Date: 1 January 1985
Originally published in: Rock this town (Belgium)
Written by: Pol'ter Geist
Like the warrior riffs Pat Benatar who comes out boldly on (re)beaten paths of the hard-pop tunes, Kim Wilde took over the reins firmly in the hands of her career. Of course, the imposing shadow of his father Marty soothing halo of glory forgotten (who remembers his cover of ‘Like Makin’ Love’ by Billy Sherrill?) and the presence of Ricky – this frustrated brother who broke his teeth at the gates of success (Jonathan King had attempted, after the Bay City Rollers, to project him into the wildest dreams of working girls English) – still hover over the songs ‘Teaser and Dares’, the fourth album Kim Wilde if you forget the compilation release two months ago. Herein lies the essential problem of Kim Wilde: a father and a brother who project their desires of lost glory in a discography of all character shaped pieces. Thus exposed in clinically cold terms, the process seems even more despicable … But make no mistake, the damsel was not bent on breaking from family fantasy designs. The 45s ‘Love blonde’ (kim mini-dress and black leather halter) are represented, after all, a facetious nod worthy of Jane Mansfield and Marilyn Monroe. Just as the cover of the single ‘The Second Time’ Kim on vertiginous heels. ‘That’s the kind of shoes worn by transvestites for their shows. I could never walk on them!’, says she, with almost ingenious innoncence.
Today Kim Wilde left the lair of the clan to go and breath in the London air. And besides, she wrote two songs (‘Fit in’ and ‘Shangri-la’), hesitant and yet full of promise. Fresh start?
