Welcome Back	 cover

Welcome Back

Released

Plastics were Japan’s answer to the B-52s – which means they were even weirder. This swansong consisted of re-recordings of songs from their first two albums for the US market. Not only does it act as a de facto greatest hits, there’s actual historical value here: it uses the first Roland TR-808 drum machine ever built. The off-kilter beats certainly help add to the quirkiness of songs like the gleefully obscene “Cards” and teenage spy theme “Top-Secret Man.” As do the words, which come in Japanese, English, and French. David Byrne and Devo were big fans, to the surprise of no one.

Jeff Treppel

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