FEATURE:
Vinyl Corner
Kim Wilde – Kim Wilde
___________
ON this occasion…
PHOTO CREDIT: Ullstein Bild/Getty Images
I am including Kim Wilde’s eponymous album in Vinyl Corner. I like the cover of the album, as it sort of has a Blondie vibe – there is a bit of Debbie Harry in Wilde, and there are some similarities (the cover was shot by the legendary British photographer, Gered Mankowitz - who photographed everyone from The Rolling Stones to Kate Bush). Whilst Kim Wilde and Blondie are different artists, I guess there are moments when various songs can be compared. Released on 29th June, 1981, Kim Wilde is a remarkable debut from one of the most popular artists of the 1980s. All of the songs from Wilde’s debut album were written by her father, Marty Wilde (who was a successful artist of the 1950s) and her brother, Marty. I have not heard of too many other albums where things are so in the family, as it were! Ricky Wilde produced the album, and I guess Kim Wilde would have had that trust that her brother and dad would take care of her music - and I can imagine the recording was a very smooth process. Alongside her band - Steve Stewart – guitars, engineer, Francis Lickerish – guitars, Robert John Godfrey – keyboards, Martin Russell – bass and Chris North – drums –, Wilde delivered a fresh and unique album that combines New Wave, Rock and Pop. I do love the blend of Rock and New Wave, and you get something accessible and radio-friendly with plenty of energy and punch.
In terms of themes covered on the album, there is a mix of love songs but tracks also address themes such as the depletion of cities (Our Town), and tinnitus (Water on Glass) – showing that Wilde was a very different and more original proposition than a lot of her peers! Kim Wilde reached as high as number-three in the U.K., and we all know the first single, Kids in America, that was released in February 1981 – it remains her best-known hit. Go and buy Kim Wilde on vinyl if you can, as it is an incredible album that is much more than Kids in America and a feel other tracks. In their review, this is what AllMusic had to say:
“Kim Wilde's debut album is seemingly dwarfed by her first hit single, "Kids in America." Merging punk attitude with gleaming synths, the power pop anthem is a galvanizing call to arms delivered in breathless style by Wilde and one of the defining songs of the new wave era. It's wrong to dismiss the rest of the record, though, because it's one of the strongest, most entertaining new wave albums of the early '80s. More cohesive than a Blondie album and nearly as peppy as the Go-Go's debut, Kim Wilde is filled with fist-pumping rockers ("Chequered Love," "Our Town"), energetic reggae knock-offs ("2-6-5-8-0"), epically melancholy ballads ("You'll Never Be So Wrong"), and whip-smart modern pop songs ("Water on Glass," "Falling Out") that zoom by in a rush of hairspray, cheesy synths, and background chants.
Wilde's vocals are the star; she delivers exactly what each song needs, whether it's blasé detachment ("Tuning In, Tuning Out"), delicate crooning ("Everything We Know"), or rousing joyfulness ("Kids in America"). The record is a Wilde family production with her '50s pop-star dad Marty on lyrics and her glam rock brother Ricky providing the music and sounds. He balances things nicely between artful, punky noise and factory-fresh synths, getting a punchy, light, and fun sound that's built to blare out of radios as loudly as possible. Kim Wilde is new wave at the genre's absolute finest; it's fun, it's a little weird, and it's anchored by songs that nod to the past while blasting headlong into the future. Dismiss Kim Wilde as a one-hit wonder or sleep on Kim Wilde at your own risk -- you just might miss out on some of the best tunes of the early '80s if you do”.
Many will be aware of Kim Wilde and were around when her debut came out, but there are many who do not know her, and they might take a look at the album and decide to pass it by. I think Kim Wilde warrants some time and consideration, as it is such a broad and consistently excellent album. When Wilde’s first three albums were released earlier this year, Louder Than War reviewed the trio. This is what they said about the eponymous debut:
“The self titled debut plater was a winning collection of late-period new wave pop, coupled with a heavy dose of synth action. The sleeve does owe a large visual debt to the first Blondie album, with Kim obviously the focal point while her group, including ex-Chelsea guitarist James Stevenson, skulk a bit further back. I suppose it works in making it appear more of a band thing, even if the music and singing was again almost all done by the siblings (with assistance from prog behemoths the Enid).
Listening back to the album in the present day, the first thing that struck me is the gutsy guitar sound – yes these songs are pure early 80s new wave, but they’re despatched with real hammer and energy and then-fashionable synths are sprinkled about liberally too. With such a lot going on instrumentally, it would have been easy for a singer to be overwhelmed, but credit to Kim as the force of her personality wins through, despite the odd rocky moment vocally.
The singles are the highpoints, with the steady, “Stepping Stone” riffing of Water On Glass a particular treat, but the punky Young Heroes and closing track Tuning In Turning On also impress, the later has a hint of Magazine circa Secondhand Daylight about it. A couple of reggae-tinged efforts 2-6-5-8-0 and Everything We Know vary the formula a bit, giving the record a little more depth. All things considered, Kim Wilde the album has an irrepressible gusto which sees it through the trickery moments. The bonus track here round up the various single versions not featured on the LP proper, with the 60s influence of Boys being the standout for me”.
One can trace a lot of modern artists to the likes of Kim Wilde, and her debut still sounds exciting; the production is not so polished that the songs fade in quality or depth the more you listen. Wilde’s latest album, 2018’s curiously-titled Here Come the Aliens, received some good feedback, but my favourite album of hers will always be that amazing introduction. Playing the album today, and it is impossible not to be hooked in and…
LIFTED by the music.