1981-1984 is a retrospective on the short-lived career of French minimalist rockers, Fall of Saigon. At the risk of over embellishing for style, I'll be blunt: its thirteen tracks contain some of the most bland, repetitive and amateurish music I've ever heard. Musically, lyrically, vocally, and melodically, it fails, and it's no wonder why the trio never became very popular.
Of the trio, organist Pascal Comelade is probably the most well-known, and joining him in Fall of Saigon is vocalist (not "singer," mind you) Florence Berthon, guitarist Thierry Den, and a drumbox. Between 1981 and 1982, the group only released an untitled EP. 1981-1984, I suppose, will certainly appeal as a nostalgic token to be cherished by their fans—assuming they had any.
"Visions" opens the album with a simple drum beat, punky guitar riff, and the boring drone of Berthon. The song (and album, for that matter) never picks up momentum, nor does it engage its listener at all with catchiness or even the slightest hint of musical ambition; it's as if three street hooligans found instruments in a garbage can and decided to buy a tape recorder and start messing around. "On the Beach At Fontana," albeit unintentionally, perfectly captures the sounds of a mentally handicapped person rambling to themselves with a techno rock soundtrack. It's laughably pointless and odd.
In the interest of referencing some positives, I suppose the David Lynch-esque horns and guitar of "Sha La La La" are a bit intriguing, and "I'll Never Be Back" does effectively convey a simple sorrow in its keyboard arpeggio. However, these tracks are certainly nothing special in-and-of themselves; however, when compared to the rest of the horrible 1981-1984, they stand out.
I've nothing against a minimalist, slightly amateurish approach to music—hell, it's what made Brian Eno's 1970s work so charming—and Radiohead's "Videotape" is a work of genius because of its simplicity. However, whereas these two artists (and many more) channel talent into a sparse approach, this band only channel trash. Fall of Saigon arguably had one of the briefest careers in modern music, and with 1981-1984, it's easy to hear why.
Track Listing
1. Visions
2. Blue Eyes
3. She Leaves Me Alone
4. So Long
5. On The Beach At Fontana
6. The Swimmer
7. The Model
8. Part Time Punks
9. The End
10. Andalucia
11. I'll Never Be Back
12. Sha La La La
13. Let It Go
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