Searching for the Young Soul Rebels is the debut studio album by English band Dexys Midnight Runners, released on 11 July 1980, through Parlophone and EMI Records. Led by Kevin Rowland, the band formed in 1978 in Birmingham, England, and formed a strong live reputation before recording their first material. Recorded during April 1980, the album combines the aggressiveness of punk rock with soul music, particularly influenced by the Northern soul movement.
The album was preceded by and contains the hit-single "Geno", which topped the UK Singles Chart. It also contains two other charting singles: "Dance Stance" (re-recorded as "Burn It Down") and "There, There, My Dear" (which included the lyrics "I've been searching for the young soul rebels" that inspired the album's title). The album reached number 6 on the UK Albums Chart and is certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry. Throughout July Rowland and Archer auditioned 30–40 people to join the group, the eventual band consisting of 8 members. Later that summer the band would create their name, after the drug Dexedrine which was used by fans of Northern soul, and began a rigorous rehearsing and writing schedule, practising for about 9 hours every day. It was produced by Pete Wingfield, who had previously recorded the hit single "Eighteen with a Bullet", of which Rowland was a fan. It also charted on the New Zealand Music Chart for 21 weeks, peaking at number 11, and the Swedish Albums Chart for 4 weeks, peaking at number 31. Two weeks after its release the album was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry. Two singles were released prior to the album: "Geno" was released on March 15, 1980, and reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and number 2 on the Irish Singles Chart. "There, There, My Dear" was released in June 1980 and reached number 7 on the UK chart. Upon the choice of the image Rowland explained "I wanted a picture of unrest. It could have been from anywhere but I was secretly glad that it was from Ireland." The original sleeve also contained an account of the band's history along with various phrases printed with the song titles, including quotes from Brendan Behan's book Borstal Boy and the Book of Psalms.
The figure on the left-hand side (with the long hair) is reputed to be Robert Bates, later a member of the Shankill Butchers.
Reception
Searching for the Young Soul Rebels was released to positive reviews from music critics. In NME, Danny Baker deemed it one of the "finest" albums of its era, while in Sounds, Alan Lewis applauded Dexys Midnight Runners for offering a modern spin on 1960s soul music. At the end of 1980, Melody Maker listed Searching for the Young Soul Rebels as one of the year's best albums, while NME ranked it the tenth best album of the year. Smash Hits reviewer David Hepworth, however, was dismissive of the record and stated that "potentially good songs are dragged down by mannered vocals and would-be epic arrangements", while in the United States, David Fricke of Rolling Stone found the band's take on soul music subpar and marred by Rowland's excessive "affectations". American critic Robert Christgau was somewhat more enthusiastic, writing, "There are horn interjections that make me laugh out loud at their perfectly timed wrong rightness, and with Kevin Rowland quavering through his deeply felt poesy and everybody else blaring away, I enjoy it in much the same way I enjoy a no wave band on a good night". In a retrospective review following the album's 2010 reissue, Graeme Thomson of Uncut concluded that "ultimately, the myth-making around Kevin Rowland tends to obscure the fact that he's been responsible for some truly soul-scorching music", and that "at 30 years of age, Searching for the Young Soul Rebels continues to burn." In Mojo, Johnny Rogan called Searching for the Young Soul Rebels "the most incandescent and refreshing record" of 1980.
Searching for the Young Soul Rebels has since been included on critics' lists and reference books, including The Guardians list of the "100 Best Albums Ever" (#93), Melody Makers list of the "All Time Top 100 Albums" (#42), NMEs list of the "100 Greatest British Albums Ever" (#16) and 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Track listing
Charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
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!scope="col"|Chart (1980)
!scope="col"|Peak<br />position
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|Australian (Kent Music Report)||66
|}
Personnel
;Dexys Midnight Runners