Anne Dudley - Plays The Art Of Noise (2018)

An entire album of cover versions is not a new idea as some of the biggest recording artists of all time have recorded one, with only a few managing to successfully pull off such a feat. Technically this isn’t a true album of covers as Anne, Art of Noise’s longest serving member, co-wrote the greater part of the material within it, but it is the first time that she has recorded the majority of those pieces as a solo artist, reimagining some of the group’s best known tracks as stripped down piano pieces, rather than arranging them for an entire orchestra as one may have expected.

Selections are taken from (Who’s Afraid Of?) The Art Of Noise!, In Visible Silence, Below The Waste and The Seduction Of Claude Debussy with the odd surprise or two thrown in for good measure. Although each track has been reduced to the lowest common denominator to produce this album, there are times as an established Art of Noise listener that one can be forgiven for almost hearing JJ Jeczalik & Gary Langan’s wizardry sounds playing along with Anne’s performance, making this an extremely interesting collection to listen to as it’s her programmed counterpoints providing the new backing with a few original Art of Noise sounds that are reused as brief nods to the past.

Six of the group’s biggest hits, Close (To The Edit), Beat Box, Paranoimia, Legs,Instruments Of Darkness and Moments In Love are included and have all be turned on their heads. On Being Blue and Il Pleure (At The Turn Of The Century) are far superior to the original versions that appeared on The Seduction Of Claude Debussy album, with other favourites like Backbeat, A Time For Fear (Who’s Afraid),Robinson Crusoe and Camilla providing Anne with a new sound canvas to play with.

What makes this special from other cover albums is the obvious personal connection to the music, giving it a genuine soul of its own that manages to create something new and extraordinarily different making one take in each note that is played.

Anne Dudley Plays The Art Of Noise is an excellent example of musical juxtapositions and re-working material without alienating the listener that can also be enjoyed for what it is, a carefully crafted album which will appeal to fans and the uninitiated.