Geography

Not only is this one of Front 242's best works, it is also, in my opinion, one of the better "Industrial" releases of all time. It is also unique among the Front 242 catalog, in that most of the songs are quite short and has a rougher, edgier sound than it's successive releases. It's quite a revelation to listen to GEOGRAPHY now, some 25+ years after it's release, and to re-discover why this had become such an influential album on the development of industrial music throughout the 80's and beyond.

This particular edition of GEOGRAPHY stands high above older releases of this album for it's dynamic sound quality. The new re-mastering breathes fresh life into a mix that once sounded muddled and flat. Obviously extraordinary care was taken in re-mastering this music to truly make it the best it can be.

As an extra treat for 242 fans is the inclusion of the previously unreleased "He Runs Too Fast For Us", originally created shortly after the GEOGRAPHY sessions. Following this track are three more additional songs, which, if I remember correctly, are the same tracks that made up the bonus selections of Sony's 1992 CD edition. Unfortunately, all the bonus tracks are combined into one 15 minute selection, which makes selecting an individual song a chore.

The packaging of this latest re-issue is minimal on both visuals and content. Printed on a digipak format the cover is restored to it's original artwork with a second photo of mannequin heads on the back. There is the track list on the back and a brief paragraph on the re-mastering. Unfolded, the packaging opens to two blank white panels, with a couple lines of text for publishing notes. (Here is where a nice band photo, lyrics, or additional artwork could have been placed). The CD face has a nice design printed on it. Curiously there is a "1" arranged predominately on the disc design, which left me to question if this re-master of GEOGRAPHY is the first in a series of re-releasing the remainder of 242's catalog, which seems to be swiftly falling out of print.

Still, packaging aside, I'd make this version of GEOGRAPHY the one to get. Unfortunately, the high import price tag may keep many 242 fans and newcomers for hearing this classic in it's deserved sound quality.

Final Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
Favorite tracks: "Operating Tracks", "U-Men", "Least Inkling", "GVDT"

This Classic remastered album is incredibly fresh and bright compared to the original! The liner notes state that it was also "slightly" remixed through modern equipment and several songs have an extra second or two that were cut from the original release. The songs sound brand new and I'm hearing lots of things I never heard before! The extra track is awesome!! And there are 3 hidden tracks; Ethics, Principles and Body to Body that are on the Sony version.

It's a little pricey since it's a European only release but worth every penny!

If you've ever owned Geography, this version is better by leaps and bounds!!

Let's face it, there are a multitude of industrial bands wreaking havoc on the music scene today. And believe it or not, it has always been that way, though not so centrally in the U.S, or even London. To fully understand electronic music without peruving the biographies of such pioneers as Buchla, Moog, and Mr/Mrs Walter/Wendy Carlos...you need to send yourself back to the dawn of the era, in Germany and Belgium....and explore some of the first and finer attempts at man using machines to speak their musical language. Back when Kraftwerk were cranking out their staunchy beats, Front 242 emerged with a vigor unlike anything previously heard. Their debut album is much like being sucked into an old Atari 2600 system and duking it out with the circuits. Certainly it doesn't quite have the energy that the more current Front 242 invades our minds and ear drums with, but rest assured! This is NOT paltry, glassy-eyed, flat-response electronic music. The tracks on Geography have that very organic quality that few other electronic artists have succssfully acheived for 15 years following! The songs develop well, sometimes slowly, sometimes right away, but all are infectious in their own right. And it's all analog; no easy feat if you know your technology and you know what sort of equipment was available back then. Front 242 have managed to create alternate universes while simultaneously haunting you right here in your own living room. This is one of those records that you listen to once....and then maybe later that day, or the next day, you put it in again, and certain hooks or phrases from certain tracks will pique your memory. You'll say "Oh yeah...i remember this track!" and start to hum along as best you can.... After a few weeks, every track has its mark imbedded into your conscience, as much for its blips and synth sweeps as for its reverberating and lyrical aura. Years later, you'll pull this CD out of a box, put it in, and say "Where on earth has this been? This is great!"

To quote one of the tracks from the album: "It makes you feel glad....it makes you fill the air with your cries!"

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