This grew from another project by Martin Wayre and Ian Craig Marsh (of Heaven 17), but by the time of this album Wayre and Marsh had been ousted by Phil Oakey, and The Human League had become entirely his animal. While Heaven 17 still used some analogue instruments, this album is entirely performed on synthesisers. Drums are the Lynn-M1 drum machine, the rest a mix of Casio, Korg, Roland, and Yamaha models. It also makes me feel vindicated for my bonus suggestion of Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds as an album that Dimery missed, as that demonstrated what could be done with synths back in 1979.
Vocals are provided by Oakey and the two backing singers Joanne Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley, most notably on the biggest hit (and arguably best track on the album), Don’t You Want Me. Here, the synth stabs are used to good effects with that iconic opening riff, and the mini-saga of Oakey’s lyrics about a woman outgrowing her needy and coercive partner; the duet motif working really well but not alas used elsewhere on the album.
There are some interesting tracks on here. Seconds is about the Kennedy Assassination. Love Action (another single) has the great lyric “I believe in truth though I lie a lot”. Do Or Die feels a little like the theme from Monkey Island with its funky beat and decorative trills. The Human League have some nice geeky credentials as well – the band name comes from a faction in the SPI science fiction boardgame called Star Force. The track I Am The Law clearly gets inspiration from Judge Dredd, and they would apparently play the Doctor Who theme during their live shows.
The Musicians Union hated the 100% synth sounds, fearing that it would end people playing instruments live on stage (spoiler alert, it didn’t). Although I enjoyed the albums of Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream, this kind of synth-pop never really grabbed me, and still doesn’t, probably because it’s more self-consciously poppy. Like a lot of pop music, however, there’s more going on sometimes in the lyrics and in the tunes than is evident from a casual listen.
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