The Crackdown
The Crackdown is the fifth studio album by English electronic band Cabaret Voltaire, released in August 1983 jointly through record labels Some Bizzare and Virgin. It was produced by the band themselves and Flood.
| The Crackdown | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 18 August 1983 | |||
| Recorded | December 1982 | |||
| Studio | Trident Studios, London, England | |||
| Length | 43:33 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
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| Cabaret Voltaire chronology | ||||
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Background and recording
The Crackdown was Cabaret Voltaire's first full studio album following founding member Chris Watson's departure, and their first release for Virgin Records via Some Bizzare. This album marks a turning point in the band's discography, straddling their early experimental work with their later more conventional electronic dance-funk output. It was recorded and mixed at Trident Studios, London, England in late 1982.
AllMusic wrote that the album "features the band working a number of menacing electronic textures into a basic dance/funk rhythm".
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Rolling Stone |  [2] |
AllMusic described The Crackdown as "one of Cabaret Voltaire's strongest albums" and "one of their most distinctive, challenging records."[1]
It was ranked at number 11 in NME's "Albums of the Year" list for 1983.[3] Trouser Press, meanwhile, was less enthusiastic, accusing the album of being "rather staid-sounding" while clarifying that their indifference "shouldn't be taken as a blanket panning."[4]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Richard H. Kirk and Stephen Mallinder
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "24-24" | 5:55 |
| 2. | "In the Shadows" | 4:36 |
| 3. | "Talking Time" | 5:25 |
| 4. | "Animation" | 5:33 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Over and Over" | 4:30 |
| 2. | "Just Fascination" | 4:04 |
| 3. | "Why Kill Time (When You Can Kill Yourself)" | 3:56 |
| 4. | "Haiti" | 3:20 |
| 5. | "Crackdown" | 6:31 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Diskono" | 5:49 |
| 2. | "Double Vision" | 4:15 |
| 3. | "Moscow" | 5:28 |
| 4. | "Badge of Evil" | 4:53 |
- Note: Some discographies and CD releases of the album swap the titles of the last two tracks of the Doublevision EP.
Release
The original LP came with a bonus 12" of four tracks, comprising the EP Doublevision.
Personnel
Cabaret Voltaire
- Stephen Mallinder – vocals, bass guitar, trumpet, grand piano
- Richard H. Kirk – synthesiser, guitar, clarinet, saxophone, & shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute), grand piano
- Alan Fish – drums, percussion
Additional Personnel
- David Ball - keyboards and drum programming
Production
- Executive Producer: Stevo Pearce (for Some Bizzare)
- Arranged by Cabaret Voltaire
- Produced by Flood and Cabaret Voltaire
- Engineered and mixed by Flood
- Tape Operation on "Animation" and "Crackdown" by David Ball
- Single remix by John Luongo
- Mastered by George Peckham
- Sleeve Typography by Ken Prust and Neville Brody
- Sleeve Illustration by Phil Barnes
References
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Crackdown – Cabaret Voltaire | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
- Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David, eds. (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. p. 128. ISBN 9780743201698. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
cabaret voltaire body and soul.
- "Albums and Tracks of the Year". NME. 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- Payes, Robert (December 1983). "Cabaret Voltaire: The Crackdown" (PDF). Trouser Press. New York, NY: Ira A. Robbins. 10 (10): 78. ISSN 0164-1883.
External links
- The Crackdown at Discogs (list of releases)