Not enough people appreciate this great band!

I have to share since I now live in Dallas, TX and I have probably met 2 people in 15 years who have even heard of The Alarm...so, In 1986 they played a free concert at UCLA. A friend was at the sound check and overheard one of the guys say something about going back to The Roosevelt (Hotel in Hollywood)So, we got up at like 4 am and drove all over Hollywood trying to find the hotel (we lived in Orange County so we didn't know where it was!) We found it, sat in the lobby for about 4 hours, and they finally came down. We were the only crazed fans there and they were very nice, took pictures with us, signed stuff. That is probably my favorite high school memory. They will always be one of my absolute favorites.

Stonking!

WillS

This is a stonking album! I was privileged to see The Alarm twice in the mid-80s. Once in a sweaty little club in Sheffield after the Declaration album came out, and once in the City Hall there touring this album. They were great. So much passion put into their music. A few of the 'bonus' B side tracks on this album (Caroline Isenberg, Father to Son, One Step Closer...) are not essential, but the live tracks show what a great live band they were too.

Ragged Beauty

aPhilologist

Mike Peters' voice took awhile to grow on me. Despite the many comparisons to U2, he owes as much to Neil Young as to Bono. I owned this CD at one time but decided that I could get by with their greatest hits ('Standards') and the 'Change' album. The more I listened to their singles, the more I wanted to give their other stuff a chance. Strength is the apex of their twangy, acoustic punk/folk sound. The material that preceded it are a bit too aggressively immature for my taste (so far). The albums that followed were much more polished. 7-9 are the additional studio tracks.

The best they ever made!

Voxman

After their EP, and then their first album, "Strength" stood in a class all by itself. It was their power album. And I do have the album (LP). Knife Edge, Strength, and Spirit of 76 were at that time a cry for spiritual nationalism. Stand up and don't be afraid to fight for what you believe, is what almost every song conveyed to me. A very dear friend of mine got to see them at Wembley during the tour of this album. Also on the bill were INXS, Status Quo, and Queen. But, the four lads from Liverpool were in her eyes the stongest band there. Their presence was so infectious, and their music was so right for the time, that the crowd wouldn't let them leave the stage. That is exactly what this album did for me, it enabled me, it untethered my spirit, it gave me STRENGTH. Bill Russell