On this album, 10cc changed their sound somewhat. Gone are the heavy guitars and
subtle sound effects we used to hear on their previous albums. Here we have more
straightforward rock songs, the guitar more subdued, the piano more honky tonk at times.
Nevertheless, this is a good album. The band has expanded here, with the likes of Rick
Fenn, Stuart Tosh and Duncan Mackay filling out the sound of the trio Gouldman, Stewart
and Burgess.
The opener is one of their best known and most played songs, 'Dreadlock Holiday',
ironically not a favourite of mine. However, it has all the classic lyrical wittiness associated
with the band. Graham takes lead on this one, singing over a reggae dominated beat
about a tourist in Jamaica having trouble with some locals. As Graham sings about one of
the gang: 'Well he looked down at my silver chain, said "I'll give you one dollar". I
said "You've got to be joking man, it was a present from me mother." Again, typical 10cc.
The second track, 'For You And I' is sung by Eric Stewart, and is a beautiful ballad, with
nice keyboards and a plaintive vocal. No satire here, just a nice love song. The ending is
lovely.
'Take These Chains' is really quite standard fare for this band, a decent song but nothing
spectacular. It starts with some nice slide guitar from Eric, before the acoustic guitars kick
in. Just a nice mid-paced song.
'Shock On The Tube' is more like the old style 10cc, being a song about a chap on the tube,
who can't believe his good fortune when a lovely girl sits down next to him. Then he falls
asleep and dreams the rest: 'I was travelling home on the subway, when this vision got on
at Maida Vale, as I casually eyed the classifieds, she sat down next to me. Every head in
the carriage was wondering, I replied with a smile on my face, then I slipped into the arms
of Morpheus, to daydream the rest of the way.' Brilliant, and backed by choir-like vocals.
At this point the song changes to a fast rocking tempo with some fiery piano accompanying
it.
'Last Night' is sung by Graham and is something of a sister song to 'Take These Chains'
being a standard rock song, the middle eight being sung by Eric.
Finishing the old side one we have the superb 'Anonymous Alchoholic' another nod towards
the bands hilarious past. The hero of the song is off the drink, but goes to a party and is
enticed to have one. Of course, this leads to more and he is soon on the dance floor with
his boss's wife. He naturally makes a fool of himself, wakes up, finding his mouth tastes
like 'oh oh oh oh old leather' (sung in an almost Paul Robeson-deep voice) and finding his
boss has fired him, singing 'don't wanna see you again.'
Depressed, he realises it's 'the end of the line, but it's Martini time, so he heads for the
barrrrrrrrr'. This ends on a downward travelling note and finishes one of the best songs on
the album, even allowing for the 'disco bit' in the middle when our hero is enjoying himself.
It has to be said here, I consider the second half of the album to be much stronger.
It opens with a rarity: a 10cc song not sung by one of the originals.
'Reds In My Bed' is sung by drummer Stuart Tosh, and a fine job he does too.
The melody is infectious, the lyrics wonderful, and Eric sings the chorus backed with some
nice acoustic guitar. Tosh sings another classic line here: 'I've got reds in my bed, I'm not
easily led to the slaughter, but while the cold war exists I'll stay warm with the commissar's
daughter.' Hilarious! Could be the best track on the album!
However 'Lifeline' is another contender. This one is sung by Graham, has some nice
acoustic guitar again, and is catchy. The first line sets the tone: 'Ten thousand miles away
from someone, ten thousand miles away from you, who's your friend, on the end of a
telephone line, a telephone line's like a lifeline.' Quite a poignant song, this one. It also
has a far too brief burst of incisive guitar from Eric half way through the song.
'Tokyo' is another gentle song, sung by Eric, about the Japanese people; geisha girls etc.
Very nice.
'Old Mister Time' is a classic and another contender for my favourite track. It is maybe the
one song most like the old 10cc, and could have fitted on The Original Soundtrack easily.
Eric sings this, and there are some wonderful backing vocals, nice electric piano and quite
eerie lyrics, about an old man: 'The children called him the scarecrow. An old raincoat and
baggy trousers and sneakers he found at the dump'. But there is more than meets the eye
to this character. An excellent song.
'From Rochdale to Ocho Rios' is uptempo and, again, brilliant, with bright acoustic guitars
and lyrics sung by Graham. It's a song about travel of course, like most of the songs on
the album.Great lyrics here too, such as: 'Pack a shirt and some fresh pyjamas, that's all
you need.'
'Everything You Wanted To Know About!!!' is a good way to end the album. All about a
man who is shy with the opposite sex, so finds a prostitute, it has more amusing lyrics,
such as, at the point when he goes up to the prostitute, Debbie and sings: 'I asked her
would she like a cigarette and she said "let's go to bed, cause that's what you want!"
At first he is embarrassed and a failure, but he has another go, and turns into a stud!
The bonus track, 'Nothing Can Move Me' is a simple bluesy rock song, mid paced and
unspectacular.
This is, for me, the last of the consistently good 10cc albums. They were to turn towards
more straightforward songs after this. I couldn't decide at first between three and four
stars, but, in the end, it brought back such happy memories, I have to give it four!
chessman |4/5 |
MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE
As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.
You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).