Dare!

by The Human League

Overview

Dare! captures a moment in time perfectly -- the moment post-punk's robotic fascination with synthesizers met a clinical Bowie-esque infatuation with fashion and modern art, including pop culture, plus a healthy love of songcraft. The Human League had shown much of this on their early singles, such as "Empire State Human," but on Dare! they simply gelled, as their style was supported by music and songs with emotional substance. That doesn't mean that the album isn't arty, since it certainly is, but that's part of its power -- the self-conscious detachment enhances the postmodern sense of emotional isolation, obsession with form over content, and love of modernity for its own sake. That's why Dare! struck a chord with listeners who didn't like synth pop or the new romantics in 1981, and why it still sounds startlingly original decades after its original release -- the technology may have dated, synths and drum machines may have become more advanced, but few have manipulated technology in such an emotionally effective way. Of course, that all wouldn't matter if the songs themselves didn't work smashingly, whether it's a mood piece as eerie as "Seconds," an anti-anthem like "The Things That Dreams Are Made Of," the dance club glow of "Love Action (I Believe in Love)," or the utter genius of "Don't You Want Me," a devastating chronicle of a frayed romance wrapped in the greatest pop hooks and production of its year. The latter was a huge hit, so much so that it overshadowed the album in the minds of most listeners, yet, for all of its shining brilliance, it wasn't a pop supernova -- it's simply the brightest star on this record, one of the defining records of its time. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	10/20/2023
Label:	Universal
UPC:	0602455497802
Rank:	6560

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Human League   Primary Artist
Jo Callis   Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards,Synthesizer
Ian Burden   Bass,Guitar,Keyboards,Synthesizer
Susanne Sulley   Vocals
Joanne Catherall   Vocals
Philip Oakey   Vocals,Keyboards,Synthesizer
Adrian Wright   Keyboards,Synthesizer

Technical Credits

Jo Callis   Composer
Martin Rushent   Producer,Programming
Ian Burden   Composer
Philip Oakey   Composer,Cover Design
Ken ?   Artwork,Coordination
Roy Budd   Composer
The Human League   Producer
Adrian Wright   Slides,Composer,Cover Design
Dave Allen   Program Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Brian Aris   Photography