I was a fan of Dead Or Alive when this record came out. Of course for me, their highpoint was "Mad, Bad, And Dangerous To Know". That was the first DOA tape I owned and loved. Subsequent releases left me a little disappointed, but there was always something keeping me interested. As much as I loved DOA during the 80's, these later releases are more difficult to appreciate. Pete Burns moved increasingly towards a transsexual persona. In fact, the title track of this CD is about his transsexual side. 'Nukleopatra' was a minor dance hit in some of the gay clubs in Vegas. I remember hearing it and deciding I would pick up the record. Of course, at the time, DOA wasn't going to release the album in America and I ended up picking up the Japanese version. Imports always cost a little more and this one was no exception. I regret spending so much on it.
Track 2 and 10 are both taken from an earlier Dead Or Alive album called "Fan The Flames, Part 1". The addition of them here, albeit with new music arrangements is disappointing. I wasn't a huge fan of the music on that CD and finding some of it here is a major let down. Neither one is particularly appealing. In fact, that was the disc that kinda turned me off to Dead Or Alive. However, the number 3 track is a David Bowie cover called, 'Rebel Rebel'. There are two covers on this disc and both are phenomenal! 'Rebel Rebel' kicks in and you get all the angst and confusion Pete Burn's new gender bending look boiled down into one aggressive pop single. The second cover is Blondie's 'Picture This' coming in at number 8. It's not as good as 'Rebel Rebel', but it's a worthy attempt and enjoyable. Almost as much as the original version.
I could go on with a track by track breakdown of the CD, but the truth is, none of the music is interesting enough to keep my attention. I don't have anything to say about it other than, eh... It all sounds half-hearted anyway. Like they were just trying to get something together to release. There's no real "Umph" behind any of it. It's not completely generic sounding, but it doesn't have anything special in it either. Edina from "Absolutely Fabulous" once called this kind of music, "Dull Soulless Dance Music" and that's exactly what I think when I listen to this disc. There's not even enough energy to get you moving. I actually played it for Tyler and he found it boring.
This album is listed as Hi-NRG and Dance music on most reviews and information releases I've found online. Although I'm not sure what to classify it as, I know it doesn't live up to their earlier work. Whether it's the departure of the Dead Or Alive band that left the group without original material or the movement towards becoming an image celebrity rather than a singer; I've basically come to the conclusion Pete Burns gave up. Since he and Steve Coy went "Solo" as Dead Or Alive, the focus has been more on appearance and drag persona rather than music and entertainment. It's like they went on to feast on celebrity and ignored the music.
There's never been a happy balance for this group. And for me, this record was the last straw. I stopped buying them after this one. Every now and again, the group will release something and I'll look at it. The most recent thing I saw was a remix or remake of 'You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)'. That makes me feel bad. I'd rather see them doing something innovative and new. Instead, they're continuing to cash in on old material hoping to squeeze one more ounce of gold out of that dried up rock.
I'm also horrified by the personal appearances I've seen Pete Burns do lately. He's become something I absolutely detest and hate among the gay community... A bitchy horrible old queen. I avoid them in real life, I think they give gay people a bad image and I won't continue to financially support one who can't be a decent human being as a celebrity. I know I'll probably get a lot of negative feedback for this review from Dead Or Alive fans. And all I can say is, wait cause I've got great things to say about other releases. Just not this one. My final words: TROUBLING TRANNY TRASH!
DEAD OR ALIVE - NUKLEOPATRA
01. Nukleopatra
02. Unhappy Birthday
03. Rebel Rebel
04. Sleep With You
05. The Right Stuff
06. I'm A Star
07. International Thing
08. Picture This
09. Spend The Night Together
10. Gone Too Long
11. Getting It On
12. Sex Drive
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