PRISONER OF THE NIGHT [AKA: LONG BLONDE ANIMAL]

With this album GE enters into the eighties and released their fifteenth album in a 15 years period. Quite consistent to say the least. One surprise here: the come-back of Jan Stips (who was absent from the prior release). Would this mean anything in terms of music?

Well not during the opener: ''Long Blond Animal'' has a definite new wave sound (but this could already be noticed in ''Grab It?'' which was released in 1978). Nor during the pure revival rock ''No For An Answer''. It is obvious that the band is not focused in the writing of longer songs and that the format now is more radio-friendly than several years ago. But, were the radios still interested in air playing a band as GE in the early eighties?

This album is no better than ''No Promises?''. There are little variety available: same sort of basic rock tunes with little spicy ingredients. Not disturbing, but not thrilling either like the vaguely AOR ''Prisoner Of The Night''.

The first good song could have been '' I Don't Wanna Be?'' but the chorus line is hard to swallow. It all started well and involves a fine middle part though. But fine moments are hard to find on this album. The pop-rock ''Come In Outerspace'' maybe.

The electronic oriented '' Going Crazy Again'' sounds definitely as a song from the eighties at least during the intro which is keyboards oriented (finally Stips can be noticeably heard!), but again the poor chorus ruins it partially.

This is not a good album. I really hesitate between one and two stars but I'll give the band credit. For this time.

In this reviewers opinion, the last album to really sound like the GE that we knew from the 70's. They were definitely in that adapt or die change as well as naturally moulding their music for the 80's revolution. The album does suffer as a result. Golden Earring have always proved to be far better sticking to their trademark sound, as some incredible latter day live recordings have testified, than go more AOR/Pop.

So we have a mish mash of songs " Long Blond Animal" a very likeable new wave sounding track alluding to GE's humour when it came to appreciation of the fairer sex. The title track is not half bad either and " Going Crazy Again" gives the album some closure but all in all an album for completionists only. They continued to release works right up to present day and still have a cult like following especially in their homeland, The Netherlands. Check out earlier works first.