Art of Noise

8-7-08 The Art of Noise

LP (WHO'S AFRAID OF?) THE ART OF NOISE! ZTT US 90179.1

1984 9 TRKS

CDx4 AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY BODY, GOD? ZTT UK ZTT201CD

2006 56 TRKS (80's recordings) 4CD boxed set

10" BEATBOX / MOMENTS IN LOVE ZTT UK PZTPS 02

1985 2 TRKS turtle-shaped shaped picture disc

7" CLOSE (To The Edit) / A TIME TO HEAR ZTT JPN 7SI-133

1984 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" CLOSE (To The Edit) / A TIME TO HEAR ZTT UK ZTPS 01

1984 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" CLOSE (To The Edit) / BEAT BOX ZTT US 96859-0

1984 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

12" CLOSE UP ZTT UK 12 ZTPS 01

1984 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD DAFT (Collection) ZTT UK ZCID Q2

1986 16 TRK Collection, 'DDD'? CD-only release?

LP INTO BATTLE ZTT JPN 13SI-237

1983 7 TRK EP insert; debut

7" MOMENT IN LOVE / BEAT BOX ZTT US 7-99782

1983 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

I actually hold this band in rather high regard, despite not having had any real idea who the members of the group were, while they were active. I knew about producer Trevor Horn (the guy from The Buggles), and writer Paul Morley (the guy who thought up all the obfuscating verbiage about the AoN). After Mr. Horn was no longer involved with them, I saw AoN on MTV a lot for a few years (I remember a video clip with Rik Mayall, for instance). But it was always the music of the “Into Battle” EP (only seeing it’s digital debut on a 2006 boxed set) that most interested me. I always thought that the Art of Noise made the ‘new sounds’ of the 80’s – a job that had seemed ‘promised’ to Kraftwerk…but Kraftwerk did nothing for several years after “Computerwelt”, while the Art of Noise toiled away at their Fairlights, beating them to the proverbial punch.

Well, they never toured here, and the AoN records after the ZTT year(s) never particularly interested me (I kept a “Kiss” 12”). I found a live video of the post-ZTT AoN, but I always preferred the videos made for “Beatbox”, “(Close To The) Edit” etc.

It’s also fun to consider Trevor Horn’s work with ABC, Grace Jones and Frankie Goes To Hollywood – and how it all interweaves with the aforementioned artists.

In the liner notes to the ‘06 4CD boxed set, it’s fun to read how they all feel about these AoN works, 20+ years hence. I guess there were quite a few AoN records that I have never ever seen, too – but most (if not all) of them are represented in this fine boxed set.