No Comment

• Artist: Front 242
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1984
• Total Time: 52:21
• Type: Extended Play (EP)
• Genre: Rock

Review

With the recruitment of Richard 23 to fill out the classic line-up, Front 242 started consolidating its strengths with the No Comment EP. Kicking off with the full nine-minute hit of "Commando Mix," the quartet took the best parts of Geography for a starting point and whipped up a smart, tight selection of songs that start to have their own identity as Front 242, straight up. "No Shuffle," with its straightforward, brutal drum punch and heavy distortion, not to mention de Meyer's cold pronouncing of the lyrics, is particularly fine. "Special Forces," which appears in a "nomenklatura" instrumental remix as well, isn't much different but just as effective, de Meyer and 23 trading off in the manner that would characterize many of the band's later hits. A couple of cuts still seem almost too polite in comparison to later efforts, but while "Lovely Day" may have an actual romantic theme to it, the combination of the two vocalists' work and the screeching synth break make appropriately unsettling results. The 1992 re-release, besides a fine remastering job, also includes four bonus cuts from various sources. A re-recorded version of "Body to Body" beats out the original take by a mile, while the two live cuts from a show in Ghent are reasonable enough if not particularly revelatory. Adding yet another run through of "Special Forces" (the demo session in this instance) was probably doing too much, however. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Commando [Mix]	Jean-Luc de Meyer, Daniel Bressanutti	Front 242	(9:23)
Deceit		Front 242	(3:44)
Lovely Day	Jean-Luc de Meyer, Daniel Bressanutti	Front 242	(5:23)
No Shuffle	Jean-Luc de Meyer, Daniel Bressanutti	Front 242	(3:50)
Special Forces	Jean-Luc de Meyer, Daniel Bressanutti	Front 242	(5:23)
S. Fr Nomenklatura, Pt. 1		Front 242	(4:26)
S. Fr Nomenklatura, Pt. 2		Front 242	(2:11)
Body to Body	Daniel Bressanutti	Front 242	(4:15)
See the Future [Live]		Front 242	(6:20)
In November [Live]	Daniel Bressanutti	Front 242	(2:37)
Special Forces [#][Demo Version]	Jean-Luc de Meyer, Daniel Bressanutti	Front 242	(4:50)

Credits

Front 242 (Producer), Front 242 (Main Performer), Front 242 (Photography), Greg Calbi (Remastering), Daniel B. Prothese (Producer), Patrick Codenys (Producer), Patrick Codenys (?), Patrick Codenys (Musician), Jean-Luc de Meyer (Producer), Jean-Luc de Meyer (?), Jean-Luc de Meyer (Musician), F. Boebaert (Artwork), F. Boebaert (Art Direction), Daniel Bressanutti (?), Richard 23 (Producer), Richard 23 (?), Richard 23 (Musician), A. Verbaert (Photography), A. Verbaert (Picture), Brain (Photography), Daniel B. (Musician)

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