Record
Mirror, September 17, 1977
PUT
OUT the flags and sandpaper the pigmies, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme have
finally produced an album - sorry, a rock musical - called 'Consequences'.
This
is of course, the project that caused the rift which eventually led to
the splitting up of 10cc leaving Graham Gouldman and Eric Stewart to carry
on the name.
But with
'Consequences', it seems Godley and Creme provided the bite that's now
missing from the present 10cc.
Our copy
is, admittedly, one that contains only the highlights of the album - a
promotional device. But from that the quality is obvious.
The musicianship
is superb, the production crystal clear and the whole thing musically
excellent. If you're a 10cc lover it might repulse you because the contents
are very heavy compared with any past 10cc product. Still, Godley and
Creme manage to be aggressive and tranquil simultaneously, something the
present 10cc are unable to emulate.
The album
seems preoccupied with death and in parts gets very weird indeed. Playlets
link the various sections of music and some of the dialogue is rather
bizarre. Peter Cooke and Dudley Moore play strange characters that represent
the man in the street. Even Sarah Vaughn makes an appearance.
The gizmo
is a mechanical device invented by Godley and Creme which clamps to the
bridge of a guitar and mechanically bows and vibrates the strings of the
instrument. It creates the odd feel of the album which in parts is reminiscent
of the ethereal sound effects in 'I'm Not In Love'.
At other
times it's actually frightening - on one track vocals are dehumanised
to represent death sweeping through a door.
In the true
Godley / Creme tradition vocal harmonies play a part in 'Consequences'.
But there are only a few occasions when the '10cc sound' breaks through,
creating a cross between 'South Pacific' and 'The Original Soundtrack'.
The triple
album has a theme based around the number 17 - and to stress that it will
be launched in Europe at a reception in a 17th century Amsterdam church
at 17 minutes and 17 seconds past 1700 hours on September 17.
A 20-page
booklet is included in the set and the whole thing will be promoted in
cinemas up and down the country, shown with film compatible with the audience
the record company hops to attract - late teens to early 20s.
The complete
album will be available some time next month, retailing at £11 - so see
about a mortgage now.
Transcribed
by Nicole Molenaar
|