Pleasure Victim cover

Pleasure Victim

Released

Even though Giorgio Moroder briefly made them the biggest band in the world with a massive hit single about asphyxiation for a military propaganda film, Los Angeles synth-poppers Berlin initially made a splash with their own take on the Moroder sound: the cheekily explicit (for the 80s) dirty dancing ditty “Sex (I’m a…).” They knew what sold. It was all a put-on, of course – singer Terry Nunn was literally an actress – but a fun one. Side B contains the two bona fide new wave classics. “Masquerade” thrills as a bombastic Duran Duran rave-up, while the Gary Numan minimalism of “The Metro” still chills. Not a lot of original ideas but Nunn’s charisma makes the listener a willing victim.

Jeff Treppel

Recommended by

Suggestions
Too-Rye-Ay cover

Too-Rye-Ay

Dexys Midnight Runners, Kevin Rowland
Night Time cover

Night Time

Killing Joke
True cover

True

Spandau Ballet
Bad Girls cover

Bad Girls

Donna Summer
Forever Now cover

Forever Now

The Psychedelic Furs
Shakin’ Street cover

Shakin’ Street

Shakin' Street
Madonna cover

Madonna

Madonna