Yello - Vicious Games (Elektra)

Swiss oddballs Yello are back, with a widescreen Euro-disco drama. It features a mysterious girl singer [actually Rush Winters] and mainman Dieter Meier taking the lead roles in a tale of love gone sour, played out over Boris Blank's thrilling musical landscapes. Epic stuff. Deserves to be the hit they should have had years ago (Stuart Husband, No 1, March 2, 1985)

Virginia Astley - Melt The Snow (Rough Trade)

For the past few years, Virginia Astley has been quietly producing enchanting music. Using piano, flute, and her wistful, choirboy voice, she creates an atmosphere of stillness in her songs, which are often moving and always tender. "Melt The Snow" is the latest of these, and one of her best yet. A gentle and optimistic song, it kisses away those winter blues. Single of the week. (Stuart Husband, No 1, March 2, 1985)

Virginia Astley is like Kate Bush reincarnated as Sebastian Flyte: at times the tinny choral tones are stretched as thinly as a sliver of smoked salmon at a vicar's tea party, but they're more than compensated for by those quaint old stringed instruments. Julian Cope, eat your heart out. (Dylan Jones, Record Mirror, February 23, 1985)

Sheila E - The Glamorous Life (WEA)

Lyrically it seems to be in line with Madonna's "Material Girl". It's not an outstanding song but her work as a percussionist with Prince is enough for her to be taken seriously. Hopefully there'll be better things to come in the future. (Roland Orzabal [Tears For Fears], Smash Hits, April 24, 1985)

A re-release of Ms Escovedo's cutesy-pie debut single; while it's a pleasant enough experience not even Prince's purple production reins can flesh out the bare minimum of a song here. (Mike Gardner, Record Mirror, April 20, 1985)

This is Sheila Escovedo's debut single, re-released after the success of "The Belle Of St Mark". Not much of a song, but performed enthusiastically by Ms E and her troupe, it doesn't sound so much like a Prince song as most records by Prince proteges do. A bigger hit than her last effort. (Stuart Husband, No 1, April 20, 1985)

Freeez - That Beats My Patience (Beggars Banquet)

. . . and this record beats mine. Following the departure of John Rocca, Freeez have undergone considerable line-up changes, and have come out sounding like Kajagoogoo on an off-day. Sad. (Stuart Husband, No 1, April 20, 1985)

How the mighty have fallen. After the brittle cool of "Southern Freeez", the monster sound of "IOU" and Johnny Rocca-less; they want to become the new Duran Duran. Four out of 10 for effort, chaps.  (Mike Gardner, Record Mirror, April 20, 1985)

A-ha - Take On Me (WEA)

Morten, Pal and Mags (they're from Oslo) have come up with the clumsiest title of the week here. This song sounds like a cross between Queen and the Thompson Twins, and something tells me this trio are going to have a hit sooner or later. File alongside Spelt Like This and the Roaring Boys as The Groups Most Likely To But Don't Deserve to. (Stuart Husband, No 1, April 20, 1985)

Pal, Morten and Mags. No, not an exotic brand of dog food but three unfortunately christened Norwegian toddies, who are the driving force behind A-Ha. Must confess to a secret predilection for this on its initial release a while back. The revamped version kicks off with a hideously synthetic drum beat but develops into a multi-layered little pop gem. The winsome ones may have dreadful names but they make irresistible noises. (Lesley O'Toole, Record Mirror, October 5, 1985)

Eurythmics - Would I Lie To You (RCA)

What has happened to Eurythmics? The duo who've been responsible for some of the finest 80s pop return after a year's sabbatical (broken only by the 1984 soundtrack) with. . . er. . . Well, a pretty bad record, actually. What there is of the song (and there isn't much) is buried under a barrage of thrashing guitars, blaring trumpets and pounding drums. Meanwhile poor Annie, lost in the midst of this jumble, has to caterwaul to make herself heard before the whole top-heavy circus disappears down the hole in the middle. A disappointment. (Stuart Husband, No 1, April 20, 1985)

After the anaemic "Julia", Annie and Dave return with an energetic version of an old-fashioned soul work-out crossed with Sixties pop. Annie works up her usual vocal sweat but it passes on sheer muscle rather than on finesse. (Mike Gardner, Record Mirror, April 20, 1985)

Freddie Mercury - I Was Born To Love You (CBS)

Jesus! I just think this is 'a happy sound' which is really depressing. Looking at the cover, I don't think much care was taken over this record; it was just taken off the album without much thought. You should try really hard to make sure that a single has its own identity - the cover, the video, generally how it's presented and promoted. (Roland Orzabal [Tears For Fears], Smash Hits, April 24, 1985)

Freddie's second solo single (after the dismal 'Love Kills') finds him in jubilant mood. "I've got this wonderful feeling coming through!"he squeals. I can't say I shared his enthusiasm. But then, songs that sound like old ELO out-takes are hardly the stuff of which legends are made. Still, this'll no doubt be a hit. Rock on, Fred! (Stuart Husband, No 1, April 20, 1985)

By anybody else this over dramatic piece of Hi-NRG would die a natural death after two weeks on the local dancefloor. Unfortunately Freddie has tailored it for the Benidorm discos and it will be the soundtrack to throwing up your excesses of Sangria and Watney's on the Costa Packet this summer. (Mike Gardner, Record Mirror, April 20, 1985)

Vikki - Love Is (PRT)

Hang out the flags and festoon the houses with bunting, for here is. . . our entry for this year's Eurovision Song Contest! The enigmatic Vikki beat off all competition with this energetic little number, which is well up to the standard of previous entries. So, Vikki joins the golden list of previous greats. . . Coco, Brotherhood Of Man, Lynsey De Paul and Mike Moran, Bardo. . . and who's to say she won't emulate, nay, improve on their hallowed achievements? (Stuart Husband, No 1, April 20, 1985)

The thing about people who write songs for the Eurovision Song Contest is that if they were any good, they wouldn't need to do it. It's a second-rate competition - if a song's any good it makes it in the charts in its own right. I don't think we stand any chance of winning with this anyway. She looks dodgy. (Roland Orzabal [Tears For Fears], Smash Hits, April 24, 1985)

Yes, it's Eurovision Song Contest time and our spirited effort contains the usual Sixties motifs and the requisite Eurodisco beat. Aren't you glad you paid your £12 on the TV licence fee? (Mike Gardner, Record Mirror, April 20, 1985)

George Benson - Beyond The Sea (La Mer) (WEA)

With its gentle, swinging, Sinatra-style big band feel, this sounds like it should be the backing for one of those Kodak adverts with all the Me kids prancing round and Granny walking in with jelly and balloons, while Dad gets out the Instamatic. Then again, maybe not. (Peter Martin, Smash Hits, April 11, 1985)

This old French cabaret standard is given the big band treatment. While the arranger gets full marks for some neat brass pyrotechnics, George comes over like Dean Martin with a hangover. (Mike Gardner, Record Mirror, April 20, 1985)

"Beyond The Sea" sounds like Andy Williams doing the theme from Top Cat. Puzzling. (Stuart Husband, No 1, April 20, 1985)

Propaganda - Duel (ZTT)

Last time I reviewed the singles I had to write about "The Nine Lives Of Dr Mabuse" by this new German group Propaganda: it made Single Of The Fortnight and proved to one of the best records of last year. Now they're back, this time with the greatest song ever made. Well, maybe not ever; but it's the best today even though tomorrow I might change my mind. A 'concept', "Duel" has a dark and light, happy and sad, good and evil side: side two. "Jewel", is the same song given a well mad techno-punk treatment. ZTT describe them as 'Abba in Hell' - therefore "Duel" must be Abba in Heaven. Single Of The Fortnight. (Peter Martin, Smash Hits, April 11, 1985)

Since their brilliant debut single "Dr Mabuse" nearly a year ago, Propaganda have had to wait in the shadows while ZTT pushed Frankie's success to the limits. But it sounds like the wait has done them good. "Duel" is a superbly-crafted song with a melody line that Abba would have been proud of, but containing references to `screaming' and 'bleeding' that give the song an atmosphere of unease. On the flipside there's "Jewel", a punky-thrash version of "Duel", which highlights the understated intensity of the A-side. Single of the week. (Stuart Husband, No 1, April 20, 1985)

They look complete and utter wankers in their photos. I think the whole thing is pointless and horrible. It's not exciting, challenging or beautiful. (Green Gartside [Scritti Politti], Record Mirror, April 27, 1985)

Dire Straits - So Far Away (Vertigo)

If Ry Cooder had performed this laconic lament, the warmth could solve the energy crisis. Instead Dire Straits tackle it [with] their usual immaculately manicured style that refuses to touch anything so messy as a soul. (Mike Gardner, Record Mirror, April 20, 1985)

There's something really off-putting about this slick, laid-back, sleepy, Adult Orientated Rock business. It's all very professional and everything, and it could almost pass for Roxy Music (except for Mark Knopfler's dozy, twangy guitar and voice) but it just makes me feel about a hundred years old. Yawn. (Peter Martin, Smash Hits, April 11, 1985)

Did you know that Dire Straits are the world's biggest selling act on compact disc?
Anyway, they're still ploughing the same dreary old furrow they've been stuck in for the last seven years.
More interesting by far than the record are the group's world tour dates, helpfully printed on the back of the sleeve. Does anybody know where 'Ljubljana' is? (Stuart Husband, No 1, April 20, 1985)