To be honest, I'm not sure why I bought LaTour's self titled debut back in 1991. I do remember liking "People Are Still Having Sex" which was a huge hit. And I recall hearing "Blue" in Basic Instinct. However, that typically wouldn't be enough to motivate a purchase. Maybe it was the  interesting artwork, or perhaps the cool Smash Records logo. But whatever  the motivations, purchasing this release turned out to be one of my better  and more enjoyable musical decisions. For fans of electronic dance music  style from the early 90s, this is a definite must have.
The release  begins on a fast, harsh, almost industrial dance tone with the guitar and  beat ridden "Allen's Got a New Hi-Fi" which will have you yelling and  thrashing about. "People are Still Having Sex" is a funky song that is fun  to dance to and has some thought provoking lyrics. This was America's  introduction to LaTour, and the single had great dance floor appeal. The  next song, "Involved," confirmed my love for this release. With funky  beats, lush orchestration, and deep vocals that move from spoken to  angst-ridden singing, "Involved" really hooks you physically and  emotionally. I have to dance and scream along every time. This song was  also released as a single with some cool remixes. "Cold" (also released as  a single) leaves me a little flat. Despite a danceable beat, the  orchestration is shallow and left me wanting more. We return to the fun  with "Fantasy Soldiers." Incredibly bouncy with some great orchestration  hooks, this song throws you on the dance floor and won't let go. "Amazing  You" is another great dance song, but with a more positive attitude with  its cool piano and upbeat lyrics that make you bounce around with a smile  on your face. With an almost Front 242 "Headhunter" intro, "Laurie Monster"  is funny EBM ("she's going to explode") that is very cool and has a  fantastic beat and orchestration. "Psych" has a freestyle dance beat to it,  however the orchestration and almost whined lyrics really don't work well;  the refrain shows how much more the song could have been filled out. "Dark  Sunglasses" is kind of cool - danceable and an interesting melding of  spoken and sung lyrics. However the orchestration seems like it is building  to something and then ends before it makes it there. "Blue" doesn't have  lyrics and is an interesting techno house trip. I must admit that as a song  alone I wasn't too thrilled with it. But once I saw the club scene in Basic  Instinct, the song grew a life of its own. For those (like me) who bought  the tape at first, it is important to note the CD contains bonus remixes of  "Allen's Got..." and "People are Still..." However, buy the CD because you wore  out your tape, not because of the remixes. "Allen's Got..." is overproduced,  drops the guitars, and loses its angst and anger ridden edge; as a fan of  industrial dance music, I was rather disappointed. "People are Still..." has  some additional samples, and elements are added to make the song more  rave-like, however it detracts from rather than adds to the power of the  original.
I give this release a fairly strong 4 star rating. I really  enjoy the music, lyrics and overall production, and it is great when I want  to be dancing, active, or need a general positive attitude adjustment.
This is an album for those who love electronic dance music. Yet while  every song has the propensity to make you dance, each song also takes you  to a different attitude or mood. This is by no means a one-dimensional  release. LaTour takes electronic dance music, and its listeners for that  matter, to a fun place where flashing laser lights and the dance floor  reign supreme. Get this CD, then get out of your chair and dance.
To be honest, I'm not sure why I bought LaTour's self titled debut back in 1991. I do remember liking "People Are Still Having Sex" which was a huge hit. And I recall hearing "Blue" in Basic Instinct. However, that typically wouldn't be enough to motivate a purchase. Maybe it was the  interesting artwork, or perhaps the cool Smash Records logo. But whatever  the motivations, purchasing this release turned out to be one of my better  and more enjoyable musical decisions. For fans of electronic dance music  style from the early 90s, this is a definite must have. The release  begins on a fast, harsh, almost industrial dance tone with the guitar and  beat ridden "Allen's Got a New Hi-Fi" which will have you yelling and  thrashing about. "People are Still Having Sex" is a funky song that is fun  to dance to and has some thought provoking lyrics. This was America's  introduction to LaTour, and the single had great dance floor appeal. The  next song, "Involved," confirmed my love for this release. With funky  beats, lush orchestration, and deep vocals that move from spoken to  angst-ridden singing, "Involved" really hooks you physically and  emotionally. I have to dance and scream along every time. This song was  also released as a single with some cool remixes. "Cold" (also released as  a single) leaves me a little flat. Despite a danceable beat, the  orchestration is shallow and left me wanting more. We return to the fun  with "Fantasy Soldiers. " Incredibly bouncy with some great orchestration  hooks, this song throws you on the dance floor and won't let go. "Amazing  You" is another great dance song, but with a more positive attitude with  its cool piano and upbeat lyrics that make you bounce around with a smile  on your face. With an almost Front 242 "Headhunter" intro, "Laurie Monster"  is funny EBM ("she's going to explode") that is very cool and has a  fantastic beat and orchestration. "Psych" has a freestyle dance beat to it,  however the orchestration and almost whined lyrics really don't work well;  the refrain shows how much more the song could have been filled out. "Dark  Sunglasses" is kind of cool - danceable and an interesting melding of  spoken and sung lyrics. However the orchestration seems like it is building  to something and then ends before it makes it there. "Blue" doesn't have  lyrics and is an interesting techno house trip. I must admit that as a song  alone I wasn't too thrilled with it. But once I saw the club scene in Basic  Instinct, the song grew a life of its own. For those (like me) who bought  the tape at first, it is important to note the CD contains bonus remixes of  "Allen's Got... " and "People are Still... " However, buy the CD because you wore  out your tape, not because of the remixes. "Allen's Got... " is overproduced,  drops the guitars, and loses its angst and anger ridden edge; as a fan of  industrial dance music, I was rather disappointed. "People are Still... " has  some additional samples, and elements are added to make the song more  rave-like, however it detracts from rather than adds to the power of the  original. I give this release a fairly strong 4 star rating. I really  enjoy the music, lyrics and overall production, and it is great when I want  to be dancing, active, or need a general positive attitude adjustment. This is an album for those who love electronic dance music. Yet while  every song has the propensity to make you dance, each song also takes you  to a different attitude or mood. This is by no means a one-dimensional  release. LaTour takes electronic dance music, and its listeners for that  matter, to a fun place where flashing laser lights and the dance floor  reign supreme. Get this CD, then get out of your chair and dance.