BBC Review
Something of a minor masterpiece
Daryl Easlea 2009-07-16
EMI had tried to make Thomas Dolby into a star with his 1982 debut album The Golden Age Of Wireless, and it seemed that he was destined to be a much-loved cult artist, without hitting pop's jackpot.
But then, he went and cornered the market as the country's leading pop-boffin after his US smash, She Blinded Me With Science, one of the few tracks in pop music to feature 1970s TV celebrity scientist Dr. Magnus Pyke.
When The Flat Earth was released in March 1984, no-one in the UK quite knew what to make of Dolby. And he delighted and perplexed his audience with a record that refused to fit into any pigeonhole whatsoever.
The old first side is one of the best in 80s popular music. It is like a Joni Mitchell album made by a bloke from Suffolk. After the electronica of Dissidents, we have two of his most tender tracks. The title cut, with its metronomic beat underlining a sweet, touching eco/personal sentiment (''This flat old earth is in your gentle hands'') is arguably his best song. Screen Kiss is one of the few tracks that mention Croydon and get away with it. This melancholia drifted over directly into his production work with Prefab Sprout.
Side two was always more problematic. White City with Robyn Hitchcock's monologue was always fairly good value, as was the straight trombone-heavy version of Dan Hicks' I Scare Myself. Mulu The Rainforest sounds as skewiff as it did in 1984. Hyperactive, originally written for Michael Jackson (and Dolby's sole UK Top 20 entry) closed the original album. Its machine-driven funk felt slightly out of place jarring with the overall sensitivity of The Flat Earth. It does, however, remain quite a hoot.
The album has been augmented with in-era bonuses, such as Get Out Of My Mix, the first appearance of Dolby's Cube (which became infinitely more interesting when George Clinton got involved); his collaboration with Ryuichi Sakamoto, Field Work and Puppet Theatre, his own version of the song he wrote for rap duo Whodini, Magic's Wand.
When the The Flat Earth works, it is something of a minor masterpiece. When it fails, it still has enough invention and élan to carry it off. 25 years later, I wholeheartedly stand by it.
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I had this album from its first release and it is a great collection of songs. His earlier and later albums all bear checking out, there are some real gems on them and not a bad track on any of them. "Aliens Ate My Buick" is an awesome record. Dolby has been consistent in his output and criminally underrated by critics and overlooked by DJs.
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Wonderful record. May buy it again for the bonus tracks! Check out his later release "Aliens Ate My Buick" brilliant parodies and pastiches of other artisits but with Dolby's unique stamp. He has been criminally overlooked and underrated by the business.
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This is a fantastic album, with the exception of Mulu (the only track I skip) The opening track has some brilliant lyrics as does Screen Kiss. This album seems to get better with age and unlike "Golden Age of Wireless" doesn't sound dated. I agree with the other comments. "Aliens Ate my Buick" is his best work, althou I do love everything he's done
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Great album, and has been said his other stuff is well worth listening to. An 80's artist who's work does not sound dated. My own favorite is Astronauts and Heretics.
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Would also like to add this is worth buying purely for "The Devil is an Englishman" which isn't on the original and is tagged onto the end of track 2 of the "Gothic" soundtrack album. So having it here is great. Please remaster Gothic and Aliens!
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OK I confess - I have the flat earth in CD, Tape and 3 copies of the vinyly ! - sad or what - not - really its a great album - and I salvaged the LPs from various charity shops where they were going for about 50pence - far too good fo lanfill. Its one of those albums I never tire of listening to. I think Doby is a Marmite artist - you either love or hate him. However Astronauts and Heretics is a worthy match for this album as well - Aliens I'm afraid - I obviously still haven't made the minimum 50 listens to get into it !
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Fantastic album as is The Golden Age of Wireless and his soundtrack music to Ken Russell's Gothic. And I ADORE Mulu: it's big and bonkers and strange and well worth a listen.
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