‘ABBA From Hell’: How Propaganda Created the Most Unforgettable Art Pop Statement of the ’80s
> Imagine an album that opens with a singer reciting an Edgar Allan Poe poem in an exotic Germanic accent over a lush symphonic backdrop. Followed by the industrial clanging of a synth-pop anthem that suddenly segues into a jazz solo by Yes guitarist Steve Howe. An album previewed by a hit single inspired by German Expressionist icon Dr. Mabuse. Made by an Olympian-looking cadre of two women and two men, assisted by a trendsetting British producer and such major ’80s stars as David Sylvian, the Police drummer Stewart Copeland, and Anne Dudley. > > The album in question is A Secret Wish, the visionary debut by German quartet Propaganda, released on Trevor Horn’s label ZTT and produced by Stephen Lipson. A moderate hit in the summer of 1985, this one-of-a-kind LP casts a powerful spell; it has survived the test of time, become a cult item with a fervent fan base, and is now being reissued as a remastered 6-CD box set with demos, remixes, and live versions.