I have posted about it previously as I was highly anticipating its release. I've received my double CDR album last weekend and have overplayed its tracks ever since ! Lazer Light, Peter Wilson's third album and second for Energize Records, is a pure retro eighties & pwl inspired pop delight ! But it is not a full Stock Aitken & Waterman tribute album at all. It has mixed inspirations all looking back in the 80's and the sounds may be varied enough as its producers & writers. I think on this one Peter Wilson has taken a step back on the songwriting duties to leave room for its old collaborator, John von Ahlen, taking a break from his next forthcoming Parralox album to write and produce 5 tracks on Peter's album.
The album opens up with the first one of them, Love overload, and it has a killer rhythm that makes me think of Dead Or Alive's first SAW hits. The chorus is haunting and strong, and I feel some italo inspirations were called on this song too. I like it a lot and it could easily become a single off the album. The bonus CD ends with a remix of it by Poison Beat that leads it into nowadays dance sounds with some romanian "popcorn" beats and a more laidback approach.
New single Take me as I am is next and this Ian Curnow co-written and Dave Ford/Ian Curnow new production is pure hi-NRG/dance, not that PWL sounding when you listen to it closely ...except it has an addictive chorus ! It has been remixed by the Almighty team and they've added a slightly clubbier sound to the original to match their usual goal and make you dance with your hands in the air and your ass shakin' in rhythm :) Their dub version is included on CD#2 but you've got to purchase the single to get their radio edit & full remix, as well as Ian & Dave's big 12'' version.
Next track is another von Ahlen song/production and is another one that's been remixed by Poison Beat on bonus CD. Love me like a machine sounds a lot more 90's inspired with its repetitive trance/house chorus line repeated in pure diva style by Peter Wilson. The beat is a little too cheapy "pling-plong" for me though and I don't see this become a single, except if the Poison Beat was edited to match a radio version timing as this is the one that bettered the song, adding a galoping rhythm that sounds as if it has been borrowed from an old eurodance hit from Masterboy or so ; this is the version I like the most and it makes us do a nice return to the 90's where Dance music was high in the charts.
Next track is another von Ahlen song/production and is another one that's been remixed by Poison Beat on bonus CD. Love me like a machine sounds a lot more 90's inspired with its repetitive trance/house chorus line repeated in pure diva style by Peter Wilson. The beat is a little too cheapy "pling-plong" for me though and I don't see this become a single, except if the Poison Beat was edited to match a radio version timing as this is the one that bettered the song, adding a galoping rhythm that sounds as if it has been borrowed from an old eurodance hit from Masterboy or so ; this is the version I like the most and it makes us do a nice return to the 90's where Dance music was high in the charts.
Previous single Broken man comes next and every SAW/PWL lover in the world must know (and own) this one already by heart as this Pete Hammond co-written/produced song gave us what we've been waited for for years : a new "SAW" hit to cherish ! Except it has been written by Wilson/Richards/Hammond... I had secretely hoped they would have teamed up more to record other highlights on this album together but Broken man is the only one and there is just another piece of PWL retro-mania featured at the end of CD#1 (more on this later!). At 3'34, the radio version does sound too short for my ears but -lucky me- the full extended mix is added as a bonus on the album + a Matt Pop less PWL sounding remix is featured in the bonuses ! No trace here of the Sleaze Sisters remixes that were on the single pack and I must admit they were no must-have for once ; the original is better !
When love is said and done follows and this Matt Pop first production keeps up with the PWL memories by sounding a bit like Too many broken hearts. Co-written with Peter Wilson, this new song sounds like a pure SAW 1990 pastiche, with a full voice-sampled bridge, and I suppose a handful more of this kind would have sounded too cheesy on a 2012 album, but I would have loved it SOOOO much !
Back to John von Ahlen on Without you, but with some PWL inspired sounds (and a voice-sampled bridge again) too, except the tempo's slowed down and this new track just sound like a good album filler for me.
Matt Pop is back on duty on the title track, Laser light, but this time it is not for a full SAW tribute, but for a more original song, one of the kind of Broken man, with a killer chorus in two parts like Dieter Bohlen did, but with pop/dance arrangements that do not sound retro for once. Like the two previous songs, this one doesn't have a remix featured on the bonus CD and I think it is a loss as it should have been ! Maybe on its single release ?
But now comes the real treat for every SAW addicted boy and girl in the world : Every little bit of my heart and its brilliant shiny Matt Pop production that makes this Curnow/James composition sound like Kylie Minogue's Better the devil you know (the intro particularly) mixed with Sonia's You'll never stop me loving you on the whole, duplicating the SAW 90's housey pop era with maestro. And this time, the extended version is included in the bonuses and will please the extra inches lovers ;) I must admit I can't get enough of this one and the replay button is hit every time I play the CD while the repeat is on mode for the Window Media Player listens.
Matt Pop follows this masterpiece by a cover version of a 1985 single by the dutch band Time Bandits named Endless road, that Peter sings into a duet with fellow singer and labelmate Sammy Paul, who's just released her second single Supersonic lover with perfect Pete Hammond retro remixes after she first teamed with Dave Ford on Why. A full album with Peter Wilson (and friends) is on its way for Energise Records and I think it'll be another must-have for my collection... Their song here does always sound very eighties even though the production makes it more up-to-date than the original for sure !
After the Broken man lonely hearts remix by Pete Hammond, the album's CD#1 ends with Don't let me go, a synth-pop track by John von Ahlen that clocks at 6'18 and becomes a bit boring in my ears I have to admit :(
On the bonus CD#2, there are a remixes of album tracks I have already talked about but more goodies like the opening track, Love you more, last from the von Ahlen sessions, and one that sounds trender than the previous one featured for example. Really upbeat and with pleasant arrangements, this one has strong warm vocals by Peter and I wonder why it hasn't been exchanged with Don't let me go for final inclusion on album ? Maybe just to make the limited physical package more south-after after all ?
Another reason to get it is the Stock Aitken & Waterman cover version of Bananarama's Ain't no cure by Peter Wilson in the old 1997 demo form he recorded back then with John von Ahlen, but at 5'09 and with a pure PWL sound displayed, it is a must-have here ! I would have loved to see his two other recordings How can this be real love and What a night included too ! Maybe on his next single package ?
Another demo that fits is Broken man, produced by Peter Wilson & Chris Richards before Pete Hammond took it in his hands, and it sounds incredibly different, downbeat and almost country/pop, with a hard rocky guitar too ! I don't really like it but it is interesting to hear this version after the single mix.
Last bonuses are the instrumental versions of the Pete Hammond produced You better not fool around and Twenty four seven from the Stereo album (along the london bridge remix of the latter) for those who wants to sing instead of Peter... I would have prefered a radio edit of the SAW composition myself but apparently only the extended version (and its instrumental) exists so Who can do the job for me please ?
So finally, what to think of Lazer Light ? That it is a must-have for us, Hit Factory forum members, but for every other pop addicted music lovers too. I was surprised not to see Peter Wilson have more writing & producing credits on this one ; maybe he was too busy promoting the last album and as the two have followed very shortly, I won't complaign about it, but I thought he would wrote more with Matt Pop, Ian Curnow and Pete Hammond, so I was suprised (and upset at first) to see John van Ahlen "steal" half of the songs here :) Maybe his latest work will appear on Sammy Paul forthcoming album so I keep my fingers crossed and put Lazer Light on replay, right now !
You can get it by ordering the physical 2xCDR on http://www.energiserecords.com/
Another reason to get it is the Stock Aitken & Waterman cover version of Bananarama's Ain't no cure by Peter Wilson in the old 1997 demo form he recorded back then with John von Ahlen, but at 5'09 and with a pure PWL sound displayed, it is a must-have here ! I would have loved to see his two other recordings How can this be real love and What a night included too ! Maybe on his next single package ?
Another demo that fits is Broken man, produced by Peter Wilson & Chris Richards before Pete Hammond took it in his hands, and it sounds incredibly different, downbeat and almost country/pop, with a hard rocky guitar too ! I don't really like it but it is interesting to hear this version after the single mix.
Last bonuses are the instrumental versions of the Pete Hammond produced You better not fool around and Twenty four seven from the Stereo album (along the london bridge remix of the latter) for those who wants to sing instead of Peter... I would have prefered a radio edit of the SAW composition myself but apparently only the extended version (and its instrumental) exists so Who can do the job for me please ?
So finally, what to think of Lazer Light ? That it is a must-have for us, Hit Factory forum members, but for every other pop addicted music lovers too. I was surprised not to see Peter Wilson have more writing & producing credits on this one ; maybe he was too busy promoting the last album and as the two have followed very shortly, I won't complaign about it, but I thought he would wrote more with Matt Pop, Ian Curnow and Pete Hammond, so I was suprised (and upset at first) to see John van Ahlen "steal" half of the songs here :) Maybe his latest work will appear on Sammy Paul forthcoming album so I keep my fingers crossed and put Lazer Light on replay, right now !
You can get it by ordering the physical 2xCDR on http://www.energiserecords.com/
or buy it on download : http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/laser-light/id533392920 or http://www.amazon.co.uk/Laser-Light/dp/B0089C9TMQ/
Don't forget the singles : http://www.emusic.com/listen/#/album/peter-wilson/broken-man/13200085/:http://www.emusic.com/listen/#/album/peter-wilson/take-me-as-i-am/13419321/
Or Sammy Paul's latest : http://www.emusic.com/listen/#/album/sammy-paul/supersonic-lover/13441113/:
Don't forget the singles : http://www.emusic.com/listen/#/album/peter-wilson/broken-man/13200085/:http://www.emusic.com/listen/#/album/peter-wilson/take-me-as-i-am/13419321/
Or Sammy Paul's latest : http://www.emusic.com/listen/#/album/sammy-paul/supersonic-lover/13441113/:
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