ARTIST: Spandau Ballet 
TITLE: Journeys to Glory
YEAR RELEASED: 1981
CHART ACTION: #5 UK
SINGLES: To Cut a Long Story Short (#5 UK), The Freeze (#17 UK), Musclebound (#10 UK)
OTHER SONGS YOU MAY KNOW: Nope
LINEUP: Tony Hadley, Gary Kemp, Steve Norman, Martin Kemp, John Keeble
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: First album from New Romantic heartthrobs concentrate on the dance floor and pop hooks.
SOME WORDS, PHRASES AND CLAUSES ABOUT THIS RECORD: The first rule of Spandau Ballet, especially on this album, is that you don’t listen to the words. The lyrics aren’t as well thought out here as they could have been.
What matters is the hooks and the rhythms. Gary Kemp, the songwriter and musical leader, knew what was up and how to get noticed. They dressed up in suits and emphasized the pop sensibilities and the dance floor.
It is a bit like cotton candy, sweet but not substantive. Each track has some merits, even though “Mandolin” makes me cringe. “Toys”, though, should have been a hit – there’s no reason the US didn’t embrace that cut. Ah, in due time, though.
NOTES & MINUTIAE: This was released just 10 days after recording was finished.
IS THERE A DELUXE VERSION: The single mixes, the 12” mixes and BBC sessions associated with the album.
GRADE: B: I was expecting the worse, and while it’s not essential, it’s a decent 80’s dance record.
But Is It Any Good? 