The Alarm - Absolute Reality (IRS)

"You may love/ You may hate/ You may be President of the United States/ But you can't deny it while the world wants to die/ This is absolute reality." The Alarm are still singing the same old duff lyrics but musically have now moved on from early Clash to 'Modern World' Jam. Give us a break, chaps! (Paul Bursche, No 1, February 16, 1985)

Good intro, I like this already. First of all I'm a Bob Dylan fan, it's a very clear lyric with a Dylanesque sound, but the chorus is not the kind of thing that you'd associate with Dylan. Intros are so important, because they establish attention, and within 60 seconds of this there are changes that indicate it's not going to be a monotone. There's energy, attitude, it's a well-constructed record. (Gary Byrd, Record Mirror, February 16, 1985)

The Alarm - Sold Me Down The River (IRS)

After years of sometimes scurrilous Alarm bashing, even I've got to admit that "Sold Me Down The River" is a darn fine single, ripe with luscious Celtic guitars and trembling emotions. The flip side features a Welsh version of the song where Mike Peters inflicts some very serious damage to his tongue. (Robin Smith, Record Mirror, April 1, 1989)