DEAD OR ALIVE Schallplatten & CDs

Review: There's a certain drama in the air when the beats kick in with an instant jolt of energy that doesn't let up. The tracks on the second album on Pete Burns-fronted crew are an exuberant mix of bold melodies and infectious rhythms, blending sharp pop with a cheeky edge. You'll know their massive SAW-produced SMASH 'You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)', but the group's unmistakable sense of theatre shines through, with each track feeling like a mini anthem. Whether it's the larger-than-life production or the slightly over-the-top flair, the sound remains unapologetically fun. It's pop at its most playful, wrapped in an unmistakable 80s glow that still carries weight today.

Review: Dead or Alive's 1985 classic 'You Spin Me Round' is one of few quintessential charting darkwave cuts from the 80s and this reissue of the single is a celebration of its infectious energy. As many will recall, Pete Burns' flamboyant vocals are set against driving beats and knocky synth riffs, as the song famously compares the effect of a dizzying new liaison to the spin of a 12". The extended mix found here gives listeners even more of what they love about the song, while the EP's timely follow-up songs like 'Even Better Than The Real Thing' provide an enchanting, atmospheric context.

Review: Featuring no less than 103 tracks stretched across nine CDs, Invisible charts the final 25 years of Pete Burns and Steve Coy's lengthy career as Dead or Alive. It boasts remastered versions of their final three studio albums (1990's Fan The Flame (Part 1), 1995's Nukleopatra and 2000's Fragile), each of which is accompanied by a bonus disc of alternate mixes, B-sides and live recordings. The box also contains trance and progressive house focussed remix set Unbreakable (The Fragile Remixes), the never-before-released two-disc set The Spin Drive - pretty much every remix you need of their two most famous tracks, You Spin Me Round and Sex Drive - and a 28-page hardback book containing extensive liner notes and rarely seen photographs.