At only 53 seconds longer then the album version, which weighed in at over 5 mins anyway, I often wondered why the boys decided to extend this track.
Especially when its trademark was, and still is, repetition. Do we need more repetition?
The main differentiation on the 12" version is the stripped down intro and, especially, the outro. The "meat in the middle" is largely the same as the album version. On the plus side, at least 12" versions in the 80's were true extensions or remixes of the original, rather than the modern penchant of sampling a microsecond of one aspect and using it subliminally in a pounding dance beat that bears no relationship to the track it's portraying.
Hence this version is a true derivation of the original. And you've got to admire the boys for pulling off a track which actually enters it's closing refrains at the mid-point with a full 3 minutes to go! "We can't turn back".
It does start to sound a bit desperate towards the end, almost like a marathon!
It's interesting to hear the variation, but I could live without it.
Sound quality note: pretty good really, only issue is the hiss especially at the start but it's not too bad. I don't think it's a vinyl rip anyway.
(Graham G)
I'm not sure how I should approach writing this review, as we've already covered the original track previously. (I liked it, BTW). I must state I am not a huge fan of 12" records, except for the best ones which were coincidentally all from around 1981 as was of course the case with this one.
I think the format was really intended for the dance genres. The tendency all too often was to 'dance up' and stretch out elements of the original song just too much for the sober listener's patience. (I don't doubt they sounded great in clubs after lots of drinks).
However, the good side of these recordings was that when engineered properly they had a really rich and full sound to them due, I presume, to wider grooves than the 7". Good ones sounded much better IMO than any CD...
Anyway, to get back to this review. I suppose the lads did everything right. They didn't 'dance it up'; it isn't ruined by thudding club beats. It was very true to the original and not too stretched out. I like the stripped down elements of the first minute and towards the end, but otherwise this is not much different to the original. Whilst I don't get bored, perhaps it does go on a touch longer than it ought to.
With the benefit of 26 year's hindsight, does it add much to the original? Maybe not. I suppose it was an experiment. I wonder if any of the other tracks on Anywhere would have proved better for the 12" treatment?
91/100
(Richard M)