Published on Oct 30, 1998
Kevin Godley and Lol Creme may be best known for their time in
10cc, but it is after they branched out that their true colours
began to show. Godley and Creme now do most of their work in the
field of video, where their handiwork can clearly be seen in the
originality of their approach. Their own brand of eclecticism and
humour (often sour or satirical, tis true) also permeates their
early musical output.
For those of you who have never heard this lyrically-driven
album, an odd experience awaits you. Enjoyment of this album is
often intellectual rather than visceral, but there are rhythms and
beats running through the words that make for a good listen all the
same. You can hear clearly the presence of someone’s tongue pressed
firmly into his cheek. Those of us who caught this album first time
around probably only dip into it once a year at most, now, as the
years are not kind to repeated listenings, but those first two
dozen spins or so are worth the price of admission.
We kick off with “Snack Attack”. The track contains an urgent,
catchy beat created by a funky bass and counter-balanced with a
pleasing drum backbeat. An “up yours” saxophone goes its own way
throughout, and on top is an intimate, high-in-the-mix set of
vocals. The lyrics are clever, the subject matter inane, but
amusing.
“Under Your Thumb” is a ghost story that received a fair bit of
airplay (in the UK certainly) and is well presented. The haunting
sound and lyrics sit strangely on top of a busy set of keys in the
background, but the odd combination works. “Joey’s Camel” is a
slower reprise of “Snack Attack”. The subject is an
Egyptologist-type character and his misadventures, a highly amusing
story.
“The Problem” follows, a rather hypnotic piece of music, with an
almost droning quality to it. By carefully listening to the lyrics,
a complicated and improbably constructed logic-problem question is
revealed. Further listening shows the question to be utter
nonsense, but the journey there is amusing. The track segues into
“Ready For Ralph”, which borrows the musical theme of the previous
song. This song’s significance entirely escapes me, leaving me free
to enjoy the saxophone solo and choruses, untroubled by lyrical
considerations.
Another track that received a good deal of airplay is “Wedding
Bells”. On the surface, this is a harmless piece of commercialism.
The overall sound is sickly-sweet, but this belies the poignant
underlying message of the lyrics – take this track at face value at
your own peril. My abiding memory of this song is of the
accompanying video, with the image of a wedding altar, a groom and
a bride dressed in a wedding dress and chains. One for the boys
perhaps.
“Lonnie” is an almost pointless pun on a Lee Harvey Oswald type
character. I feel I must point out that Peter Gabriel did a
different and rather better interpretation the year before with
“Family Snapshot”, off his eponymous third album. “Sale Of The
Century” sounds like a schmaltzy, doo-wah sort of affair on first
listening, but I actually find it diverting and quite amusing. It
holds a fascination for me for which I cannot account, but like
“Lonnie”, it is one of the weaker tracks.
The final track on the album is entitled “The Party”. This song
is an absolute treasure and must be heard to be believed. Two or
three listenings in, you are laughing too hard to hear the rest of
the lyrics. The biting social satire lyrics have an entirely
fitting musical accompaniment.
The album as a whole is not strong from a composition
standpoint. Its chief appeal comes from its fruity, catchy rhythms,
the occasionally peculiar sonic quality and of course, the hugely
entertaining lyrics.
Ismism is a niche album, created by pair of niche artists.
It won’t appeal to everyone.