The Story of a Young Heart
The Story of a Young Heart is the third studio album by A Flock of Seagulls, released on 20 August 1984 by Jive Records. It was their last album—until 2018's Ascension—to feature the original line-up of the band, as guitarist Paul Reynolds left shortly after the album's release. Three singles were released from the album, some only in select countries: "The More You Live, the More You Love", "Never Again " and "Remember David". The album was reissued in 2008 by Cherry Red Records with bonus tracks.
Lead singer Mike Score has recalled of the album, "The Story of a Young Heart, there was some great stuff on that, that weren't hits - there was a bit deeper stuff, like "Suicide Day." To do something like "Suicide Day" after "Space Age Love Song" and "The More You Live" and all that, then you're on a darker track. Stuff like that, I think at that time, it showed where we could have gone if it hadn't have gone awry with the band - we could have become deep and meaningful, kind of an '80s Pink Floyd."
Reception
Tom Demalon from AllMusic retrospectively praised the "less cluttered, more polished" sound of the album's production, but felt the songs lacked warmth. He took a greater liking to songs such as "Over My Head" and "Heart of Steel", and believed that "Remember David" closely recaptured the band's "hyperkinetic glory" of their first two albums.People stated that the album, at first listen, seemed "unsatisfyingly bloodless and facile", but believed tracks such as "European ", "Over My Head", and "Heart of Steel" "tend to sound better the more they are played."
Personnel
A Flock of Seagulls- Mike Score – lead vocals, keyboards, guitar
- Frank Maudsley – bass guitar
- Paul Reynolds - lead guitar
- Ali Score – drums
- Steve Lovell – production
- Chris Porter – engineering
- Steve Lipson – engineering
- Phil Vinal – engineering
- Sven Taits, Alister Bullock – assistance
- John Reid – bass
- Pete Watson – art direction
- Eric Watson – photography
- Daniel Thistlethwaite – photography
- Ali Score, Weed – photography