You - Wonders From the Genetic Factory. 1984 Germany

Wonders From the Genetic Factory is You's 3rd studio album, and definitely the weakest from the original incarnation. This one has quite a bit of computer drum work and happy melody lines, which can get a bit nauseous after awhile. However, there's a surprising amount of mellotron on here, which is a very unique combination, and thus I moved it up to "keeper" status. Imagine mid 1970's Stratosfear-era Tangerine Dream playing Le Parc. Well, I know, but try. They were to bounce back mightily on their 4th album Laserscape, which is one of the 1980's best Elektronik Musik albums... meiner Meinung nach, of course.

Personal collection
CD: 1996 Cue

You - Electric Day. 1979 Germany

Honestly, You's Electric Day represents the perfected rock form of electronic music, which unfortunately had so few examples such as this. The sequencers and Moog solos give it the Berlin School street cred, while the psychedelic guitars and manic drumming recall Germany's underground from a decade earlier. A window into what Tangerine Dream's Force Majeure lineup could have accomplished had they stuck with it. Sigh. Grab a hold of what you can, as there's very little of it to go around I'm afraid to say.

Personal collection
CD: 1996 Cue

The Cain label was one of Germany's great unsung imprints.They had a lot of these type of albums that flew way under the radar back in the day. The third scan is the Rock City issue, which I didn't know existed until researching this entry. The CD is part of a 5 CD set called Era. It had been long OOP, so the Bureau B reissues are most welcome, and include significant bonus tracks.

You - Laserscape. 1986 Germany

Very recently I announced on the CDRWL that the first two You albums - Electric City and Time Code were being reissued by Bureau B. This literally happened within a month after I purchased the long out of print 5 CD set from Cue called Era. I was only familiar with these first 2 albums, and had Bureau B come along a little sooner, I would have been content to only pick up these CDs, and maybe check out the other discs if and when I had the opportunity. Well, anyway, it was too late so I eventually dived into the third disc Wonders from the Genetic Factory (1984). It seemed my worst fears were surfacing. Bouncy beats are the order of the day and I figured that Le Parc and Optical Race era Tangerine Dream is what I was in store for. I know a lot of electronic music fans love that style, I just don't happen to be one of them. I'm a dyed-in-the-wool old schooler who wants him some Rubycon!

About a month later, it was time to tackle the 4th disc Laserscape and get it over with. I mean, really, Laserscape? I can already hear the computer generated beats. And the dull picture of a modern Germany city - isn't that exciting? And, perhaps worst of all, the 80's style IBM created computer font that was utilized on the front cover. Oh boy, this is going to suck bad isn't it?

WRONG!!

You's 4th effort is quite possibly one of the best 1980's era electronic albums I've heard. Not saying that's a high bar to hurdle, especially when compared to the great EM albums of the 70s and 90s - but this one is a true shocker. OK, it's not Tangerine Dream's Logos, but it competes at the top with just about everything else from the decade in this musical genre. For the most part, the computer drum kit was stored in the virtual closet (turned off), and the mellotrons and sequencers are in full force. And two of the tracks feature classical acoustic guitar, which is exactly the kind of variety most EM acts of the 80s didn't strive for. The dark ambient moods recall late 70's Klaus Schulze. This is a very thoughtful work, with many ideas and changes embedded throughout.

So now I'm very glad to own the 5 CD set. Not surprisingly I revisited the formerly shunned third You album with a new perspective, and predictably I now have a different viewpoint of it as well.

CD: 1996 Cue

The above CD is part of a 5 CD set called Era.