Published on Feb 11, 1998
Back in the very early days of rock and roll, songs dealing with
sexuality were absolutely unheard of on the radio. Well, in the 80s
and 90s, sex hasn’t had any problems reaching the airwaves, whether
it be on radio and/or television. As it sneaks in the media, people
pretty much have to take it as it is, whether they like it or not.
Learning the affairs of people such as Bill Clinton, Marv Albert
and Clarence Thomas (to name a few), sex is just like everday
news.
Actually, songs dealing with sex had traveled from time to time
during the early days of rock and beyond, but it received national
obscenity ratings. (Remember Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Whole Lotta Shakin’
Goin’ On?” And, of course, people said Elvis Presley was too
sexually attracting. Then there’s Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love”
and “The Lemon Song,” as everyone was figuring out what the lyrics
in what they
really meant.)
Australia’s DiVinyls attracted some attention with their
sex-related hit song, “I Touch Myself.” Of course, with a title
such as that, it made a few heads turn.
Their self-titled album, released in late 1990, features this
song, and the album as a whole is your standard late 1980s pop. Not
your typical “dance pop” like say, Duran Duran, it’s pop with a
harder rock edge. (This album was not their official debut; they
had released albums since 1982.)
“Make Out Alright” starts out the album, and it’s pretty catchy.
The words
Make Out relate to working things out, not what you would
think, as in sex!
Speaking of which, the next track is the hit “I Touch Myself.”
Yes, it does attract your sexual attention, and it is just as
exciting, musicwise, as its title. The words say it all: “When I
think about you, I touch myself.”
After hearing the first two songs, and enjoying them, the rest
of the album seems to lack. “Lay Your Body Down” is fair, however
“Love School” has some potential.
Then all of a sudden, “Bless My Soul (It’s Rock-n-Roll)” grabs
you by the gut, as it rocks; it’s probably the hardest rocking song
on the album, in the style of The Pretenders.
The album slows down again with the mostly accoustical guitar
tune, “If Love Was A Gun.” (It picks up with the entire band
towards the end.) It has a U2 “One” effect; but again, it’s fair,
and it’s not as exciting as the previous tunes that stand out on
the album. In fact, I started losing interest in it towards the
end. The acoustical guitar sounded fine, maybe it should of stayed
throughout the entire song.
“Need A Lover,” like “Love School,” has potential. “Follow
Through” sounds like a slowed-down version of “Joyride” by Roxette,
yet it’s not a bad tune.
“Cafe Interlude” sounds like what you would hear in a movie
soundtrack like “The Godfather.” In fact, it’s less than a minute
in length.
“Bullet” is another tune that is real good. It could be used in
a movie soundtrack for a car chase scene, or something as exciting
as that. The guitar is great in between the verses; it reminds me
of a Duran Duran tune, that I just can’t think of its title at the
moment. It’s more of a pop-sounding tune, than any other song on
this album.
“I’m On Your Side” is another mostly accoustical guitar tune.
This song, like “If Love Was A Gun,” is compared to the newer
female artists of today, like Jewel, Joan Osborne, and Sarah
McLaughlin. This song is a good one, it’s much better than the
“Gun” tune, and it’s a good ending song for the album.
DiVinyls has the sounds of pop and rock. I think this album
could be enjoyed more if listened to more than once. Some albums
are like that, it takes a while to get used to. It’s not a bad
album; it does have its moments.