ZANG TUMMM TUMB ARTICLES “the first draft of history”

BUGGLES: Adventures In Modern Recording (Carrere). Buggles these days is down to Trevor Horn, acclaimed producer of ABCs “Poison Arrow”, with a little help from his friends. Horns gift for production is evident here too, and on the first five of these eight new songs there are enough strong tunes, witty ideas and funky noises — among them a brilliant stab at electro-swing to keep the average Human League fan happy for months. But the whole is much less than the sum of the parts, and Side Two deteriorates into tedious Yes-style pomposity. Try it if you like the single. (5½ out of 10).