Retro Spins: Newcleus - Space Is The Place

Jam On Revenge, the first album from Newcleus, was an album I really enjoyed. Mainly because it was so different from what I was accustomed to listening to. However, even with that said, I didn't nab more than one song from the record.

Still, hearing it got me pretty excited to hear their follow up album, Space Is The Place. I had picked up the two albums at the same time, but because I was listening to other stuff, I didn't get around to it right away.

With this year's theme being all about before and after albums, I thought it was an appropriate time to swing back around to them.

Space Is The Place is on par with Jam On Revenge. It's enjoyable, but at the same time, it also doesn't produce singles. It's one of those albums which are best enjoyed from start to finish because each song fits into its intended place. Unlike JoR, the tracks are not intertwined with sound effects, which does make it easier to know when a new track is starting.

I did end up grabbing one song off of the album for my shuffle. Track five, Cyborg Dance. Again, it's not that the other songs were bad. This one just stood out the most for me.

Track six, I Wanna Be A B-Boy, did get me a little nostalgic excited around the four minute thirty second mark because I heard the distinctive scratching of Herbie Hancock's Rock It. Coincidence? I'm not sure. But I enjoyed it immensely.

Overall, it was a good album, but it's not one I'm going to be listening to often. Mainly because I have so much music I'm trying to get through, and I really don't have time to re-listen to full albums - With the exception of the best of the best which have been ingrained in my head since the 80's. Still, I can see myself getting back around to this one, and Jam On Revenge, some day.

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Retro Spins: Newcleus - Jam On Revenge

Newcleus is sadly one of the forgotten "bands" of the 80's. Their contribution to the world of electro and hip hop is fantastic and fun, making them a cult classic of sorts in the world of music. Neither of their two albums, 1984's Jam on Revenge and 1985's Space Is The Place sold well upon their initial release. However, these days, they have become coveted treasures for audiophiles searching for rare vinyls.

2020's Retro Spin gets kicked off on the right foot with their album Jam On Revenge - A forty-six minute masterpiece, if I do say so myself.

While songs fade in and out, ending as one typically would, the album is glued together, so to speak, by delightful sound effects which keep you frozen in the moment from track to track. A segue of sorts between each song.

Some tracks certainly stand out as better than others, but at the same time, it's difficult to pull one out of the fold to stand on its own. The reason for this is because one simply can't imagine any one track being excluded in the flow. Computer Age wouldn't be quite what it is if it didn't lead into Auto-Man and so on and so on.

With that said, there were two tracks which were mildly popular in the 80's which brought mediocre success to the group. Those were Jam On Revenge and Jam On It.

Newcleus' albums have long since been out of print in their original vinyl and cassette form, and weren't originally released on CD. In 2018, Newcleus, via their Jam-On Productions label, released a minimal quantity of CD's for both of their albums. However, there is a downside to this. Jam On Revenge is missing the track, Where's The Beat. Both albums feature three bonus tracks each, which begs the question, why was this track not included?

Personally speaking, if these are albums you'd be potentially interested in, I would recommend hunting down either the vinyl or cassette version to get the full experience. They're not going to be cheap though.

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