C or D "Smalltown Boy"

Complete classic.

I think it's great as well -- hell, I just like Jimmy Somerville in general (which will doubtless make Sean have a fit ;-)). But the compilation I have of his solo, Bronski and Communards greatest hits roolz, mang, and this song has *such* a lovely opening.

I assume you mean one of the other Seans, but I comment anyhoo: I liked this song perfectly fine despite the fact that the gay context didn't really apply to my life (though I heard it when hanging around with a friend who just happened to be gay...oddly enough, in a small town. Go figure!) Part of it was the alienation thing, yes, but I think for me part of it was the mystique of all of these bands coming out of Europe at roughly the same time and making this dent on the North American (or maybe just Canadian?) charts, all of which happened to be distributed by Polygram. For the longest time, anything with the Polygram stamp on it was okay by me, and I'd get this little thrill seeing it on the label: Bronski Beat, Blancmange, ABC, Swing Out Sister, New Order, etc. While there were certainly things that I got stung on (Dire Straits to an extent, Bon effin Jovi), most of these acts were really good at bringing keyboard- based music into my life, followed by some seemingly-edgy guitar stuff (Zerra One and Bolshoi were two that impressed me as a teen, though I'm not sure they would now). This is pretty much an extended aside and completely unrelated to the thread, though.

Oddly enough, I keep feeling this compulsion to pick up Truthdare Doubledare every time I see it in the used LP bin, just so I can hear "Hit that Perfect Beat" again. Yes, I suppose I'm weird.

Unquestionably classic. The backing tracks on 'Why' and 'Don't leave me this way' are superior, but Jimmy gets so much emotion and sadness into the vocal on 'Smalltown boy' that it is right up there with those two...

Just downloaded a longer version of this I hadn't heard. Slow, smoldering intro before the pulse comes in and takes off. I quite disagree with Aaron's assertion in the thread quesiton that the backing tracking is mundane. It's very much of its time, but I find the melody so completely haunting that it would move me even if were played on kazoos and tuba. Beautiful, beautiful song.

i really dont know why i said mundane. i think when i was posting as "g" instead of "grossman" i was very new to the board and probably wanted to sound cool and objective, but, really, its easily somewhere on my top ten singles list, and probably one of the few songs that consitently makes me cry (when i hear it at the right moment). the melody is obv. brilliant, and when i said backing track i was probably thinking of the 8th note bassline and the drum machine parts, which are somewhat simple (though not stupid).