Retro Spins: Alison Moyet - Raindancing

After the disbandment of Yaz, Alison Moyet set off on a solo career, releasing the highly successful Alf in 1984. However, it wouldn't be until 1987 that she'd return to the studio to follow it up. In the interim of this, Moyet would participate in 1985's Live Aid, and also relocate from England to the USA, settling in Los Angeles.

While the majority of the tracks that would make up Raindancing were written prior to her move, during her time in the studio to record them she'd end up collaborating with Jean Guiot to write and record, Is This Love? Oh, did I say Jean Guiot? You probably know him best as David Stewart of Eurythmics. Stewart opted to use the name Jean Guiot to avoid publishing issues with his management.

Raindancing continued Moyet's solo success in the UK, peaking at number two, and also saw success in many European countries. However, in the USA, it faired worse than her debut, peaking at ninety-four. The four singles from the album, while also successful in the UK and Europe, equally failed to impress in the USA, and failed to chart.

Critically, it received a lot of negativity for its generic pop sound, with reviewers feeling Moyet wasn't being utilized to her full potential by managers and the label. Mostly, people just wanted to compare it to her prior work with Yaz, making note that the remnants of any influence by Vince Clarke were gone. Specifically, the impactful new wave elements, replaced with nothing more than MTV friendly pop.

Well, I like pop, so maybe that's for me? At least, that's what I was hoping as I dove in.

Raindancing definitely isn't as strong as 1984's Alf, but it's okay. I can understand the critical reception upon its initial release. You waited all this time to get a follow-up album from Moyet, and then it's not only mediocre, but stripped of all the depth and passion that made you love the prior release so much.

It would be like if Michael Jackson's follow-up to Thriller, that would of course be, Bad, was just mediocre upon release. People would have lost their minds. Fortunately, that wasn't the case for the King of Pop, but that's really the best comparison I can give to make my point.

USA Cover

Now, I'm not going to say the album was terrible because it wasn't. Again though, it's definitely got a lot of generic pop to it. Still, there are standout tracks, for me at least, which included, Ordinary Girl, Without You, Is This Love.

Overall, I think my biggest complaint with Raindancing mimics what the critics were trying to convey. When you listen to an artist, a lot of what draws you to them is what they uniquely bring to the table. For Moyet, it was haunting vocals, and to an extent, new wave. When you then get a generic pop album, it throws you out of the zone you want to be in.

Let me put it this way. Imagine you're angry. You're having a really bad day, and you just want to hear someone as angry as you feel. So, you pop in the latest Marilyn Manson album. Then you realize that Manson has done an artistic 180, and you're getting a children's album from him, full of safe lyrics and life lessons. You're like, "What the ****?!?!" That's what Raindancing is in comparison to Alf, and as an extension, in comparison in her work as Yaz.

Raindancing, for what it's worth, is not an Alison Moyet product. It's a label and manager trying to make her into something she's not. Again, decent album, just not what I wanted, stylistically, from her.

With the release of Hoodoo in 1991, Moyet's sales dropped drastically. The once platinum artist was now only receiving silver certifications. Additionally, upon its release, she began a long legal battle against her label to gain creative control over her artistic direction. This was still ongoing in1994 when she follow-up with the release of Essex. Sony refused to release the album until she returned to the studio to re-record, remix, and create a more commercial friendly record. Ultimately, it resulted in continued dropping sales upon its release.

She was released from her contract with Sony in 2002, and signed with Sanctuary Records. The result of this was that year's studio album, Hometown, and 2004's Voice, both of which went gold in the UK. She would switch labels again in 2007 to release The Turn. While received well critically, it would continue the trend of low sales which failed to garner any certifications.

In 2013 she signed to Cooking Vinyl, where she released her last three albums to date, The Minutes (2013), Other (2017), and Key (2024). She continues to remain active on the road, and who knows, maybe we'll see some more studio work from her in the future.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
October 5, 1985