The English Beat – Wha’ppen?
So after falling in love with “I Just Can’t Stop It,” I decided to take (not much of) a chance on this re-release of “Wha’ppen?” and truthfully, it’s even more to my taste, the beats a bit cooler, the sound a little deeper – the whole thing’s a mood. Unlike the previous album, I really hadn’t heard or heard of any of these songs, so they’re all new to me, even though they were released in 1981. I was 20 years old. Good heavens.
From “Walk Away:”
…if you ever try to lean on me, too heavily,
i’ll step aside and watch you fall
we’ll make each other look so small
let’s either find another way, or bang our
heads into the wall, and walk away
Yeah, that’s a feeling. And the music suits it perfectly.
I played this one to death in the years after its original release, though these days, I listen to its successor, “Special Beat Service,” the most of all of the Beat albums. That said, I think “Doors of Your Heart” is easily among their greatest achievements, simply a perfect song, brilliantly presented, to my ears. And lots more get close to it, here!