Thomas Dolby
The Golden Age Of Wireless
(Harvest Records, 1981; custom CD arranged and burned by the author)

Produced by Thomas Dolby

Thomas Dolby - keyboards, vocals; Andy Partridge - harmonica, percussion; Justin Hildreth - drums; Mark Heyward-Chaplin - bass; Kevin Armstrong - guitar; Les Chappell - backing vocals; Dave Birch - guitar, backing vocals; Lesley Fairbairn - backing vocals; Bruce Woolley - backing vocals; Judy Evans - backing vocals; James Allen - backing vocals; Lene Lovich - backing vocals; Tim Kerr - violin; Simon Lloyd - bass, flute.

Thomas Dolby is unfortunately condemned to be remembered as the perpetrator of one of the most idiotic one-hit wonder tunes of the 1980's: "She Blinded Me With Science". Though, since he is the creator of the polyphonic ringtone technology used in a bazillion cellphones around the world, maybe he'll get a break. Even without the ringtones, he deserves a break for releasing what is quite possibly the best synthesizer pop album of the 1980s, The Golden Age Of Wireless.

Now before going any farther, it's impossible to talk about this album without noting there are no less than FIVE versions released and there might even be more. They are all significantly different, including not only different versions of songs but different sequencing and completely different songs. In 1981 the album was released in the UK in what is actually the definitive version. This version was tampered with in the subsequent 1982 US release by changing the song order, changing the cover, substituting two different mixes of two of the songs, removing an instrumental and adding two songs from an earlier single. Then it starts to get stupid. When "Science" became an unexpected smash single in 1983, the US record company was quick to repackage the album, which had been a sluggish seller, to include the hit song and its B-side, replacing the UK single tunes previously added, once again changing the song order and replacing another song with a different mix. Confused? The 1983 UK version has the same songs and song order as the 1983 US version, but uses different mixes on three songs. The last version is the CD version, which I think is the exact same version as the 1983 US version. I actually stopped caring after the third version. Owing to this stupidity, the only version on CD remains the lousy "Blinded By Science" version. So I made my own version from my vinyl collection, combining the 1981 UK version with the 1982 US version and, to fill up the extra CD time, adding a few singles and remixes. Essentially, it's the UK version song order, which makes more sense musically, the UK mixes and the addition of the "Urges" single like the 1982 US version. No "Blinded Me With Science". So the album under discussion is:

1. Flying North
2. Commercial Breakup
3. Weightless
4. Europa and The Pirate Twins
5. Leipzig
6. Therapy/Growth *
7. Urges
8. Windpower
9. The Wreck Of The Fairchild
10. Airwaves (UK mix)
11. Radio Silence (US mix aka "The Guitar Mix")
12. Cloudburst At Shingle Street
13. bonus - Europa and The Pirate Twins (long version)
14. bonus - Airwaves (single version)
15. bonus - Flying North (long version)

* "Therapy/Growth" doesn't appear on any version of the album but the intro to the song is built from the fade out of "Leipzig" and the song in fact follows "Leipzig" on the UK 12" of "Europa". I like the way it follows musically so I added it. My disc, my rules.

So what is so great about this album that makes it worth all this admittedly obsessive work? First, unlike much of the 1980s cannon, especially the synthesizer pop cannon, these songs hold up remarkably well. The song writing is top notch, the arrangements are excellent, the backing vocals exceptionally well utilized, the synth programming is unique and interesting, never novel or flashy as was the tendency of the era. Second, there is a unity of tone across the songs which make it feel almost like a concept album. Tone in both the sense of musical mood and the sense of the sonic make-up of the songs/instruments. There is an emotional connection across the songs that ties everything together in a very satisfying fashion.

The only album I could really compare this to is the Buggles The Age Of Plastic, which I wrote about here. The similarities of the titles is obvious and for those that don't know, the Buggles' Trevor Horn and Dolby had played in a band called The Fallout Club in the late 1970s. Both discs have themes of science and how technology effects humans. Wireless returns repeatedly to the themes of radio transmission and flight, reworking them in virtually every song. Like Plastic, this is musically a very melancholy experience about old lovers, times that are past and can't be recaptured, and ultimately, memory.

If there were justice in the world, virtually every song on this album would be recognizable and as famous as anything from the 1980s. "Europa", "Radio Silence", and "Commercial Breakup" are standout pop tunes with infectious hooks and sing-along choruses. "Weightless", "Cloudburst", "Leipzig" and "Airwaves" are lovely songs with haunting melodies and powerful arrangements revolving around Dolby's extraordinary synthesizer sounds and ear for vocal arrangments.

I wish everyone could have my version. Unfortunately, you'll have to do with the commercial CD, which you would be best suited to rip to disk, fix the song order and jettison the flotsam of "She Blinded Me With Science". Let's try and give Mr. Dolby a break by focussing on the brilliance of this album and not the consumer driven (and thus questionably tasteful attraction) to what is certainly one of his lesser efforts.

Posted 12 July 2006.