New Wave Outpost Forum

Available Oct 7 on AMZ US, 'Stop Start' is being reissued on Warners/Music on CD. This is great news as the prior 2010 Wounded Bird reissue has been very scarce for a long time.

From AMZ:
'Stop Start' is the fourth studio album by the new wave/post-punk band from Colchester, England, Modern English formed by Robbie Grey (vocals), Gary McDowell (guitar, vocals), and Michael Conroy (bass, vocals). With the release of 'Stop Start' they ended their 'new wave' period leaving the 4AD label in 1986 and with an upgraded their sound they moved to the Sire label to release their final album 'Stop Start'. There is a strong percussion feel to the 'Stop Start ' album, especially on the "Night Train" and the loner-themed "I Don't Know The Answer". This is arguably one of the best albums of the 80s, with songs like "Ink And Paper", "The Border", and the title track "Start Stop / Stop Start."

Cool news, love this album!! Thanks for sharing, Glenn!

Wow, been waiting forever for the CD.

It's a great news to see "Stop Start" reedited once again even if for my part, I already have the Wounded Bird...
For the occasion, I listened again to the last 5 albums because I like the first one a lot, the second one even more and the third one like crazy!
At the time, the change of label and the singular graphics of the cover had a repulsive effect. Modern english seems "happy" on this album, free from their history
as if the musicians were simply not British anymore.
This is the album for everyone and by trying to please too much, the beauty has given way to a simplification of the sound and the band has lost some of its soul and charm.
I always wondered what John Fryer would have done with the songs on this album... I'm not a fan of the production of "Stop Start".
Yet "Ink and Paper" is undeniably an endearing track, I also positively like "Stop Start" as I did "Machines" but the guitars as played on the
such as they are played on "Night train" and "I don't Know The Answer" leaves me perplexed... let's talk about the rhythm of the songs, often fast, making the whole thing joyful
to be tiring...
The horns as well as some synthesizer sounds of a rare flatness fill the songs with noises at the expense of the melody.
In 1986, Modern English becomes Pop by all means and almost all the tracks. Listening again to "Pillow Lips" from 1990, I found this pop vein both discreet and successful.
And then deep down, "I melt with You" seems accidentally pop to me. I am not convinced of a will to be pop. Could it be the genius of John Peel,
the label or producer to have had the ear...

I remain faithful to this group and "Soundtrack" and "Moonbeam" are 2 small jewels that magnify the releases of 2010 and 2017

Charlayme