Released: 29 October 2021
Dead or Alive’s ‘lost’ album ‘Fan the Flame (Part 2)’ is resurrected for the group’s new release.
Arriving five years after the death of frontman Pete Burns and three years since guitarist Steve Coy passed away, the album has been restored from the original multi-track tapes.
The result is an eight-track collection, pieced together by musician/engineer Craig Hardy, who worked extensively with Dead or Alive throughout the ‘90s.
Kicking off with lead track Tonight… – which appears to have influenced ‘Nukleopatra’ track The Right Stuff – ‘Fan the Flame (Part 2)’ also features an early version of Sleep With You, retitled I Want 2 B With U, and International Thing, now U Were Meant 4 Me, from that record.
Sonically, the new album is a continuation of Part 1, with early ‘90s beats that have been compared to chart staples like Cathy Dennis – several mash-ups with her recording of Touch Me (All Night Long) have since appeared online – completing the double album project.
Some tracks hold up better than others; U Were Meant 4 Me, Are U Ready 2 B Heartbroken and Extacy are highlights, while some tracks would have benefitted from more work.
Interestingly, singles Tonight… and Hurt Me (Did U Have 2 Hurt Me) are among the weaker recordings.
Musically, the album excels, with the instrumentals and Pete’s vibrant vocals clean and fresh, like stepping back into the ‘90s.
Yes, some of the tracks are undercooked – Pete and Steve planned to rework them before tragedy struck – but at a time when new music isn’t a possibility, it’s a joy to dive into the vaults and revisit what could have been.
‘Fan the Flame (Part 2) The Resurrection’ is available on CD and Vinyl (including limited edition).
