Adam And The Ants - Goody Two Shoes (CBS)

Mr Ant goes rockabilly, suggests we wear a little make-up, exhorts us not to smoke and drink, namechecks soul maestro Al Green for some reason, and - frankly - bores the highwayman's breeches off me. Dull. (Dave Rimmer, Smash Hits, May 13, 1982)

XTC - No Thugs In Our House (Virgin)

In which two parents try to convince a young constable that their son is not a nasty, vicious hooligan. A little heavy for my tastes, and it does go on a bit. Winner of the Silly Packaging of the Week Award, though, for a sleeve which converts into a toy theatre! How will they try and sell them to us next? I shudder to think. (Dave Rimmer, Smash Hits, May 13, 1982)

Japan - Cantonese Boy (Virgin)

A good song, but the fourth track off Tin Drum to become a single, and this can't really be counted as much more than a stop-gap measure until the boys in rouge re-unite and pen something new. The B-side includes the humdrum instrumental entitled "The Experience of Swimming". (Dave Rimmer, Smash Hits, May 13, 1982)

New Order - Temptation (Factory)

I can spot a New Order single a mile off. Just keep an eye out for an expensive-looking sleeve that doesn't say New Order anywhere on it and you're halfway there. (We were thinking of doing a New Order poster magazine at one time - it was going to be baked inside a cake and only available to residents of The Channel Islands, but it never came together . . .) Anyway, this is a change for the better; animated, perky even. Spring would seem to be in the Mancunian air because this is that rarest of items, a New Orders love song, featuring the lines 'up, down, turn around, please don't let me hit the ground' and other phrases which could be said to express happiness. With my own ears I heard it. (David Hepworth, Smash Hits, May 27, 1982)

Siouxsie And The Banshees - Fireworks (Polydor)

Starts with an orchestra tuning up and ends with the sound of some fairly expensive rockets going off. In between you get the usual swirling Siouxsie sound, long on repetition but short on tune, eminently suitable for haunting houses etc. Probably recorded in a bell tower. Quite likeable really. (David Hepworth, Smash Hits, May 27, 1982)

Toyah - Brave New World (Safari)

What can I say? She seems such a nice girl when she's on the box or talking in these pages. You can't help but admire her energy and utter professionalism. But as soon as she sings I get this awful feeling that she's somehow, er, exaggerating. All her songs have to be about some grand matter and sung with talent competition gusto. Knock 'em in the aisles, sock 'em in the back row of the balcony, grab 'em and shake 'em. My first instinct is to duck. That said, this is relatively restrained and should get on fewer nerves than the likes of "It's A Mystery". (David Hepworth, Smash Hits, May 27, 1982)

Echo And The Bunnymen - The Back Of Love (Korova)

There was a time when the suggestion that The Bunnymen might actually have a hit would have been greeted with snorts of derision. Nowadays I'm not so sure. Mac sounds like he's fed up of loitering in the backwaters of hipness and brings forth an impassioned vocal that complements the urgent guitars and thundering drums of his colleagues. Cutting loose and cutting deep as well. (David Hepworth, Smash Hits, May 27, 1982)

UB40 - Love Is All Is All Right (DEP International)

Another neatly-wrapped parcel of political wisdom, delivered with the usual adenoidal preachiness, this makes its way at snail's pace towards the obligatory timid dub section. Why anyone should buy this rather than a Bob Marley, Burning Spear or Aswad record is entirely beyond me and you can write all the angry letters you like, I still won't understand. (David Hepworth, Smash Hits, May 27, 1982)

Classix Nouveaux - Because You're Young (Liberty)

Bryan Ferry has a lot to answer for. If it hadn't been for early Roxy Music then half the young singers in the country wouldn't feel free to deliver songs from behind clenched teeth. Sal is much smitten with this technique; his Adam's Apple travels up and down like a lift operator but the mouth is never actually open. Consequently he can render a fairly healthy song like this one annoyingly affected. (David Hepworth, Smash Hits, May 27, 1982)

Culture Club - White Boy (Virgin)

The kind of image-heavy build-up that Boy George and Culture Club have had, lead me to expect just another all-trousers-and-no-action combo (well, all dresses actually, given George's taste in clothes). I'm surprised, therefore to find this an enjoyable helping of well-produced white soul even though it can't keep it up past the halfway mark on the 12". A question is prompted however: how much white funk would sell without all the make-up, gold suits etc? (Dave Rimmer, Smash Hits, May 13, 1982)

Note: Dave Rimmer would continue to delve into the themes of the sound and style of "new romantic" pop in his books Like Punk Never Happened and The Look.

 

Haircut One Hundred - Love Plus One (Arista)

The band who'll have us all slipping into chunky knits and brogues before you can say Captain Mark Phillips. This is a fine follow-up to "Favourite Shirt" which, as soon as people become friends with the sound, will be an even bigger hit. It's a nifty mover with plenty of interesting details. And who could resist a lyric like "Where does it lead from here?/Is it down to the lake I fear?" They've been watching too many late-night thrillers. (Ian Birch, Smash Hits, January 7, 1982)

Eurythmics - This Is The House (RCA)

The sooner the Eurythmics realise that a sharp song is worth a million clever effects, the sooner they'll stop being an 'interesting' and start being a 'good' band. This crochets obscure words with slices from Bowie and Grace Jones. Interested? Didn't think so. (Ian Birch, Smash Hits, April 15, 1982)

Simple Minds - Promised You A Miracle (Virgin)

The one that might just break the Minds. It's a brassy performance with Jim Kerr in formidable form, a hip-swivelling dance beat and a jumbo helping of 'atmosphere'. (Ian Birch, Smash Hits, April 15, 1982)

Private Lives - Because You're Young (Chrysalis).

No, it's not the blissful Bowie song from Scary Monsters though, now you come to mention it, the saxophone introduction is a bit like "Young Americans". Hitmaker-producer Martin Rushent struggles bravely to make a good pop record out of a weak song, but that Genetic Sound can't be found. (Neil Tennant, Smash Hits, March 4, 1982)

David Essex - Sweethearts (Mercury)

A sweetheart from the early '70s, the early '80s find Mr. E. in a sorry state. This is a dull thump of a song which recycles every lyrical cliche in the canon. Pass quickly. (Ian Birch, Smash Hits, April 15, 1982)

Bananarama - Shy Boy (London)

A brand new song crisply written and produced by Imagination's production team. Sunny and singalong - when you hear it blaring from hordes of transistor radios on a hot day at your favourite seaside resort you'll forget about the sand in your sandwiches. (Neil Tennant, Smash Hits, June 24, 1982)

Japan - Ghosts (Virgin)

Japan are a mystery to me. After being a standing joke for years they came right into fashion in 1981, built up a large following (witness the polls) but still didn't sell very many records. And all the while they sounded awfully like Roxy Music. That cannot be said of "Ghosts" and it's arguably the best thing they've done - slow, spare and mesmerising. (Tim De Lisle, Smash Hits, March 18, 1982)

UB40 - I Won't Close My Eyes (DEP International)

UB40 singles are always deceptive, seeming to have no obvious melody or structure at first, yet turning out to be hypnotic and addictive. Even so, this one does sound lacklustre on the few plays I've been able to give it. (Charlie Gillett, Smash Hits, February 4, 1982)

Dollar - Give Me Back My Heart (WEA)

Slush. Well sung slush and, with the much-in-demand Trevor Horn at the controls, beautifully-produced slush. But slush nonetheless. Nothing wrong with that necessarily, but nowhere near as interesting as "Mirror Mirror". (Dave Rimmer, Smash Hits, April 1, 1982)

Bucks Fizz - My Camera Never Lies (RCA)

Don't this lot ever have any new ideas? Same old oompah-oompah rhythm, clean wholesome vocals and utterly pathetic lyrics: 'My camera never lies any more/Because there's nothing worth lying for'. Too right, so here's the truth: sorry Fizz fans, this is horrible. (Dave Rimmer, Smash Hits, April 1, 1982)