Dexys Midnight Runners

In the three years between the release of Too-Rye-Aye and Don't Stand Me Down, bandleader Kevin Rowland once again revamped Dexy's Midnight Runners. Musically, Rowland had evolved a combination of the soul sound of the first album and the folky approach of the second, retaining both the horns of the former and the strings of the latter. But long passages of Don't Stand Me Down were spoken, not sung, by Rowland in conversation with Adams. "Listen to This" proved that Rowland was still capable of turning out a catchy, Motown-derived pop song when he chose, but the bulk of Don't Stand Me Down, which sold disappointingly, must have sounded idiosyncratic to British listeners and nearly incomprehensible to Americans. [The 2002 "Director's Cut" is remastered and adds a DVD with three videos on it: "This Is What She's Like," "My National Pride," and "I Love You (Listen to This)."] ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide