Beat Boy

For the 2009 single by Die Antwoord, see $O$.

Untitled

Beat Boy is the third studio album by English new wave band Visage. It was recorded at Trident Studios between 1982 and 1983 and released on Polydor Records in October 1984 (delayed by contractual problems the band were having at that time). Reaching No. 79 on the UK album chart, the album was poorly received by critics and would be the band's last studio album for almost thirty years.

Background

The album was recorded and released after lead singer Steve Strange decided to make Visage a live band instead of being solely a studio-based project, a decision that left him working only with drummer Rusty Egan and a trio of newer musicians.

Release

Beat Boy was released on 22 October 1984 on vinyl and cassette by record label Polydor. The cassette version of the album featured remixes of the album's original tracks, with a total running time of over 50 minutes. This included an extra track, the instrumental "Reprise" (a reprise of the track "Questions").

Though the band's first two studio albums peaked within the Top 20 and Top 10 respectively, each earning a Silver disc in the UK, Beat Boy peaked at number 79 and spent only two weeks on the album chart. Two singles were released from the album, "Love Glove" in August 1984 (UK No. 54) and "Beat Boy", which did not chart. The album was trashed by critics, and effectively marked the end of Visage as a recording act for the next couple of decades.

Beat Boy was finally released on CD for the first time in February 2009 by Cherry Red Records, and featured the same tracklist as the original vinyl album with four extra tracks (see below).

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Smash Hits	2/10

Beat Boy has been panned by critics. In a scathing review of the album, Ian Cranna of Smash Hits characterised Strange and Egan as "two wafer-thin talents" and described the album as "a cross between all-purpose Euro-disco and Queen, with excruciatingly amateurish lyrics".

Track listing

All tracks are written by S. Barnacle, Rusty Egan and Steve Strange, except as noted

Side A

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Beat Boy"	Barnacle, Barnett, Egan, Dave Formula, Strange	6:46
2.	"Casualty"	Barnacle, Barnett, Egan, Strange	5:28
3.	"Questions"		6:11
4.	"Only the Good (Die Young)"	Barnacle, Barnett, Billy Currie, Egan, Formula, Strange	5:58

Side B

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Can You Hear Me"		6:29
2.	"The Promise"	Barnacle, Barnett, Egan, Strange	3:59
3.	"Love Glove"		4:45
4.	"Yesterday's Shadow"		6:29

2009 reissue bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
9.	"Beat Boy (Dance Mix)"		7:19
10.	"Love Glove (Long Version)"		6: 38
11.	"She's a Machine"	Barnacle, Barnett, Egan, Strange	4:54
12.	"Der Amboss"	Currie, Egan, Formula, Strange, Midge Ure	5:39

Remixed cassette version

Side A

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Beat Boy"	7:15
2.	"Casualty (Dance Mix)"	5:58
3.	"Questions (Dance Mix)"	7:06
4.	"Only The Good (Die Young)"	5:30

Side B

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Can You Hear Me"	6: 26
2.	"The Promise (Dance Mix)"	4:08
3.	"Love Glove"	5: 40
4.	"Yesterday's Shadow"	6:30
5.	"Reprise" (instrumental reprise of the intro section to the Dance Mix of "Questions")	2:35

Personnel

Visage

• Steve Strange – lead vocals
• Andy Barnett – guitar
• Steve Barnacle – bass
• Gary Barnacle – saxophone
• Rusty Egan – drums, electronic drum

Additional personnel

• Billy Currie – keyboards
• Dave Formula – keyboards
• Marsha Raven – backing vocals
• Karen Ramsey – backing vocals
• Rose Patterson – backing vocals

External links

• Beat Boy at Discogs (list of releases)