3 x CD
4 August 2017
8.5 / 10
Electro pioneers are given the deluxe treatment of their
first three albums.
When Happy Families arrived on the music scene in 1982 it
marked an initially short if not massively influential career for the
combination of Neil Arthur and Stephen Luscombe. The pair, who had formed Blancmange three
years earlier together with Laurence Stevens (who left the band almost
immediately) had already released their seminal EP Irene And Mavis and were
newly signed to London Records.
The reaction to the album was mixed. In a time of highly commercialised music it
represented a combination of perfect pop and experimental tracks and largely
confused the music press who couldn’t quite grasp a band that wouldn’t conform
with their almost punk attitude.
Album opener, I Can’t Explain set the scene perfectly with its
Talking Heads influences it was a high-powered bass driven affair with chaotic
voices and chanting (provided by Stevie Lange and Joy Yates) which would almost
become a Blancmange trademark. Second
track and second single Feel Me endorsed the sound, it’s anarchic feel with the
additional vocals of Madeline Bell who had previously worked with Dusty
Springfield, The Rolling Stones and Donna Summer, provided a near atomic sound
which sounds enthralling to this day.
The album’s first single, the double A sided God’s
Kitchen/I’ve Seen The Word couldn’t have shown two more contrasting sides. The former against displayed the raunchy, dismembered
sound almost seeing Arthur lose his temper against a backdrop of unique
programming from Luscombe, the latter was as ballad-like as Blancmange get with
a melodious contribution – it’s no wonder the media was confused and unable to
pin them down.
Influences from Joy Division, Devo and Cabaret Voltaire were not a million miles away and when Living On The Ceiling was released as their third single from the collection it gave them their first hit. Peaking at number 7 in the UK charts it was, and remains to this day, a classic tune and one that is instantly recognisable from its first tones keeping Arthur’s Ewood Park season ticket assured for the rest of his life.
Where Blancmange differed was in their use of Eastern influences
and musicians. Pandit Dinesh and Deepak Khazanchi
provided tabla and sitar respectively and their contribution to Living On The
Ceiling added a spin that has been emulated but rarely bettered. David Rhodes (Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel) also
added his unique guitar playing to several tracks.
The remaining single, Waves (re-recorded with an orchestra)
gave the duo their second top 20 hit and firmly established them as one of the prominent
acts of the day. To add to the
‘confusion’ Sad Day, a guitar led (by Arthur) instrumental slotted into the
middle of side two.
The De Luxe edition is one for shopping list. Disc two brings us b-sides, rarities and
remixes, the demo versions of several songs are particularly interesting with
some of them bearing little or no resemblance to the finished tracks, and Waves
b-side Business Steps sits nicely the extended version of the colossal Feel Me. Perhaps the inclusion of Irene & Mavis
would have been interesting too but is merely splitting hairs in a conclusive
compilation.
Disc three is made up of BBC sessions for John Peel and Dave
Jenson together with a live recording made for Radio 1 which was originally broadcast
in tandem with a performance by the emerging Depeche Mode, all of which confirming
what an outstanding live act Blancmange are.
The mould was set for Blancmange. Happy Families is a cult classic and this updated
release only serves to confirm its status.
One for devotees, one for music fans and one for anyone with a vague
interest in electronic music. Indispensable.
Published on Louder Than War 19/07/17 - here
No comments:
Post a Comment