Homosapien
Pete Shelley
Arista AL 6602
1981
Here is my belated tribute to Pete Shelley who passed away in late 2018. His band the Buzzcocks were easily my favorite of the first wave of British punk bands after the Clash largely because they were just as much power-pop as they were punk and looked more like new wavers than punks not unlike the Jam (another big favorite of mine back then.) I bought this album after hearing the title track on the radio. I was surprised when I first played it because it sounded so unlike the Buzzcocks aside from Shelley's distinctive vocals. It is basically dance-friendly synth-pop with a slight edge. It lacks the intensity and energy of the classic Buzzcocks songs but after a few spins it grew on me and I like it even better now since I have developed an appetite for synth-pop that I totally lacked in my youth. The record opens with "Homosapien" which is an extremely catchy ode to homosexual seduction. It was provocative back in 1981 but seems tame to me today although the line "homo superior in my interior" is fabulous. Shelley always had a gift for hooks and whenever I play this album this song is stuck in my head for days. In "Yesterday's Not Here" Shelley looks back at the past with disdain and unhappiness. The music throbs with a sensuous groove that I find enticing. "Love in Vain" was not on the U.K. version of the album, it was the B-side on the "Homosapien" single. In the song Shelley worries that his love is unrequited. It has a soulful sound to it. "Just One of Those Affairs" as you might guess is about sex - lots of it. It sounds very poppy with a very pronounced beat and an enthusiastic vocal from Shelley that reminds me of Graham Parker. Side one concludes with "Qu'est-ce que c'est que ça," which despite the title is mostly in English, in which Shelley wonders vaguely about life and relationships. It is a highly propulsive track with a wall of synthesizer sound that gets me bopping. It is one of my favorite cuts. Side two opens with "I Don't Know What It Is" which is a banal song about how one experiences love. The lyrics may be bland, but the music is exciting driven by an insistent staccato riff with waves of sound layered over it and a charged vocal from Shelley. It reminds me of Berlin trilogy Bowie. It is another one of my favorite tracks. "Witness the Change" is another B-side that was not on the U.K. edition of the record. It features a compelling melody driven by funky percussion and a powerful vocal from Shelley. In the song Shelley expresses optimism about the potential of love despite bad experiences in the past. "Guess I Must Have Been In Love With Myself" is a charming love song in which a self-centered guy changes when he finds love. Unlike his punk peers Shelley was not bashful about being a romantic. In keeping with the lyrics the music is highly melodic with a soaring chorus. It is easily the prettiest song on the record. In "I Generate a Feeling" Shelley uses his feelings of love to escape and find bliss. The music is jerky with a taste of funk to it and Shelley's vocal has a drone like quality. The album concludes with "In Love With Somebody Else" which was a single that was not on the British pressing of the album. The song examines the duality between the ideals and realities of love. It has a poppy ebullient melody that gives the album a joyful finish. Unlike many records from this period, this album has aged extremely well. It would probably make for a delightful party soundtrack with its relentlessly upbeat sound and insistent beat but I find it strong enough for concentrated listening as well. It stands out with its intelligence and sweeping musical density. Shelley was a very talented guy whose music has given me much pleasure through the years. I am going to miss him. Recommended to romantic Talking Heads fans.
Tout pour la musique
France Gall
Atlantic 50 857
1981
In the 1960s most of France Gall's best songs were written by Serge Gainsbourg. In the 1970s she married songwriter Michel Berger and began recording only his compositions. I don't think Berger was in Gainsbourg's league as a songwriter, but I think you can make a case that his work was more compatible with Gall as a performer as demonstrated by this record. The album opens with "Tout pour la musique" which describes people who are obsessed with music. As a music fan, I find it a little offensive, it makes fans sound like zombies or drones although the overall tone of the song is positive about music. The song has a reggae-style rhythm and a catchy chorus. Gall sings the song wonderfully particularly in the improvised section that closes the song. It is easily my favorite track on the album. "Les accidents d'amour" is about wanting to find love and happiness in the short time that we are alive. The song begins with a dramatic piano intro from Berger before slipping into a more mellow groove that again features a reggae-inspired rhythm track. Gall sweetly croons the song giving it a pronounced pop flavor. "La fille de Shannon" is about an Irish girl who loves with great passion. Gall's girlish vocal and the sugary pop sound of the music remind me of her 1960s work although Berger's arrangement is a lot more elaborate and artistic than was typical with those songs. "La prière des petits humains" describes the desire of people throughout a strife-torn world to live free from the chaos and violence inflicted on them by their fellow humans. The song rocks with a surprisingly funky sound in the guitar riff that drives it as well as the chunky rhythm line. Gall's vocal is bit too precious to deliver the bite in the lyrics and musical arrangement. "Résiste" urges the listener to resist a complacent, mundane existence, and to prove that we exist by actively seeking love and happiness. The song is disco-flavored rock with an effectively urgent vocal from Gall that is one of her best performances on the record. It is another one of my favorite cuts. "Amor también" offers a bland perspective on life which is seen as being alternately good and bad. I guess the point of the song is to persevere and seek love. The song has a reggae/world music sound to it and an ultra-poppy chorus. It is a bit too sugary for my taste, but Gall's terrific vocal makes it listenable for me. "Vahiné" is about a Polynesian woman who is encouraged by her father to follow her heart and find love. The song continues in the reggae vein with a relaxed vibe that suits its subject. "Diego, libre dans sa tête" discusses a political prisoner who is free in his mind. The music is dramatic and inspiring but although Gall's vocal is very pretty, I find it unconvincing. "Ceux qui aiment" suits her voice better and she delivers a strong performance. The lyrics contrast lovers with those who fill the world with turmoil and cruelty. The music alternates between the melancholy, gentle sound of the verses and the robust, punchy sound of the chorus giving the album a dynamic finish. I enjoy this record but I find it a bit dull compared to Gall's work with Gainsbourg. The songs are intelligent and well-crafted. Berger's humanism and romanticism reflect my persepective far more than Gainsbourg's cynicism and provocateur mentality, but I also find his songs rather monotonous and obvious particularly over the course of an entire album. We all know that love is good and life can be hard, no need to belabor the point. The album lacks the frisson and dialectical tension of some of
those classic Gainsbourg recordings but Gall does sound happy and comfortable
singing Berger's work. Her singing throughout the record is first rate and she displays lots of feeling and verve in her performances. Her voice makes the album worthwhile for me. Recommended to Francophile Cat Stevens fans.
Illusions of Grandeur
U.X.A.
Posh Boy PBS 104
1981
My favorite radio show is "She Rocks" on KXLU. It is an eclectic mix of music featuring "gine-core" which is how the DJs term rock made by females. When I was listening a few weeks ago, I heard an old school punk song that I liked quite a bit. It sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn't peg it, I thought it might be an obscure Avengers track or something. I was flabbergasted when the ladies on the radio said it was by U.X.A. because I have their album and I have always hated it. I picked it up in the early 1980s because I dug the cover but when I played it I was turned off by De De Troit's off-key caterwauling. I hadn't played it for 20 years, in fact it was on my purgatory shelf which is where I stick records that I'm thinking of getting rid of. I dug it out and took it for a spin and I have to admit that it is better than I remembered although I can see why I disliked it so much originally. De De Troit is not a good singer but she does have some charisma, she kind of reminds me of Johnny Rotten but without the passion or fun, she even seems to be affecting an English accent at times although I'm pretty sure she's from Detroit. The lyrics, which are largely written by De De Troit, are pretentious dreck for the most part, without the directness or humor that characterizes the best early punk music. Lines like "He was a killer, he was a television set" from "Tragedies" or "I'm trying to telephone I'm asleep in the rain and when this high wears off we'll score some more pain" from "Death From Above" make me wince. I don't mind that Troit takes herself so seriously or attempts to make poetic statements about life and society, but I do mind that she does it so badly. "Illusions of Grandeur" is an apt title for such an ambitious yet inept album. Troit's lyrics are awkward, forced and full of cliches, they remind me of Snoopy's stories in "Peanuts." There are a couple of exceptions, I do like "Hand In Glove" which has some interesting imagery despite the clumsy language of the song as well as the nasty "Sister Godrieda" which is based on a real life murderous nun. The saving grace for this record is the music which really rocks and lacks the typical monotony of hardcore. The tempo varies considerably across the record, similar to their peers X or the Flesh Eaters but without the chops, although the band can play. I appreciate the commitment to pop in songs like "U.X.A." and "I Don't Lose Sleep" and I like the raw power of "No Time," "Tragedies," "Immunity" and "Non Fiction." There really isn't a dull number on the album and it does get me bopping. As far as old school punk goes, it is well below the top tier groups, but I've heard worse, heck I'd much rather listen to this than the Germs' album. I basically enjoy it as long as I don't listen too closely, so I've pulled the album out of purgatory and it's back on the regular shelf. Recommended for fans of the Avengers.
