Search - 10cc :: Deceptive Bends

The Pleasure Of Pop Invention

allismile0 | Washington, DC | 11/15/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Deceptive Bends was the beginning of the end for 10cc. The band had split into two bands: 10cc and Godley & Creme. "How Dare You" was the magnum opus, and in my view the best album that 10cc came out with, not to mention one of the best albums of a decade that was full of amazing albums.



But now the year was 1977 and Graham Gouldman and Eric Stewart regrouped and came back with a beautiful pop album that showed a subtle change in the 10cc sound. The interesting thing is that for all the wonderfully quirky pop art that filled the first four albums that included Godley & Creme, the music was still alive with fresh ideas and inventive productions, just a bit less cerebral. Sure, this was no "Consequences", Godley & Creme's first album that was full of high art but lacking in accessibility; but Deceptive Bends has so many infectious melodies and grooves that it intensified what made this band so attractive in the first place... The pleasure of invention.



Every song on this album has become (more or less) a highlight for me, including the bonus tracks. But the first side of the album is definitely the stronger half. It is rare to have a perfect album- in my mind there are very few of those. But I've got to give Deceptive Bends five stars nonetheless, because take away few missteps and you have a pop masterpiece.





Bloody Tourists continued the success of inventive pop music that Deceptive Bends had brought- it was the weaker of the two but still was mostly great.



I think the music declined somewhat after that for 10cc. That's not to say Look Hear, Ten Out Of 10, or Windows In The Jungle aren't strong albums- they just don't have the allure that the albums up to Bloody Tourist have; Ten Out Of 10 probably being the strongest of the three.



One note: I though it was interesting how close the guitar solo on "The Things We Do For Love" sounds like the guitar solo from "Killer Queen" by Queen.

"

Go for the domestic release--there's damage to the master ta

Wayne Klein | My Little Blue Window, USA | 04/03/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The last truly great 10cc album ("Meanwhile... comes close behind this album with the songwriting just a notch below it), Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman handle most of the instruments and vocals themselves coming up with a stellar follow up to "How Dare You!". The 1997 remaster isn't horrible, it's just that this one is unfutzed, not as loud/compressed and the mastertape used here isn't damaged. The 1997 remaster has tape drag on a couple of tracks most notable on part of "Feel the Benefit".



The original CD doesn't have any bonus tracks and is on the Mercury label. The remaster is an import with three bonus tracks all of them quite good that would have added to the album in terms of quality. My hesitation is that the tape drag causes a change in pitch and some distortion on at least two of the tracks here although it isn't quite as noticable as the really bad tape drag that crops up throughout "Bloody Tourists"(get the original CD release for that as well).





The bonus tracks on the remaster are nice to have so try and find them somewhere else but pick up the original Mercury U.S. issue of this fine album. I'm really surprised that the label let the 1997 reissues go out with the damage to the tapes uncorrected and/or without restoration. Roger Wake who did the remasters for the Squeeze UK reissues a number of years back can do exceptional work if he's given the proper material to work with and the go ahead to do a restoration (although audio restoration/remastering specialists such as Eroc or Steve Hoffman would be better suited to this material). It's a pity because fans will have to own BOTH editions one one should really do."