The Human League • Dare
Virgin Records V2192
33-RPM LP
The breakout album for 1980’s British synthpop group The Human League, Dare was released in 1981 and contains ten mostly upbeat tracks, including their number one hit, Don’t You Want Me. Other singles released from this album include Open Your Heart, The Sound of the Crowd, and Love Action (I Believe in Love).
One of this record’s minor claims to fame is that all the instrumentation (including drums) is synthesized; most records that relied heavily on synthesizers usually had at least one or two “real” instruments, like drums or guitar.
Sonically, this album is pretty good for a commercial pop record. The bass is warm and fairly deep, and the treble is not overly bright (and therefore listening to it isn’t fatiguing). The dynamic range is pretty wide (compression is not overly used as is so often the case these days), and the imaging is fine but a little flat.
A highly enjoyable and influential album, Dare is well worth picking up next time you see it, particularly if you’re into the synthpop genre or just want a copy of Don’t You Want Me. In other words, highly recommended!