In the 1980s, the
Stock/
Aitken/Waterman team was to British dance-pop what
Jimmy Jam and
Terry Lewis, or
L.A. Reid and
Babyface, were to urban contemporary. Producing hits for
Bananarama,
Rick Astley,
Samantha Fox, and others, the threesome was despised by many rock critics. But critics can say what they want --
Stock,
Aitken, and Waterman knew how to deliver the hooks -- and many of the songs they produced were undeniably infectious. The team also produced some of
Dead or Alive's best work, so when
Dead or Alive quit working with them, fans were understandably apprehensive. But on
Nude, which was produced by
Dead or Alive members
Pete Burns and
Steve Coy, the group demonstrated that they could get along without
Stock/
Aitken/Waterman. Though not among the band's essential releases, this is a respectable, if uneven effort, that has a lot to offer from both a dance-pop/Hi-NRG/Euro-disco perspective and a pop-rock perspective. No, there isn't another "You Spin Me Round," or another "Something in My House," but cuts like "Turn Around and Count 2 Ten," "Come Home With Me Baby," and the early-'60s-influenced "Stop Kicking My Heart Around" aren't anything to be ashamed of either. If you've never experienced the pleasures of
Dead or Alive,
Rip It Up would be a better starting point.
Nude is, however, easily recommended to the group's diehard fans. ~ Alex Henderson