THE STRANGLERS - MENINBLACK @ 40

 

 

February 7th marks the 40th anniversary of the release of The Stranglers fifth studio LP, The Gospel According to The Meninblack, released on this day in 1981.

The album began life as what most fans considered to be a throwaway track on their previous album, The Raven. The song, Meninblack, seemed like a bit of frivolous fun, featuring a half speed mechanical drum loop, layers of synth and a helium double speed vocal that incited conspiratorial screeds about mysterious aliens harvesting humans for food. It all, at the time of its release in 1979, seemed a bit silly to most, though it was always one of my personal favorites from that album for its experimentalism and oddness.

The truth was that the guys were quite serious about this conspiracy of mysterious black clothed "agents" who appeared to people who reported encounters with UFOs. It's a concept that has since become a staple trope in science fiction properties like the Men In Black film franchise and the X Files TV series. Back in 1980, however, it was only something that was discussed in obscure intellectual circles. One must remember that it is only in the last few years that conspiracy culture has become mainstream with groups like QAnon gobbling up oxygen in the media. Back before the internet, conspiracy theories had a bit more clout and were closely aligned with occult (meaning "hidden") traditions. Those who pursued these topics were involved in in-depth research and documentation, not merely swapping unsubstantiated rumors with unhinged strangers online. Sure, a lot of the people involved in such pursuits were still on the fringes of society and often sanity, but at least they had some standards for research and investigation.

As work began on the album, which was split up throughout 1980 with various tours breaking up the recording sessions, a peculiar pattern of misfortune seemed to descend on the band, prompting paranoia and suspicion that what they were delving into was somehow upsetting some kind of balance. It was tempting to see the group as being cursed during the events that surrounded the creation of this record. Among many misfortunes that befell the group were things like...

• court cases resulting in custodial prison sentences (Hugh)
• management and label conflicts
• master tapes going missing for The Raven
• all their gear being stolen while on tour in the US, including Dave's impressive array of keyboards and synths, all of which had been critical in the recording of the album
• poor record sales & charting (this was the least successful album of their career to date)

The critics were also ruthlessly savage towards the album and its singles. Stylistically, though its direction had been hinted at by The Raven, it was still a huge departure from their earlier works. Overall, it had an almost "techno" vibe thanks to the heavy use of synths and Jet's focus on mechanical, precise and electronic sounding drums, though calling it "pop" would be misleading as the vibe was too bizarre and dark for such a label. The religious themes also caused critics to level accusations of pretentiousness at the group. The album was even packaged to look like marble carved scripture with a gate-fold inner image of a parody of da Vinci's Last Supper and biblical sounding song titles. It was no surprise when, after poor sales and critical reception, their label had them back in the studio, posthaste, to get going on another album to try to rehabilitate their reputation.

For me, however, this was the album that got me hooked on the group. The experimentation, use of electronics, complex themes and the cohesive aesthetic of it's symbology all worked together to form a work of astonishing completeness. Even some of the band now look back on this as the peak of their creative achievements, particularly Hugh Cornwell. It's frequently seen as the "ugly duckling" of their catalogue, but I think it has stood the test of time and bares the marks of a group willing to go against the grain to pursue their artistic vision. And I still keep a lookout for any mysterious looking gentlemen in dark suits.

 

QUEEN - INNUENDO @ 30

 

February 4th marks the 30th anniversary of Queen's final studio album completed before the passing of Freddie Mercury, released on this day in 1991. While the band would cobble together one more album to feature their late front man from unfinished sessions recorded prior to his death, Innuendo was the final album to be totally completed with Freddie's full participation.

Back in 1991, I was about as far away from my Queen fandom days as I could get. It was a time of Acid House and Techno, and Queen, for me, was a relic of my high school days and I hadn't listened to them for years. As such, the news of Mercury's death in November of 1991 came completely out of the blue. I hadn't payed any attention to the band's career in some time, so I had no idea about the rumors of his ill health or the cause of it. Suddenly I was seeing Brian, Roger and John on the news attending funeral services and it didn't seem quite real. It felt like a part of my youth had suddenly been ripped away. Though I wasn't listening to their music, I was struck with a sharp recognition of the loss that had occurred.

It would be years later when I'd start to reconnect with Queen's music. As the 21st century dawned, my musical tastes matured and expanded and I began the process of reassessing the music I'd loved in my past and why I loved it. It wasn't long before I rediscovered Queen and developed a fresh appreciation for their achievements and talents. However, that newfound admiration didn't initially extend to the music that was produced after my initial fandom had faded. I stuck close to their 1970s albums and my interest dropped off after The Game.

It's only in the last few years, maybe the last 5 or so, that I've begun to warm to some of their albums of the 1980s up to their swansong of Made In Heaven. Albums like Hot Space, which I initially looked upon as a joke, now find keen favor in my listening habits and even just the other day, as I put on Innuendo in anticipation of its anniversary, I found myself taken aback as I heard aspects of it that had never struck me before.

Listening to this album now, I'm first struck the the strength of Freddie's singing. There was only one point where I detected only a minor weakness in it and only for a split second. The fact that Freddie chose to belt out so many heavy rockers rather than take it easy with less demanding soft ballads speaks to his dedication. The man knew for some years that he was on borrowed time. He could have chosen to spend that time doing any number of things, but he chose to focus on the work. All he wanted to do was leave as much behind as possible. He insisted that the rest of the band help him plow through these years, giving him as many songs to sing as they could. It was an Olympian effort as there were days he could barely get out of bed. Yet he'd get to the studio whenever he could and just belt it out like nothing was wrong.

You can hear that determination in these song, but not the strain. He sounds confident and powerful and capable and you'd never know he was spiraling down into his own mortal coil. Seeing the videos from this album is a shocking revelation of that disparity. On screen, you can see the frailty and the fading of his visage. The most heartbreaking of all is the video for These Are the Days of Our Lives. I can't watch it without getting choked up. You can see he's saying goodbye and you can see how much love he had for his audience. Despite his obviously compromised physical presence, his dignity and joy are resonant and you know the only thing he's regretting is that it's too soon to go.

There's a lot of good music on this album in the end. It rocks surprisingly harder than a lot of their albums from this era. How he managed to muster up the energy to do that is a bit of the magic that made him who he was. It's a good way to go out, I think.

THE RESIDENTS - THE THIRD REICH 'N' ROLL @ 45

 

 

In February of 1976, 45 years ago this month, The Residents released their 2nd official LP, The Third Reich 'n' Roll. While it was actually the third album they recorded, it was the second released as their prior LP was originally intended to be withheld form release as a conceptual exercise based on its title, Not Available. Thus Third Reich 'n' Roll became album 2 and NA was release a few years later.  

 

The origins of the album began back in 1972 with the filming of a short featuring the band on a set and in costumes made entirely of newspaper, which was eventually used to create the short "music video" version of Swastikas on Parade in 1974, the full version of which was also recorded that year. The second half of the album, Hitler Was a Vegetarian, was recorded in 1975. 

 

The concept for the album grew from an idea to do a collection of cover versions of pop songs from the 50s & 60s. As the group delved into this idea more, they began to understand the fascistic nature of popular music and the way in which it was designed, promoted and sold. Record labels imposed strict control over product and artists, manipulating and restricting their creative expressions in order to maximize commercial potential and also reinforce cultural stereotypes and norms as a means of maintaining the status quo within the civilization. To reflect this, the group made the controversial decision to incorporate Nazi symbols and iconography into the packaging and promotional materials, which included a bizarre swastika filled display window at a local San Francisco record shop that garnered much criticism and outrage. At this point in their career, they were barely a blip on the alternative music radar, but the record's achievements were enough to garner them some press. In the 31st of December 1977 issue of Sounds Magazine, Jon Savage described the album as "Funny – and frightening" and Peter Silverton described it as The Residents "One unqualified masterpiece", and the best party game of the 70s. 

 

Since its release, it has remained one of The Residents most iconic and eccentric releases, seeing numerous reissues in a multitude of occasionally elaborate and excessive packages. Personally, it's always been one of my all-time favorite albums from the group as it takes the hooks and accessibility of pop music and twists them into forms so exceptionally weird, one's sense of reality begins to unravel. It truly stands alone as one of the greatest experimental albums ever released.

BE BOP DELUXE - SUNBURST FINISH @ 45

 

Also celebrating 45 years on the shelves this month is Be Bop Deluxe's 3rd LP, Sunburst Finish, release in February of 1976.

This was the album where all the pieces of the BBD puzzle came together in their fully optimized forms. The band lineup had settled into a four piece with Andy Clark coming in on keyboards to work with Charles Tumahai on bass and Simon Fox on drums. With the band sorted out, front man and guitarist, Bill Nelson was free to focus on his songwriting and, for this album, managed to both find his own voice, leaving the pseudo-Bowie allusions behind, while also reigning in some of his more bombastic guitar indulgences, which had been a hallmark of their previous LP. There was still a lot of drama, detail and complexity to the music, but it all seemed to be better balanced and didn't obscure the focus of the tight hooks and evocative lyrics. For a progressive rock band, on Sunburst Finish, BBD managed to weave their virtuosity around infectious and memorable music that never went too far into self-indulgence. This LP also marked the arrival of John Leckie as producer, who would go on to work on all the subsequent group albums as well as the post BBD Red Noise project.

While Bill has often been somewhat ambivalent about the album cover, it does present a very memorable image and the perspex tube seen in the photos did translate into their stage show for the tour to promote the LP. Three such tubes were used on tour with Bill, Andy and Charles beginning each show from inside a tube filled with dry ice. As the show began, the tubes would rise into the ceiling, revealing the band. There was one memorable instance, however, when this staging provided a real life "Spinal Tap" experience as the tubes failed to rise and the band remained trapped in them as the show began!

For me, this album has continuously grown in my esteem over the years. When I first got it, I had backed into Be Bop Deluxe after discovering Red Noise at the peak of the "new wave" era of the late 1970s. As such, the progressive rock styles of earlier BBD were a bit outside my preferences, but it didn't take long for these albums to reveal their charms and seduce my senses. Throughout the ensuing years, Sunburst Finish has continuously illuminated more depths to itself as I rediscover it again every few years. The subtlety of the arrangements, the attention to detail, the irresistible hooks and the heartfelt romanticism of the lyrics continue to flower with new layers of meaning. Like a fine wine, this is one of those albums that keeps getting better with age.

BRIAN ENO & DAVID BYRNE - MY LIFE IN THE BUSH OF GHOSTS @ 40

 

Another February anniversary of note is the Brian Eno & David Byrne collaboration, My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, which was released 40 years ago in February of 1981.

The album was recorded during a hiatus from Talking Heads between 1979-1980, following the completion of Fear of Music and prior to recording Remain In Light. The album was release after Remain in Light, however, due to the time it took to secure legal clearances to use the multitude of voice samples which were at the core of the project. While it was not entirely unheard of for experimental artists to use so-called "found vocals" (Holger Czukay had done it as early as 1969 on his Canaxis LP), no one had done it so extensively and with such emphasis as Eno & Byrne did for this LP, essentially turning these recordings into the lead vocals for each composition. Musically, the heavily African influenced rhythms also utilized a lot of sampling and looping and the entirety of this process became hugely influential in subsequent musical movements from hip-hop to techno to ambient and beyond. This was certainly one of the first albums I heard which used such techniques so prominently.

The work done on Bush of Ghosts was an essential paving of the way towards what would happen with Talking Heads' Remain In Light album following the completion of this project. Many of the compositional and technical approaches developed on MLitBoG were foundational for RiL. There's a clearly audible progression and connection between the two records, making them stand together as musical cousins, if not direct siblings. Though there was a tendency to downplay the significance of the album at the time of its release as being merely an indulgence for a couple of creative minds at loose ends between projects, time has born witness to the significance of this album as its influence has extended into popular music. Sampling, in our times, is ubiquitous and taken for granted, but back when this album was released, it was almost unheard of and certainly no one had attempted to realize its potential to the degree that was achieved by Brian and David.