Review Revue: Altered Images - Bite

Review Revue
02/25/2016
Levi Fuller

I didn't realize that I was familiar with Altered Images when I pulled out this record, but it turns out I know two of their songs (and I'm sure you know at least one, if not both): the title track from their debut album, Happy Birthday (which is exactly the one you think of when I say it's an '80s pop song called "Happy Birthday"), and "Dead Pop Stars," their first single, which a super cool English dude I knew in the '90s put on a mix tape for me once along with a bunch of '70s and '80s UK punk and post-punk and whatever else you want to call it.

Anyway, those were from their early days. Bite, their third and final LP, released all of two years later, would I guess be considered late period Altered Images, and the KCMU folks, at least, were pretty much not having it. So I don't know, maybe you don't need to throw this one on, but give "Happy Birthday" a spin and try to keep a smile from coming to your face.

"New mature image... slightly more mature music... 1.1 is embarrassing."

"Is it possible to peak on your 1st LP?" [I assumed most college DJs thought every band peaked on their first LP.]

"Yes, Boston did. This album sounds the same as their 1st and 2nd."

"Perhaps, if they were played at 16 rpm."

"The band would be too slow."

"This really bites the big one..."

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