I had completely forgotten about this album, though I was then a big 12-year-old fan.

Listening to it now, thanks to you, what strikes this aging professional musician is how sophisticated the harmony is, compared to most pop today. And not just "No Reply" but several others as well.

You're absolutely right. This music is amazing, considering the incredible pressure they were under. Perhaps the innovations were a kind of rebellion. They led to the rest of their career.