10cc

10cc – The Original Soundtrack (1975) [Japanese SHM-SACD 2010] SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

SACD / DSD By admin · June 8, 2022 · Comments off

10cc’s third album, The Original Soundtrack, finally scored them a major hit in the United States, and rightly so; “I’m Not in Love” walked a fine line between self-pity and self-parody with its weepy tale of a boy who isn’t in love (really!), and the marvelously lush production and breathy vocals allowed the tune to work beautifully either as a sly joke or at face value. The album’s opener, “Une Nuit a Paris,” was nearly as marvelous; a sly and often hilarious extended parody of both cinematic stereotypes of life and love in France and overblown European pop. And side one’s closer, “Blackmail,” was a witty tale of sex and extortion gone wrong, with a superb guitar solo embroidering the ride-out. That’s all on side one; side two, however, is a bit spottier, with two undistinguished tunes, “Brand New Day” and “Flying Junk,” nearly dragging the proceedings to a halt before the band rallied the troops for a happy ending with the hilarious “The Film of Our Love.” The Original Soundtrack’s best moments rank with the finest work 10cc ever released; however, at the same time it also displayed what was to become their Achilles’ heel — the inability to make an entire album as strong and memorable as those moments.

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10cc – Deceptive Bends (1977) [Japanese SHM-SACD 2014] SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

SACD / DSD By admin · June 8, 2022 · Comments off

When Kevin Godley and Lol Creme left 10cc in 1976 to pursue a solo career, many thought it was the death knell for the group. However, Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman kept the group alive as a duo (with the assistance of percussionist Paul Burgess) and turned in a surprisingly solid album with 1977’s Deceptive Bends. It may lack the devil-may-care wackiness that popped up on previous 10cc albums, but it makes up for it by crafting a series of lush, catchy pop songs that are witty in their own right. Deceptive Bends also produced a pair of notable hits for the group: “Good Morning Judge” told the comical tale of a career criminal over a hook-laden, surprisingly funky pop backing while “The Things We Do for Love” was an irresistible Beatles pastiche that showcased 10cc’s mastery of pop vocal harmonies. “People in Love,” a surprisingly straightforward ballad built on a gorgeous string arrangement, also became a modest chart success. The remainder of the material doesn’t stand out as sharply as these hits, but each of the tracks offers up plenty of naggingly catchy pop hooks, oodles of catchy riffs, and surprising twists in their arrangements. Highlights among the non-hit tracks include “Marriage Bureau Rendezvous,” a satire of dating services set to a lilting soft rock melody, and “You’ve Got a Cold,” a portrait of illness-influenced misery set to a percolating pop melody. The only place where Deceptive Bends slips is on “Feel the Benefit,” the lengthy medley that closes the album. Its excessive length and hazy lyrics make it less satisfying than the album’s shorter tunes, but it is kept afloat by a catchy, mock-Spanish midsection and some lovely string arrangements. All in all, Deceptive Bends is the finest achievement of 10cc’s post-Godley and Creme lineup and well worth a spin for anyone who enjoyed Sheet Music or The Original Soundtrack.

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10cc ‎- Deceptive Bends (1977) [Original UK Pressing] {Vinyl Rip 24Bit/96khz}

Vinyl Rips By admin · August 19, 2015 · Comments off

This was the first album released by the band after the departure of Kevin Godley and Lol Creme. Many wondered at the time if the remaining half, Gouldman/Stewart, could pull off a decent album or would it be a let down. When it came out I rushed out to buy it, hoping it would be pretty good. Well, it was more than pretty good! It’s one of their best. Augmented by Paul Burgess on drums, who had already worked live with the band, Graham and Eric managed to make it sound as if Kevin and Lol had never left! ‘Good Morning Judge’ was a hit in the charts, and is typical 10cc. Clever lyrics are again present and nice guitar from Eric Stewart. Because the original four had quite similar voices at times, it wasn’t too hard to replicate the classic sound here. Graham Gouldman can sound quite like Kevin Godley when he sings deeply, and Eric Stewart can do a falsetto almost as well as Lol Creme. The second track, ‘The Things We Do For Love’ was a decent chart hit, and already heard and known before the album came out. Listening to it, you would swear it was the original four on the record. In fact, before I got the album, I wondered if the track had had the benefit of all four singing on it, because the songs for this album were being written and recorded whilst Godley and Creme were commencing work on their debut opus, ‘Consequences’. I thought maybe they had sung on this before they had left the band. However, they hadn’t. ‘Marriage Bureau Rendezvous’ is sung by Graham. A nice, quite romantic song really, with a good melody and gentle satire in its lyrics, it is instantly hummable.The story, about a man going to a marriage bureau to meet his Mrs Right, only to end up with the girl trying to fix him up with a date, is quite moving, without being mawdling. ‘People In Love’ is a nice ballad, the type this band were expert at writing when the mood took them. Eric sings this one and it’s a straightforward song with minimal satire. ‘Modern Man Blues’ is sung by both Eric and Graham, and has a superb twist when it comes to the chorus. The verse seems to bemoan the fact that the hero of the song has had his wife walk out on him, but the chorus sees him celebrating, now that he is free and able to do what he likes! Classic 10cc. ‘Honeymoon With B Troop’ is quite short and very funny, with classic lines abounding, such as: ‘So, don’t touch her…’ and then the backing vocals sing: ‘bum, bum, bum, bum,bum,bum,bum,bum,’ before the next line: Oh, it’s so fine, and you know what’s mine is mine.’ One of my favourites on the album. ‘I Bought A Flat Guitar Tutor’ is even shorter, and very, very clever. The lyrics contain various references to guitar chords, such as: C what I’m going through, A to B with you, in A flat, by the C. Again, a fave of mine. And the tune is catchy too, with nice guitar work from Eric, reminding us how well the man can play. ‘You’ve Got A Cold’ is probably my least favourite here, but it’s still good. It’s a song about, yes, you’ve guessed it, someone with a cold. Plenty of vocal interplay on this one. Solid stuff. Finally comes the magnum opus, a three part epic called ‘Feel The Benefit’. I played this track again and again when I first heard it. Eric takes the main lead here, though Graham contributes too. Lyrically, it’s quite poignant. The first part is slow paced, the middle part has an infectious rhythm, and the third part reprises the first, ending with a superb guitar solo from Eric. Brilliant stuff! This was the last what I would call ‘classic’ albums from the band, although the next, Bloody Tourists, has its merits too. This deserves four stars, easily.

Review by chessman, progarchives.com (more…)