Peter Murphy
Love Hysteria: Peter Murphy (Cherry Red CDBRED570)
Enough time has elapsed since the appearance of Peter Murphy’s second LP, to make a critical re-evaluation desirable and necessary. Often unfairly dismissed as a mere throne-warmer for Bowie, the LP shows both experimentation and originality, taking on a more positive and eclectic sound, even if Murphy doesn’t entirely leave his gothic roots behind him.
‘All Night Long’s staccato glockenspiel opening picks up on the age’s vogue for all things Japanese, with some building, overarching vocals complementing the picture and completely belying the nightclub feel of the title.
‘His Circle and Hers Meet’ has voguish metal-bashing supported by slicing guitar work over Murphy’s characteristic stentorian vocals; keyboards soar like uplighters in the background. A track to loosen the rigid spines of many of the Batcave crowd, who were still following Murphy in his solo days.
‘Dragnet Drag’ creeps up on you slowly, then the scattering rhythm kicks in, and Murphy tells his tale of inescapable peril with puzzling, wistful lyrics.
‘Socrates the Python’s hypnotic Eastern rhythm is a stand out, with its meditation on belief and credulousness a surprising subject for a song in an era notorious for its shallow materialism.
The pleasing, winding rhythm of ‘Indigo Eyes’ , with its triumphal stops, makes up for some impenetrable lyrics on the challenges of the spiritual life.
‘Time Has Got Nothing To Do With It’, a reflection on the certainty of death and mankind’s fetishistic fascination with it, is put over in a gentle vocal over a typically 80’s repetitive, piping backing and processed drum rhythm.
A longing for a different situation is subtly put in the lyrics of ‘Blind Sublime’, an otherwise straight-ahead train-like rock rhythm that should have sat very comfortably in 1988’s pop charts, had the era’s pop kids been a little bit more open to it.
‘My Last Two Weeks’ has another fascinating keyboard figure, but a distant lyric that doesn’t bear up to analysis rather undermines the impressive atmosphere of the track.
‘Funtime’ closes the original LP, its Iggy-like lyric and delivery an obvious affectionate tribute to an old idol that even the most uncharitable among you will definitely enjoy.
This expanded edition’s second CD also brings in the demos of much of the LP’s content, with ‘I’ve Got A Miniature Secret Camera’ providing a surprisingly funky diversion in an otherwise rock-heavy assemblage. ‘Blind Sublime’ is one of the original LP’s great strengths, but surely four extra versions is pushing it?
The LP’s unfortunate lack of success only serves to remind us why some other stars are reluctant to step outside of their comfort zone, and the price some pay when they do. BUY HERE!
Four Tops
Indestructible: Four Tops (Soul Music Records Classics) SMCR5111
The mention of their name is enough to transport us all back to a particular place and time when Motown staked its unique place in the world of pop music, and sweet soul music was welcomed into all our hearts. Twenty years on, The Four Tops’ glory days may have been over, but they could still worry the music charts with their updated sound.
As the recently re-released and expanded edition of their 1988 ‘Indestructible’ LP shows, this classic band were still doing what they were good at, but to an older and more world-weary audience than in their 60’s heyday. A mixed bag of songs on the eternal issues of love, regret, disappointment and the sheer joie de vivre we’ve all felt at some point; it doesn’t disappoint.
Title track ‘Indestructible’ is a solid, shaking rolling beat with those electronic drums, omnipresent in the 80’s, which now tend to date a record badly, but who can possibly grumble when these great, throaty voices take hold of the song and build it up, up and still further up until you’re feeling the best you’ve felt since, …well, since you last heard it.
The simple sentiment expressed in ‘Change of Heart’ and the heartfelt duet of ‘If Ever A Love There Was’ with its lush strings and deep, thumping drums will have the soft hearted among you going belly-up, and why not?
‘The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine’ a regretful lament over the loss of a former lover, is expressed in a winding rhythm that leads into a typically 80’s echoing sax solo, the production a million miles from the similarly named tour de force from the Walker Brothers.
‘Next Time’s bright, echoing bass and processed drums do not detract from a great tune with excellent supporting harmonies. Its placement next to the barnstorming UK hit ‘Loco In Acapulco’ is a good two-pronged button-pusher, with its repeated three-note guitar solo and jokey despair-to-elation story, irresistible to all but the curmudgeonliest of listeners.
‘Are You With Me’s descending spin leads us to a good, driving beat with a challenging message to the lady in question, and good supporting sax, even if the chorus is a little weakly written.
‘I’m Only Wounded’s plaintive voice over a ‘candle light’ backing and twanging bass gives us another great ‘getting back up’ song, wound around another lifting sax solo.
‘When You Dance’ is a typically 80’s production, all tinkling piano, brassy chords and bright drums, a little redolent of that confused musical decade to be considered a classic, but enjoyable enough in its place. The original LP closes with ‘Let’s Jam’s bright guitar, finger snaps and honeyed vocals, a real confection, with those saxes hanging round ‘til the end.
Bonus tracks are three, surely unnecessary remixes of ‘Loco In Acapulco’, ‘The Four Of Us’, and an extended ‘Indestructible’, a sign of a musical decade that never knew when to call a halt.
The collaborations on this LP read like a Who’s Makin’ Hits’ of the 80’s, making good use of talents as diverse as Narada Michael Walden, Aretha Franklin, Lamont Dozier, Diane Warren and Huey Lewis. Some would turn their nose up at an LP of this era, but I’d like to bet if I lent them a copy of this CD reissue, it would be in the feeder tray, sharpish. BUY HERE!
Any Trouble
The Complete Stiff Recordings 1980-1981: Any Trouble
(Cherry Red CDTRED597)
Cherry Red has come up with a neat package of three CDs spanning the Stiff Records tenure of Any Trouble, a capable bunch of riffers from Lancashire.
‘Where Are All The Nice Girls? (1980)’, their first LP for Stiff, shows them to be up to the job, but the comparisons to Elvis Costello and the Attractions are all too apparent here. The bouncy opener, ‘Second Choice’, has a good winding chorus, and the urgent, military style drumming and twangy bass, so emblematic of the late 70’s/early 80’s, turns up in ‘Playing Bogart’, among other songs. The slower material of ‘Foolish Pride’ and ‘Nice Girls’ is well worth cocking an ear to, so long as your tolerance for self-pity is turned on.
‘Turning up the Heat’ has a good, beaty feel to it, even if the chorus (‘The Heat The Heat’) is a little uninspiring, with ‘Romance’s neat bass runs and urgent guitars following, perhaps a little later in the LP than it should have.
‘The Hurt’ is an absolute standout, a good energetic, crashing beat, and why it wasn’t a single is beyond me. The self-loathing returns in ‘Girls Are Always Right’, but this time, with a well-written song to bear it out. Sad, soaring, country-tinged guitar notes, a restrained backing and an effective catch in the voice gives the LP a depth other bands of the period were struggling with.
‘Honolulu’ is a light, breezy, summery sort of ditty, leading into the ska-style riffing and poppy organ of ‘(Get You Off) The Hook’, a pleasant tune with a good chorus that would not have sounded out of place in the repertoire of a band such as Madness.
A few B’sides and demo bonuses round off this enjoyable, but not entirely satisfying first LP.
‘Wheels in Motion’ (1981), Any Trouble’s second outing, is arguably the debut LP that should have been. It hits the ground running with ‘Trouble With Love’, a great descending chord pattern and a powerful chorus that is followed by ‘Open Fire’, all echoing drums, strong, chunky keyboards and winner’s chords, and a call and response verse that keeps on building. ‘As Lovers Do’ sees a return to the twangy bass, but leads into great verses with soaring lyrics and just enough tension to carry it.
By the time you’re into ‘Walking In Chains’, you’re beginning to wonder if Any Trouble can keep it up, but even the slightly lumpen feel to this track is compensated for by a rousing chorus and that timeless twang of bass. ‘Dimming of the Day’ has a liturgical feel, the gospel tinged, climbing vocal saves it from bringing down the so-far impressive atmosphere.
‘Another Heartache’ is a reminder that the band have not entirely left their ‘luckless in love’ house style behind, this time with up-and-at-‘em chords, and a good, strong chorus, even if the verses are a little on the patronising side. ‘To Be A King’s apologetic tone does little to add to the LP, but ‘Power Cut’s rich guitar figures, leading into a sparser beat with better than usual singing offer a change late in the LP, but strangely, the band fail to capitalise on it. ‘Eastern Promise’ shows little of exactly that, with its held down riffing, leaving it to ‘The Sun Never Sets’ to close the LP with a drum tattoo the only livener.
‘Live at the Venue’(1980), previously issued only in Germany or as a promo, shows Any Trouble to be a band far better at putting themselves over live, than tweaking and twiddling in the confines of the studio. Wisely opening with ‘The Hurt’ and utilising their better songs, ‘Second Choice’ has a depth not found on the LP version, and ‘(Get You Off) The Hook’ has great, thumping drums that only benefit from a live setting. Their cover of Abba’s ‘The Name of the Game’ is a pleasant enough diversion, and their ‘Girls Are Always Right’ is superb, the guitar refrain far better here than on record. ‘Follow That Car’ is back to basics riffing, but hugely enjoyable. A Bruce Springsteen cover is perhaps the last thing we might have expected from these guys, but ‘Growing Up’ is capably performed, unfortunately with ‘Turning Up The Heat’ offering an unfavourable comparison. ‘Working on the Night Shift’, a fine ‘sweet Little Sixteen’ style riff, is unfortunately too late in the set to come over well.
The late 70’s/early 80’s were a little overcrowded with bands of this stripe, but you could do worse than make a little place for Any Trouble on your shelf.
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