not. I’ve just briefly run through the events of the evening. I was a little drunk to be honest.

FLAUNT IT ELECTRONIC SPUTFESSST EDITION

So what to say about the all new electronic version of Flaunt It? Let’s have some thoughts on the original first.

Flaunt It as released has always been a disappointment to me. I remember racing up town to get my copy. Our little record shop had already sold out of the limited box set so home I came with the bog standard issue. On vinyl back in those days of course. Several friends gathered around to hear it with me. The old needle dropped onto the record and by the end of Love Missile I was a tad upset and by the end of the album I was smiling bravely telling my friends how cool I thought it was. They had loved it but I wanted my 8 Love Missile’s. They left happily enough leaving me playing the thing over and over again. Years later Moroder’s interference came to light but back in ’86 my Flaunt It quickly got relegated to the cupboard while my SSS singles got played to infinity. The Sci-Fi Sex Stars e.p. gave us a glimpse of what Flaunt It could and should have been. As an album those tracks have never achieved their potential, until now.

Here we are in 2010 and Martin has finally given a lucky few a preview of the all new electronic rendition of Flaunt It. While it seems the final release of the album may go through another mastering process (according to the man himself that is), this tracks on this SputfeSSSt edition are fully complete and ready to rock your sound system of choice.

The tracks have been re-ordered and runs as follows

ROCKIT MISS USA/SEX BOMB BOOGIE/MASSIVE RETALIATION/21ST CENTURY BOY/ATARI BABY/TEENAGE THUNDER/SHE’S MY MAN/LOVE MISSILE F1-11

book ended with spoken intro and outro’s (which I would have preferred to have been separate tracks personally).

Listening to Flaunt It Electronic is like being repeatedly kicked in the bollocks for 35 minutes. It doesn’t stop rocking from the opening electronic bass of Rockit Miss USA to the final shoot it up of Love Missile. All the tracks have been given magnificent 21st Century makeovers, songs already 25 years old sounding a fresh and modern and as ahead of their time as ever. This time around though our beloved Sputnik beat pulses through the entire album. Massive Retaliation has become a real hi-energy anthem with Johann doing the shut up shut ups. Every time I hear this I get a vision of Dean singing it at his birthday do last April. She’s My Man is my other real favourite here. Never bettered from the original demo this version thunders along relentlessly. Teenage Thunder, She’s My Man and Love Missile make a great trilogy to end the album and it’s a shame the tracks don’t flow into each other. This Sputfessst edition of Flaunt It features the same version of Love Missile that appeared on the recent digital only single release. Vocal effects are abundant on all the tracks and are very much in the traditional Sputnik style. Each track offers up movie samples too. Mix the whole thing up with excellent production work from Lloyd and Martin never sounding better and you’ve got an album that thrills from beginning to end.

As I said how this limited edition version of the album will differ from the final released version reamins unknown at this time. I find it hard to see how it could be bettered, as it stands is pretty damn perfect in my opinion.

Sigue Sigue Sputnik Electronic have three live dates coming up, York on 24th September followed by Mansfield on 16th October and Lewes on 30th October. Details available until the day of the shows on the forthcoming shows page. Hopefully more live dates will be announced in course. You can play your part in this by contacting Martin with details of any venues you think may be interested in having Sputnik come and play. Don’t just sit there wishing Sputnik would play in your area, do something about it.

Take care until next time guys,

Doc

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