in the same sentence....Tears for Fears and Howard Jones are just awful...even worse is Thompson Twins...just horrible.

Didn't Grant Lee Buffalo just do this a few months back??

Don't know who this bloke is but it sounds like a big pile of shite.

I agree with the other poster. Howard Jones? FFS.
I suppose Mr Sheik regards this as "Noo Wave" in the same way they regarded Duran Duran and Culture Club. Christ, he might be covering that dross as well.

Crap 80's music should be left alone. It was bad enough at the time.

Just the mere mention of the Thompson Twins induces a feeling of extreme nausea.

Don't forget it was their "Into the Gap" bollocks that kept "The Smiths" off No.1

Has there ever been a worse act?

Who the f**k would describe The Smiths or New Order as art pop?

Ducan Sheik is a twat. That is official.

Duncan Sheik is a highly-underrated musical craftsman from America whose chief inspiration is Nick Drake.

Sheik is awesome. His quote is coming from a UK-friendly/lonesome American perspective. It is sad and sorry that the British are not aware of this phenomenon.

You have to realise that, in America, music during the 1980s was simply AWFUL. British music rarely received the praise that it should have received.

Sheik is paying homage to a part of the British scene during the 1980s. There is a small segment of the American population that was uniquely inspired by UK culture and British music during the 1980s.

It is sad that there are a lot of "poison-pen" British folks here. You cannot even appreciate a compliment when a compliment is being said.

Duncan Sheik may not be a musical genius, but he is very (extremely) unique from an American perspective. He obviously realises that most American music during the 80s was absolutely terrible.

"It takes strength to be gentle and kind."

Try listening to "Phantom Moon." Sheer brilliance.

With love,
Ken S.

Anyone who criticise the acts mentioned by Sheik are either too young to remember them, or too old to have appreciated them at the time. Those of us who were young during the first half of the eighties love all of those groups. Yes, even The Thompson Twins.

I'm just a sad sap from the US but I've heard Duncan Sheik's cover of 'Reel Around the Fountain' and it's great. Several years ago, and quite by accident, I was in downtown West Palm Beach FL and there he was playing acoustically on a small outdoors stage. It was wonderful to just sit on the lawn and listen with the intracoastal waterway right there. His voice is mesmerizing (not like Moz's but who can be like Moz?) I can imagine his version of "Pretty in Pink" by the Pysch. Furs or Thompson Twins "King for a Day'. What I like best is he means to make them in a somber way, and it would be lovely to hear a haunting, well done take on some of those songs that now hurt me and make me cringe to hear. LOL.

One comment in here notes that the UK's idea of New Wave is very different from the US. On the US side 80's music is split into a few different groups. The New Wave bit consisted of bands like Simple Minds, The Thompson Twins, Tears For Fears, Culture Club, Wham, Modern English, Billy Idol- from the bottom of the rung like Spandau ballet to yes, David Bowie's "Let's Dance" album. Then we had what we considered Rock, being Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA" album, John Mellencamp (then Cougar), Yes, the Police, Bryan Adams. Then you went ino the next category of harder rock, unnamed really, which was the Scorpions, Def Leppard, Krokus, Judas Priest, AC/DC, Dio. As far as punk went in the US at the time, at one time I think even the Police were considered punk, although the Americanized version of punk at the time was really watered- down. Or it was just going for the jugular vein but with no real meaning or intent other than to act like you understood it and were therefore misunderstood plus really really violent.(And that is my severely humble opinion of Punk American-style in the 80's.) However, I must note I'm not a punk fan myself so I could be entirely mistaken.

So what's considered New Wave in the UK? Anyone?

He's not even covering "The Safety Dance?" Or "Talk Talk" by Talk Talk from their hit LP Talk Talk??

I am really upset that a few individuals here have made fun of Talk Talk. They are musical GENIUSES.

"Laughing Stock" is one of the all-time greatest albums ever recorded!

Urghh. I am so mad!

Sincerely,
Ken

Since the topic is of new wave crappy bands...I thought this article might spark some interest. I was reading this in the LV Weekly and it references Moz several times....

It peeved me to hear that Mr. Flowers is/was only interested in Morrissey's hits...well you guys can read it and see what you think.

http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/2007/02/15/feature1. html