The Art of Noise

The Art of Noise is a really important instrumental band that taught me a lot about how to write entertaining songs without using lyrics.

Information: Art of Noise
Suggested first purchase: In Visible Silence
Suggested best of: The Best of the Art of Noise [Blue Cover]

(Who's Afraid Of?) The Art of Noise! (1984) -- A perfect little package of keyboards, samples, and whatever else they thought to stick on this great album. A

Daft (1987) -- Basically a combination of (Who's Afraid Of?) The Art of Noise! and their earlier EP Into the Battle with The Art of Noise, along with some other worthy numbers, arranged in different a order. A pretty "daft" idea seemingly, except that it works. These songs are always great, no matter what. A

In Visible Silence (1986) -- Maybe an even better album than the previous, a more fun version of the first. A

In No Sense? Nonsense! (1987) -- Either this hasn't grown on me yet or it just isn't as good, I'm not sure. But it's fine. B

The Best of the Art of Noise [Pink Cover] (1992) -- A continuation of the "Blue Cover" best of put out a few years earlier: short but good (a definitive best of has yet to emerge). The cool thing about this collection is that it's handy for people who have all the albums since some of the versions presented here are different, such as the version of "Paranoimia" that features Max Headroom, a version not present on all releases of the In Visible Silence album. B