Listen (A Flock of Seagulls album)


Listen is the second album release by the new wave band A Flock of Seagulls, released on 29 April 1983. It, once again, teamed the group with record producer Mike Howlett–who produced their debut album–except on the single release " Talking", which was produced by Bill Nelson. The record included the UK Top 10 hit "Wishing ". Other singles released from the album include "Nightmares" and "Transfer Affection". The face on the cover is of the band's drummer, Ali Score.

Reception

Listen received generally positive reviews. While Tom Demalon of AllMusic retrospectively felt the album was "sterile" and inconsistent, he found the hit "Wishing to be "multilayered hypnotic" while also praising the "Nightmares" and "Transfer Affection"
Robert Cristgau joked that the album's "aural pleasure" of "whooshes and zooms...and computerized ostinatos" could make Mr. Spock dance. He gave the album a B+ rating.

Re-issues

Listen has been released with varying track listings on at least three separate occasions. The original 1983 release, the 1992 CD Beehive label release, 2004 Superfecta Recordings release and the 2010 Cherry Red release.
The cassette version and the 1992 CD version have the original LP tracks in a slightly different order, with the additional tracks "Rosenmontag", "Quicksand", and "The Last Flight of Yuri Gagarin" interspersed.
The 2004 CD version has the ten LP tracks in the order, followed by the three additional tracks "Committed", "Quicksand", and a live rendition of their hit "I Ran ". " Talking" was released in 1981, two years before Listen was released on Bill Nelson's Cocteau label. The version of the song used on Listen is a re-recorded version; as a consequence, the Cocteau version has yet to see a CD release.
The 2010 Cherry Red release has the ten LP tracks in the order, followed the b-sides "Committed", "Quicksand" and "Tanglimara" and the remixes of "Wishing " and "Nightmares".

Track listing

All tracks written by Mike Score, Ali Score, Frank Maudsley and Paul Reynolds.

Original LP

CD re-issue bonus tracks
CD re-issue bonus tracks

Cassette

Side One
Side Two
This track listing was also used for the 1992 Beehive Trading Ltd. CD re-issue.

Chart performance

Personnel

;A Flock of Seagulls


;Additional Personnel