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Everything that can be said on the subject of bands reforming
has been said. The notion of reforming stems from either wanting to
rekindle an old flame or from a desire to cash in when the opportunity
arises. Spandau Ballet will no doubt be able to turn a blind eye to
the economic crisis from now on, but it's also obvious that, on Once More,
they're enjoying themselves.
Promotional campaigns for the album capture the mood perfectly.
Black-and-white film shows the band retiring to the studio; with warm
smiles and in smart attire, they belt out those classics just for the fun of
it, regardless of the large cheque winging its way in their direction.
Be it pretense or not, there's something
irresistibly endearing about the thought of this '80s institution arm
in arm once more. Stripped-down
renditions of True and Through The Barricades promote this image of
the band being relatively talented musicians rather than pretty faces
selling the sound. And that somewhat achieves manager Steve Dagger's
declaration that this reunion was "not just a nostalgic re-run of the
old, but a fresh slant on what Spandau Ballet are all about." Tables
are certainly beginning to turn.
Any potential dismissal of prejudice towards this reformation
ultimately has to come from the only newly written song on the record:
the title track. And whilst Once More is no Patience, there's no
desperate attempt to modernise a tried and tested
formula that won the band its fans in the first place. It's charming.
Only Take That and arguably, The Verve's
comeback singles have drawn in a new herd of fans. Once More won't
achieve that, but it will maintain the adoration of those with even the
slightest of flame still burning after all these years.
Nineteen years since simmering out, as Dagger once again perfectly
puts it: "Now they are older, fatter, poorer - there's every
reason to see if the magic still works." And for all the setbacks that
come from an album that sounds as if it was recorded in a matter of
hours, like some kind of live session for Radio 2, it captures the atmosphere
of soulfulness, the dark, smooth demeanor so ruthlessly
associated with Spandau Ballet in the '80s. It's this that is the winning card on Once
More, the clincher in drawing the fans back into far-from-unknown
territory.
The longevity of this reformation will rely very
much on the success of Once More. The title in itself
suggests that the band were persuaded into coming together for one
extra session. But it also leaves room for subsequent releases -
consider that it hasn't been called Last Ever or Period.
But essentially, whilst this isn't some avant garde exploration
into the unknown from a previously established pop act, that was never
on the cards. Once More isn't a great album, but it does contain some
great songs from a band that deserve another crack at the charts. All
it lacks is quantity and quality of original material. Perhaps
that's next on the agenda.
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Mercury Prize 2009 nominees
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