The Blue Nile - Tinsel Town In The Rain (Linn Records)

This is quite an achievement for only their second single, it's quite nice. There's nothing that jumps out at you but I love the strings, more bands should use them. I don't know if it'll be a hit because I'm lousy at picking them. I think they'll develop into quite a big band. (Andy Taylor [Duran Duran], Record Mirror, July 14, 1984)

This comes from the band's new album Walk Across The Rooftops, but there's no doubt that as an album track it's sophisticated, subtle and slightly melancholy. Sadly, though, it's also a single which makes it boring, predictable and slightly weak. It's hard for The Blue Nile to top their wonderful single "I Love This Life" and they certainly won't do it with this. If anything, it's very reminiscent of early '70s Steely Dan which, in 1984, is nothing to be proud of. (Muriel Gray, Smash Hits, July 19, 1984)

The Blue Nile - Stay (Virgin)

The Blue Nile are a band I know absolutely nothing about but I'll be listening out for them in the future. I think this is probably their debut single and it sounds as if it's been influenced by Talking Heads. An hypnotic bassline drives the verse into a catchy chorus. Good single. (Dave Gahan, Smash Hits, April 26, 1984)

A very pretty first release by some young Scottish chaps who, if their plain white record cover is anything to go by, aren't giving away too much about themselves. This is refreshing and perfectly sensible, since the music speaks for itself, It's gentle, not too busy and topped off with a vocal borrowed from an American singer-songwriter - the sensitive '70s kind. No, I like it, honest! Discovery of the week. (Sunie, No 1, April 21, 1984)