The Cavern
Rock & Words
10cc (Álbum, 1973)
Artist: 10cc (D+)
Recording Date: 1972
Release Date: July 1973, UK
Record Label: UK / Mercury
Producer: 10cc
Rating: 9.5
Era: The Great Transition (1970-1979)
Subgenre: Art Rock
Best Song: Rubber Bullets
Songs: 1) Johnny Don't Do It; 2) Sand In My Face; 3) Donna; 4) The Dean And I; 5) Headline Hustler; 6) Speed Kills; 7) Rubber Bullets; 8) The Hospital Song; 9) Ships Don't Disappear In The Night (Do They?); 10) Fresh Air For My Mama.
A name of just two digits and two letters, and a cover like the one on this debut album, probably won't give you the slightest idea of what these guys' music was about. And I don't blame you, because the truth is, this wasn't exactly a band known for selling millions of records or frequently landing radio hits on the Billboard charts. But 10cc was, in my opinion, one of the most brilliant bands of the 70s and one of the most underrated in rock history.
Beyond the strange name—which, to be honest, didn't do them much good—one of the reasons 10cc never quite took off was that their music was so different from what was being done at the time.
How to define them? Let's suppose that in a parallel (very parallel) reality, the Beach Boys, the Beatles, the Kinks, and Frank Zappa decide to form a supergroup under the influence of substances of dubious origin. The result would be something more or less like what 10cc is (was): an extravagant band with devilishly catchy songs and abundant melodic hooks, delirious arrangements and unexpected twists, and incisive lyrics with a humor darker than a civil servant's conscience. That and more are the songs of Kevin Godley, Lol Creme, Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman.
Godley and Creme were the eccentric and experimental types, to whom 10cc owes every strange piece found on this and their other albums from their golden era (with this classic lineup). They are responsible for each song being a musical and lyrical delirium. On the other hand, Stewart and Gouldman contributed the more melodic and commercial side to each track; to 10cc, they were, in a way, what McCartney was to The Beatles. In this way, they formed a unique and unclassifiable style, which, if it had to be labeled, I would choose as progressive-pop.
Now, something essential to better understand this album and 10cc in general lies in paying attention to their corrosive lyrics: picturesque stories that are micro-universes in themselves, narrating all kinds of twisted absurdities, and which at the time made this writer laugh out loud like no other group had before.
From the wannabe biker who steals a motorcycle to impress his friends in Johnny Don't Do It, to the hilarious parody of old doo-wop songs in Donna, the self-serving love story with a Beach Boys homage in The Dean and I, the crazy paparazzi on the verge of schizophrenia in Headline Hustler, the determined guy who can't find the inspiration to write to his family in Speed Kills, the hapless hospital patient no one visits who, in revenge, keeps wetting the bed in The Hospital Song... each track is a riot bordering on comedy rock.
The album's classic is Rubber Bullets, a mini-opera that recounts the events of an afternoon party in prison, which ends in disaster. Amidst the alcohol and dancing, the party erupts into a full-blown brawl that even draws in the National Guard, while the riot police, with all the typical arrogance of law enforcement, lament that the bullets they were given were rubber and not real. Priceless.
I was tempted to give this album a perfect 10, but it's clear that the quality dips slightly (just very slightly) towards the end. "The Hospital Song" and "Ships Don't Disappear In The Night (Do They?)" are quite good, almost on par with the tremendous string of great tracks that make up most of the album. The only misstep is the final track, "Fresh Air For My Mama." And not because it's entirely bad, but because it's the only one where they adopt a formal tone that clashes completely with the rest of the songs. It's impossible to take 10cc seriously, at least lyrically. The album is quite short, barely 35 minutes, and that can be considered both a positive and a negative, depending on personal preference. But, personally, I wouldn't mind at all if this fantastic album were a few minutes longer.
“If your brother’s wearing dresses and your neighbour’s swapped his wife, well, I’m gonna make the headlines with your private life, with your other wife”.
By El Hombre Mojón
Mar/31/2014
