Number 23: After The Fire - Laser Love

After The Fire released their self-produced debut album, Signs Of Change, in 1978. The band consisted of Andy Piercy, Peter "Memory" Banks, Ivor Twidell, and Nick Battle, and at the time they played mostly progressive rock. Touring to support the album got them noticed by CBS, and they signed a record deal in 1979. Hopping on the new wave bandwagon, After The Fire changed their sound and released Laser Love, their second album, in 1980. The title track is my favorite song of theirs, full of awesome synth effects and great guitar riffs. Unfortunately, while recording the LP the band members began to drift apart. Creative differences led them to break up soon after, though they did produce two more records. They scored hits with "Der Kommissar" (a reworked Falco track), "One Rule For You", and "Dancing In The Shadows", but nothing ever came close to "Laser Love" in my opinion. That song takes the #23 spot on my Top 200 and marks After The Fire's only appearance on this list.

Here's a live performance from the Old Grey Whistle Test show in the UK. Watching the video, it's difficult to tell that the band probably already loathed one another by this point.