In No Sense? Nonsense! contains some of the Art of Noise's most compelling work. With this album, Anne Dudley and company expanded their new wave experiments to include more instrumental firepower. In addition to full rock band production (including electric guitars, drums, and synthesizers), this record makes use of brass band, orchestral, and choral music. The result is about as rich and complex as they ever got. In No Sense? Nonsense! is probably best known as the album that included their take on the theme from the '50s cop show Dragnet, used in the 1987 film version that starred Dan Akroyd and Tom Hanks. That track is certainly the most accessible on the record, but it somehow seems a little too punchy for the primary ambient pop surroundings. It might fit better on a different album. This record is more notable for tracks like "How Rapid?" and "Opus for Four" that engage in fanciful genre blending. At times, the sound almost begins to anticipate later ambient dance artists like Enigma and DJ Shadow. But the Art of Noise are aptly named and consequently limited. Their artful noise collage lacks the visceral impact afforded by those later bands. In No Sense? is more often interesting than beautiful. ~ Evan Cater, All Music Guide
Jay Bee (Mixing Assistant), Tony Martin (Double Bass), George Webley (Bass), Robin Firman (Cello), Peter North (Vocals (Background)), The Art of Noise (Producer), Richard Clover (Vocals (Background)), Mark Thomas (Violin), Alan Dalziel (Cello), Galina Solodchin (Violin), Alexander Costello (Choir, Chorus), Liz Edwards (Violin), Marilyn Sanson (Cello), Frank Ricotti (Percussion), Barry Clempson (Engineer), Tim Barthope (Alto (Vocals)), James Archer (Violin), Nicolas Varak (Assistant Engineer), Robert Howe (Choir, Chorus), Dave Watt (Tenor (Vocal)), Richard Clover (Bass (Vocal)), Paul Robinson (Drums), Stuart Breed (Engineer), Adrian Hum (Choir, Chorus), Antonina Bialas (Violin), Peter G. Hanson (Violin), Jon Jacobs (Mixing), Robert Abwai (Guitar), Harold Lindsay (Vocals (Background)), Alistair Taylor (Choir, Chorus), Simon Harris (Choir, Chorus), Ely Cathedral Choir (?), Timothy Morgan (Choir, Chorus), The Art of Noise (Arranger), Tony Fisher (Trumpet), Robert Ahwai (Guitar), David Katz (Violin), Tim Barthope (Vocals (Background)), Peter Oxer (Violin), Douglas Bowen (Choir, Chorus), Peter Willison (Cello), Benjamin Adderley (Choir, Chorus), Benjamin Greatorex (Choir, Chorus), Dave Watt (Vocals (Background)), Ted Hayton (Engineer), Harold Lindsay (Alto (Vocals)), Howard Ball (Violin), Colin Sheen (Trombone), Bernard Partridge (Violin), Graeme Scott (Viola), Paul Smith (Bass (Vocal)), Arthur Wills (Director), Donald Weekes (Violin), Roger Garland (Violin), Roger Dudley (Engineer), Francis Ambrose (Choir, Chorus), Dietmar Schillinger (Mixing Assistant), Lance Phillips (Assistant Engineer), John Pasche (Art Direction), Roger Dudley (Mixing), John Bradbury (Violin), Ted Hayton (Mixing), Richard Lewzy (Engineer), Cathy Giles (Cello), Rusen Gunes (Viola), Barry Wilde (Violin), Mike Brittain (Double Bass), Peter Ahworth (Photography), Benjamin Dixon (Choir, Chorus), Desmond Bradley (Violin), Norris Bosworth (Viola), Alan David (Photography), Jonathan Edge (Choir, Chorus), Matthew Meynell (Choir, Chorus), Peter North (Tenor (Vocal)), Quentin Williams (Cello), Ian McKinnon (Violin), David James-Roll (Choir, Chorus), Nicolas Varak (Mixing Assistant), Bob Kraushaar (Engineer), Paul E. Smith (Vocals (Background)), Tony Harris (Viola), Bob Kraushaar (Mixing), Peter Rowan (Voices), Alastair Stout (Choir, Chorus), Dave Bronze (Bass), Keith Burrowes (Choir, Chorus)
In No Sense? Nonsense! was the third full-length album by Art of Noise. By the time of its recording, the group had been reduced to a duo, with engineer Gary Langan leaving the previous year—Langan's mix engineering duties were taken over by Bob Kraushaar and Ted Hayton for this album, but the music was produced entirely by Anne Dudley and J.J. Jeczalik. The album saw the group expanding their sound to include rock and orchestral instrumentation, in addition to their trademark sampling.
Many of the album's tracks are seamlessly segued; ambient soundscapes blend into percussive rhythms, dramatic buildups, melodic string arrangements, and vocal choruses and chants. The sounds of various forms of transport are a recurrent theme. Musical motifs from "Dragnet", "Galleons Of Stone" and "Ode To Don Jose" recur throughout the album.
The cassette version of this album has the same programme recorded on both sides. The LP version has "Ode To Don Jose" before "A Day At The Races", whereas the CD has them in the opposite order.
