at about the same time as (virtually) the rest of the world, i was introduced to the human league with their single, "don't you want me." and it immediately stuck with me, even if having only heard it on tiny radio speakers in my car.
YES, it was terribly unique, instrumentally. and the lead vocal being so flat like that. the interchange between M and F was engaging. and again, the instrumentation was just compelling.
when i found the album, dare at my local record store (under a section heading of "avante gard", as "new wave" hadn't been established yet): what was this? a plain white cover with a cropped photo of a man with heavy eyeliner? so...not american.
though none of the other songs from dare made any airplay (in detroit, michigan, USA, anyway), it was on heavy rotation on my turntable for several weeks. later, in utah, i would hear "love action" remixes at the local disco club ("star disco" or something like that), a single that became my enduring favorite from the album.
then one night, the club deejay announced a new single from the human league, "mirror man", and i was thrown off a bit...very girl-group, not very synth-new-wave. did i like it? i did...but wished / hoped it wasn't a new direction for the league.
several weeks later, the EP fascination came out, with the very awesome single, "fascination". some other tracks seemed more like concepts than songs, but still, a great record.
fascination kept me entertained until "the lebanon" single was released, in advance of the new album, hysteria. again, it seemed the league were heading into another new direction with big guitary sounds; other tracks on the album were less rock-inspired, but stuck with a big bassline. particularly lovely was "louise", which, like "don't you want me", told a nice story, this time somewhat more sentimental.
i never cared much for crash, the album by janet jackson's producers, though the single, "human" was hugely popular. just too not-human-league for my taste, i guess.
then i lost touch with human league. they released romantic?, an album nobody heard or bought. followed five years later by octopus, which again most folks didn't listen to, though it had a TERRIFIC single (really, one of their best), "tell me when".
and there's where the magic of human league becomes apparent: though they drift in and out of popularity, every few years they suddenly reappear again with a fresh new retro-y yet now-y single that really makes you wonder if they were ever off your radar (and if so, WHY?).
2001 brought them back with "all i ever wanted", again, one of their very best singles. this was part of an album, secrets that has no dull moments. outside of dare and maybe fascination, secrets, is a key album in catching up with human league.
the new single, "night people" doesn't disappoint, with clever lyrics and all that, but i'm hoping the rest of the album offers more than this club track.
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