10cc

THE VERY BEST OF 10CC is their best anthology, and their best album, ever released. Many of the songs here are quite humorous, and I've been told by both peers and professionals that learning to take teasing like the lyrics these guys came up with in their prime would make me a stronger person. Although I agree with that theory, it's unfair to call 10CC a novelty act, as some critics have done, because the humor was always a means to an end rather than the end itself, and the musicianship was always stellar. If you only have it in your budget for one 10CC CD, make it this one.

... a reviewer below (anthony g) points out that I've never noticed before. That Carole King's "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" is the alter-ego of 10cc's "I'm Not In Love". Yep, he nailed it. And I'll go one farther, it's the female version of the same emotion in 10cc's hit; the vunerability of falling in love. Where the woman is obviously very protective of her feelings, she is also more open to letting go. The man holds on more to his freedom/"cool" (although it's quite obvious he's falling as hard as the woman in Carole King's song is). I think some people take "I'm Not In Love" as a snarky song, especially since 10cc can be a snarky (or sarcastic) band, however, it's a pure love song straight through. Just instead of the usual "oh baby I love you so much" lyrics in most love songs it's much more realistic as to how a young man would act in that situation (I've been guilty of this). Anyway, the reason I'm writing this review is because "I'm Not In Love" is, in my opinion, the best pop song ever written. Easily up there with any classic by the Beatles. The song works on so many levels really brilliantly. It actually sounds like falling in love. The overdubbed voices (150 or so, I think) were highly innovative for the time. I can only imagine Lennon or McCartney really being impressed with this song on it's release. In fact I could easily hear John Lennon singing it ("The Things We Do For Love" is more McCartney's style). The reason I only gave this album 4 stars is because I'm not a big fan of 10cc's other output. Too goofy for me, almost Zappa-ish. But "I'm Not In Love" is sheer perfection. Extra 2 stars for that.

10 cc, which disbanded in 1983 (been a while, huh?), is one of those groups that made a difference in the musical landscape of the seventies, not only in the U.K., but also in Europe (not that much in the U.S. I believe).

This collection is a must have and a piece of the puzzle for any serious music collector. Of course, who has never heard the mega hit "I'm not in love"? But there was much more, and a good part of that can be found here.

The collection starts off with a rather silly song that sounds like a fifties tune, reminding a little bit the beach boys. I had never heard this song and when I put the cd in the player I even pulled the cd out thinking I had made a mistake, that this was not 10cc. Well, I happen to know all the other tracks on this collection (except for "Rubber Bullets", another beach boyesque/beatlesque track), so I wasn't thrown off and I didn't have to check again, but this shows you how innovative, unconventional and creative 10cc was.

None of the remaining tracks are similar or alike. Each has different sequences, taking you on a musical rollercoaster, nothing mechanical and foreseeable here...

The lyrics are witty ("Life is a minestrone") and sometimes sarcastic enough("the Dean and I", "Good morning Judge") without being completely subversive ("Wall Street Shuffle", still very current if you listen closely). The lyrics on "Art for Art's sake" are a sharp criticism of materialistic and empty minded people. Very daring, especially considering the cut is from an album called "How dare you". You see, there again we go with the wit !

What I also find interesting about 10cc is that cross influence between Alan Parsons Project, ELO, Supertramp and Queen. At times, they are close to symphonic rock, then they can get really rocky with sharp guitars ("Silly love", "I'm Mandy..."), or even country like ("Good morning Judge"), making them a unique band with no real comparison, hence even more interesting. By the way, I remembered "I'm Mandy fly me" from a long time ago, and I've listened to it again with this cd. Can anybody try to clarify who Mandy could be ? Still searching... ;) If you like "I'm not in love", don't miss "People in love", a beautiful track that Paul Mc Cartney himself would have sold by millions if he had composed and sung it.

In short, a great band, a great collection of songs. Sad they couldn't continue any longer although we have WAX and GODLEY & CREME which are a continuation of 10cc after the split. Get it, have fun while listening to it, get in a British mood, and regret we don't have bands like this anymore today.

Until now i didnot receive the CD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Purchase this terrific CD collection, place it in your stereo, put on a good set of headphones and enjoy! This is classic 70s popular music at it's finest; the digital remastering does great justice to the works of Stewart, Creme, Gouldman and Godley.
Included on this single-disc set are 15 of 10cc's best recordings. As a teen in the late 70s, I was familiar with their biggest radio hits: the haunting I'M NOT IN LOVE, the infectious THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE, and the philosophical FOR YOU AND I. Upon purchasing this collection, I was pleasingly introduced to a dozen other gems from this talented group, and I would recommend it to anyone.

This album seems a more consistent affair (though this does not necessarily mean better), than the first four albums, as there is only the two main songwriters, Gouldman/Stewart here. They try their hand at humour in some songs, but it is clear that they are already breaking into an AOR direction on most tracks. There is nothing wrong with that in my book, as most of the songs here are good.
'Feel the benefit' is gorgeous, probably one of the best things they ever did, with a soaring melody and great strings to support it. This is just as complex as anything Godley/Creme did, it has multi-parts. The fade out is epic and oozing with melody. 'People in love' also offers a more AOR direction and is a gorgeous balladm with strings. I think many feel Godley/Creme needed to leave 10cc to get their more adventurous side out. The same can apply to Gouldman/Stewart, they now had the chance to write straight forward and gorgeous love songs, without a twist or irony, as was the case before. (Take 'I'm not in love', 'I'm Mandy fly me'). 'The things we do for love' is a great pop song, that is insanely cathcy. Some of the more uptempo songs try to use the wit that 10cc is well known for, and it succeeds in 'Modern man blues' and 'honeymoon with B troop'. The B-sides are all rubbish, but I suppose this is why they were B-sides. I can't stand 'Hot to trot' it is irritating and repetitive. Same for 'I'm so laid back...'. 'Don't squeeze me like toothpaste' is as cheesy and flavourless as the title would suggest.
Highly recommended good album full of pop gems.

Simply put, this is outstanding music. They don't make music like this anymore, what a shame.

From the catchy beat of the novelty opening track "Good Morning, Judge" to the musical ride of the last title "Feel the Benefit", this is a solid album from top to bottom.

If you could only listen to one track(which would be a CRIME), make it the aforementioned "Feel the Benefit". It is truly an odyssey of wonderful orchestral musings with 10CC's signature guitar riffs amid flowing tempo changes. Just be forewarned that it is 10+ minutes long - but, for me, it was the best song I had never heard...

This has been one of my favorite albums for almost 30 years now, and it takes me back to high school very time!

This is the classic "this ain't the same band" situation that is omnipresent in the music business, and that the fans embody. Whether it's a band fragmenting or a new singer, many long time loyalists will refuse to acknowledge the "watered down" version of their long time beloved band. In many cases they're right. But there are many examples of when it works. I know what I like, and I love "Deceptive Bends." My knowledge of 10cc before this CD was very limited, with only "I'm Not In Love" rolling off the top of my head. And after hearing, buying and indulging in "Bends," I dug deeper into the band's past to see if there was something I missed. Well, at least for my tastes at that time, I hadn't. Early 10cc is to that band, what early Genesis is to themselves. Many grew on both's early music. But both bands evolved, for better or worse depending on who you ask. But the fact is, both also evolved into a more refined sound that found a bigger audience. "Deceptive Bends" is full of examples of a band that hit it's heights in strong songs. The opening 1-2 punch of "Good Morning Judge" and "The Things We Do For Love" are great examples of the range of audience this band could reach- the strong opening guitar licks, infectuous chorus and rhythm, and animated content of "Judge", and the lead vocals and lush background harmonies of "Things" provide the broad range of sound to follow on the rest of the CD. They're followed by 3 effectively catchy songs that if not found on the more progressive radio stations of the time, they were certainly heard being played enthusisastically by those who were listening to more than just one 10cc song for the first times in their lives. That's quite a turnaround, regardless of what you think the band became after it splintered. And there was still more pop left on the CD. "Honeymoon With B Troop; You've Got a Cold," and "Feel The Benefit" offer some quality and variety, and all with enough traces of early 10cc to maintain (though not necessarily outright) the loyalty of some fo their earliest fans. "Honeymoon" has some great hooks and pace, and eclectic flavored "Benefit" is a multi-tempoed, outright jam, offering a closing guitar jam that stands out as one of the best of its time. Originally, this record had outstanding sound quality. The remastered CD is superb, offering a more enriiched, crystal clear appreciation for a CD that spans such a wide variety of musical genres with a purpose. Though I've listened to a lot of their music over time, I hadn't bought any 10cc before, or since this CD. This mid 70s CD holds up well today.

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.

I recently pulled this 'out of the bins' and felt compelled to write a brief review.

This is an underrated, under-appreciated, pop masterpiece!

Yes, like many people the word 'pop' makes me squirm and cringe, but in this context it has a different meaning altogther. This is a brilliant record and the 1st side is near perfect in every way. The songs are catchy, inventive and imaginative. The arrangements are crafty and the production is great too. 'Fly Me I'm Mandy' is one of the best pop songs ever produced!

What a lineup: Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Lol Creme and Kevin Godley.
The same performers of "I'm Not In Love", certainly one of the best 100 singles of the 70s.

Superb performance of another great Brit Rock creature, both instrumental and vocal. The digitally remastered edition sound is simply top-notch.

No much more to say, just ENJOY IT!!

I can't add more to the other glowing reviews on this album, other than to say that it is the group's absolute masterpiece, and is probably one of 10 different albums that I would take to a desert island, if I had a choice and was marooned there. You will always hear something different on this disc each time you listein to it, the production values are outstanding both as to audio quality and to the myriad wealth of instrumentation and impeccable vocals that the band contributes to each and every track. One very interesting feature of the album, which is best observed on the LP cover as opposed to the booklet accompanying the CD, are the photographs on the front, rear and inside of the gatefold cover, which depict (with subtle doses of humor, a consistent virtue of the band) characters and events that are contained in the songs. Look at some of the detail in each photograph to pick up on this, including the framed picture of a couple on the businessman's desk as he has a contentious phone call with what appears to be his besotted former trophy wife. This couple in the frame also appears in the background of the other three photographs on the front and rear of the cover, as well as inside the gatefold, along with the members of the band and the other characters depicted on the front and rear covers. The songs and the album artwork are a major tour de "force" of this work of art, the original line-up's swan song.

This group was light years ahead of its time, still is. I first heard this on vinyl back in 1976, now it sounds even better on CD! The musical complexity is a treat for the ears.

This album reminds me of The Tubes first album.That glossy HIGH LIFE back on the 70's SF Bay Area.Can anyone say TOMMY ? ;)

Avant garde, eclectic, eccentric and pretentious. Everything we love about 10CC. I forgot how much I enjoyed this album. If you like Ambrosia, Supertramp, and Be Bop Deluxe you'll probably enjoy 10CC. If you favor Metallica, ACDC and Ozzie - run away now, you'll hate this!

They don't make them like this anymore. and I'm sure a lot of people are glade. This album was created just before the disco craze killed off the progressive concept album phase of rock and roll. bands like Styxs, Super tramp, and 10CC would spend months in the studios creating "sonic shows" that make great headphone entertainment. I love this stuff, even though some songs are down right silly. So if enjoy Dark side of the moon to incense and candles you might get a hoot out of this one.

Rumor was that the name came from the amount of ejactulate x 10.

Seems right.

10cc had four songwriters: including Graham Gouldman
(No Milk Today), Eric , Lol Creme, and Godley.

Pop hits were no strangers to them.

10cc was a perfect pop group, the harmonies of CSN, the humor of Dylan, the whirlwind of Phil Spector, and the eye on the prize.

"Orginal Soundtrack" is their opus. It starts with cinimatic Chas. Dickens/Brigette Bardot, "Une Nuit a Paris", a travelogue of passion, betrayal, and youth gone wrong. "I'm Not in Love" was a huge hit, but listen closer. Over and over, thousands of times, voice rcorded. Truly a great moment in disc history. "Life is a Minestrone", a full bodied song, and "The Film of My Love", sounds like the perfect ending.

This is treasure, one of the great albums of the '70's

A deliciously great album recorded at a very crisp strawberry studios
and remastered in a very tasty edition.
It's great to hear it without the "original" Phonogram surface noise all over the "soundtrack".

If 10cc did rap, what would it sound like?
Probably like the science of silence.

Happy happy,

Mike Brydalski

This album is brilliant, merely for containing the epic 'une nuit a paris', this is true genius. Impossible to do justice in describing here, it is a mini-opera, with oodles of creative ideas, melodies and cliches galore. A piece of genius. This is followed by the equally epic 'I'm not in love', which has been elevated to godliness.
The album really rocks hard with 'the second sitting for the last supper', which has an excellent riff.
There are also other really nice ballads, like 'brand new day', which has Kevin singing really high and 'the film of my love' my fave track on the album, which seems really overlooked by fans. It must be Graham Gouldman's best lead vocal and the melody is just so catchy and tuneful, while being comical at the same time.
'Good news' is a b-side bonus track, that could have easily made the album. 'Channel swimmer' is also good, but more obviously a b-side.
Highly highly recommended.

I am in the distinct minority among 10cc devotees-- and this is just my personal taste-- but I've always preferred Deceptive Bends, and particularly Bloody Tourists, as my favorite 10cc albums. Kevin Godley and Lol Creme with Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman put out some awesome tracks on the earlier albums, among the best 10cc ever did, no doubt, but there were also tracks on those albums I just personally never got into. After The Split (Kevin and Lol left the band), on Deceptive Bends and Bloody Tourists, Eric and Graham demonstrated continued growth as musicians and consistently very high-quality writing, wit, hooks, energy and performance level that I really enjoy. If you don't agree, and most or at least many longtime 10cc fans don't, I understand, but I believe differences here come down to personal taste. I rate every track on this CD (including the bonus Nothing Can Move Me which was a B-side to the Dreadlock Holiday single) very highly and worth a trip out to my iPod.

At times, Bloody Tourists reminds me of Paul McCartney. Sir Paulie should wish he were making music this good in 1978. And I like McCartney and the Beatles very much. I like this better.

I can't endorse the Mercury digital remastering of this CD, though. Some of the treble or high end got lost in the transfer, a relatively easy problem to address with tone controls in playback or with audio software. The dynamic range on most CD tracks was compressed too much compared to the vinyl. But most annoying of all, this CD was remastered with a slight slowing of timing and pitch. Each track but the Dreadlock Holiday single sides runs slower on the CD than on vinyl, at a consistent slow speed within each track, but by varying amounts of slowness from one track to another. The musical notes on this remastered CD are as much as a half-tone lower than on the LP. You may wonder: 'So what? I don't have perfect pitch.' So this: just a bit of the energy and sparkle of the original have been drained off. Think 10cc on ludes. OK, so this always was one of the best head albums. Now it sounds it? But that's not a feature; it's a bug. The difference in listed track times on LP and CD, which are very close to accurate for Bloody Tourists, supports what the ear hears: the CD runs slower than the vinyl. Comparing the lead vocals to other 10cc recordings clearly suggests that the version that was engineered at the incorrect pitch or speed was the remastered CD, not the original LP.

If you have music editing software such as Adobe Audition, you can correct this pitch and timing screwup by buying and ripping the Mercury remastered CD and editing the pitch of each CD track to match up to the LP track. (The Audition 1.5 command sequence for this is: Effects>Time/Pitch>Stretch>Constant Stretch tab, turn the Resample radio button on, and enter for the Ratio the following numbers for each of these tracks: Track 2: 99.5%. Track 3: 98.0%. Track 4: 97.0%. Track 5: 96.5%. Track 6: 97.5%. Track 7: 99.5%. Track 8: 98.5%. Track 9: 98.5%. Track 10: 97.75%. Track 11: 98.0%. Track 12: 99.75%. In other words, track 5, Last Night, is 3.5% slower on the CD than on the LP, but by running this software on this track, you digitally shorten it and match it back up to the LP in pitch and time.) Add a little high end, save and burn, and you have a notably better digital version of the album than Mercury's remastered CD release. But of course most people don't have software that can make this adjustment, and it's too expensive to buy just to fix one CD.

If you have no way to fix the pitch issue with music editing software, should you get this CD? I still recommend it, unless you are highly sensitive to pitch and know the LP version of this album well; if that's the case, this CD may drive you nuts. It surely does sadden me to see this fine material treated with such carelessness by an engineer and by a record company.

My grades: A for the music composed and arranged by Eric and Graham, A for 10cc's performance, D for the digital remastering on this CD: B or 4 stars overall. I join with others in hoping for a better digital remastering of this underrated album another day.

Anonymous Alcoholic is a wonderful song about being very thirsty and not being able to quit drinking. " So I hit for the bar ". Lyrics that makes you want to listen. With a smile.

This album is really hard to classify-it sounds VERY dated, a real relic of the late 70s. Contrast this with how far-ahead-of-their-time tracks on the band's 1974 release "Sheet Music" sound.

Yet, there is something intriguing about this batch of downbeat, mysterious tunes. Lots of wounded stories told here. Those who delighted in the earlier albums, particularly the eccentric contributions of Godley and Creme, may not be too pleased with these selections, with their often MOR stylings. Though, these tracks still have an insidious quality to them. Best for hardcore completists. Others, beware.

You probably have read in other places that this album just isn't very good. I strongly disagree. Though a bit fey sometimes, it is still filled with really catchy, really funny, really interesting music by 10cc. Not a ton of variety: I mean there is some, but not quite as much as you might be used to. Nevertheless, still a great album from the arguable best band of the 70's.

10cc's "Bloody Tourists" was originally released in September of 1978--this was the follow up to 1977's "Deceptive Bends", & it was the second 10cc record without Godley & Creme who left the group in 1976 & continued to work as duo. Certainly their departure had a big impact on 10cc--they contributed largely to the songwriting & overall sound of the group. However, the other 2 original 10cc members, Eric Stewart & Graham Gouldman, were extremely talented dudes in their own right, and they're basically running the show on here, and the result is a brilliant album. I realize that this album is typically considered a disappointment compared to "Deceptive Bends", the first album without Godley & Creme, but it's actually quite the opposite--Stewart & Gouldman were considerably off their game on "Deceptive Bends", but here they bounced back in a big way, & 10cc's work would remain consistently strong/ brilliant until their initial breakup in 1983/ 1984, making this album quite a bit like a rebirth for them. Rick Fenn, Stuart Tosh, Duncan Mackay, & Paul Burgess were additional band members at this point, but apart from "Dreadlock Holiday" (as well as its non-LP b-side "Nothing Can Move Me", included here as a bonus track) which is credited as having been produced by the whole group, the entire album was produced by Stewart & Gouldman, & also, between the two of them, they were responsible for all of the songwriting apart from just a few co-writes from other members. As usual, there are a lot of different styles, terrific production values, & great performances. You still gets lots of wildly imaginative lyrics that are at times highly amusing, although the tone is overall a heck of a lot less "jokey" without Godley & Creme around, & considering how over-the-top they went at times, plus with the material on "Bloody Tourists" being as strong as it is, it's a welcome change. The album piles up great track after great track. The reggae tune "Dreadlock Holiday" and the somewhat country-fied "Take These Chains" are infectiously catchy. The gorgeous thought-provoking ballad "For You and I", and the amusing, irresitible "Reds In My Bed" (written by Eric & Stuart Tosh, with an excellent lead vocal by Stu) are each splendidly tuneful, as is the dramatic and hauntingly powerful "Old Mister Time". Graham's tender "Life Line" seamlessly moves from acoustic balladry to catchy reggae. Eric's multi-part, wild subway sex fantasy "Shock on the Tube (Don't Want Love)" is a blast--it starts off with him singing on top of a dreamy, choir-like backing, before switching into a mid-tempo quasi-barroom style rocker with prominent piano (I don't know how else to explain it) and an exciting, roaring Stewart vocal, & adds a catchy chorus & rip-roaring riffy sections. Eric's ode to "Tokyo" is pretty bizarre--admittedly, the lyrics are weak and rather embarassing, and the track doesn't entirely hold together, but the opening portion, before the drums kick in at 1:53 of the track, is truly arresting with the dreamy textured sound and the engaging, somewhat haunting melodicism. Graham's tropical-flavored "From Rochdale To Ocho Rios", with a great acoustic riff, expresses the frustration of travelling from place to place in upbeat, whimsical fashion--it's a tad fluff-ish, but it's still a lot of fun. "The Anonymous Alcoholic", in uncanny fashion, captures the woefulness of living with alcohol addiction--it fittingly starts off using slow R&B as a backdrop for a tale about a guy suffering from withdrawal who swears he won't drink again, though of course he can't help himself, & the music switches into disco-mode to coincide with the guy drunkenly hitting the dancefloor & getting himself into a mess of trouble--perhaps this is Stewart & Gouldman's attempt at their own "sound movie" (a term Godley & Creme used for their "Une Nuit A Paris" from the 1975 album "The Original Soundtrack"), but it doesn't sound at all forced & they pull it off excellently. The original vinyl LP ended with Stewart's "Everything You Wanted To Know About!!! (Exclamation Marks)" which has ultra catchy, highly syncopated verses, and the lyrics on this tune, as well as "Shock On The Tube", both demonstrate his seemingly intense obsession with casual sex and/ or sex without love, seemingly as an attempt to fill the emptiness of not having true love; this general theme would go on to become increasingly prominent with Stewart on his 1982 solo album "Frooty Rooties", which makes me wonder about the state of his personal life around this time. "Last Night" starts off in suprisingly grungey & dull fashion, but it does shift gears & overall it's not bad. Overall, the album is immensely enjoyable.

Unfortunately, as mentioned by other reviewers, this Mercury Records CD reissue numbered 534 973-2 does leave quite a bit to be desired. Yes, I do give a big thumbs up for the inclusion of the cool, bluesy "Dreadlock Holiday" b-side "Nothing Can Move Me"--that's a definite plus. However, the sticker on the front claiming "extensive sleevenotes" is highly exaggerated--you get a considerably unenlightening & tiring essay that sprinkles in quotes from the album's lyrics. The original gatefold vinyl LP featured a picture with all 6 band members, full performance credits for each tune, & printed lyrics for all of the songs--none of these are featured with this CD reissue. Plus, "Old Mister Time" is credited as having been co-written by Dave Mackay--I presume they must mean Duncan Mackay. Then, of course, there's the issue of sound quality. I will say that although speed fluctuations are indeed noticeable, the sound quality isn't a DISASTER--the speed fluctuations are actually quite minor. I mean, it's a damn shame to hear that the album's original master recordings were considerably damaged--you do unfortunately hear some 'wrinkled tape' noises, but it's not like the sound on this CD is so bad that it can't be enjoyed--disappointing though it is, it's not THAT bad. Certainly there's no need to avoid it at all costs, as another reviewer said. It'd be a shame if listeners pass on "Bloody Tourists", because it really is a must-have album, a terrific demonstration of the brilliance of Eric Stewart & Graham Gouldman.

Yes, there is a reunion of all sorts, of all four members, but besides Kevin singing one lead vocal on 'The stars didn't show', (good song), the contribution of Kevin and Lol is minimal, merely a couple of backing vocals. Graham also gets very little mention here, and sings no lead vocals at all on the album.
The tracks are all very similar with a mid-tempo sound and similar textures and arrangements. The last track 'don't break the promises' is gorgeous, as is 'Woman in love', a very catchy song that sticks in the mind. The rest is forgettable and some extremely poor, such as 'fill her up'. Nice to have in your collection, but only if you are an avid collector.

MEANWHILE,,,,a really good 10CC cd. I had to find this CD in Sydney Australia. It's a shame that it was never realeased here in the U.S.A.
It reunites all 4 original members,,,Lol Creme was living here in The HOLLYWOOD Hills & came down at his brother in laws request to sing backing vocals (with a killer Lead vocal by Kevin Godley on "The Stars didn't show" a song about the late singer Roy Orbison)

Look, This CD is a gem, It has Paul McCartney the whole ORIGINAL 10cc & Andrew Gold of WAX/UK on it. It was not the best producer in Gary Katz. I wish Jeff Lynne was around for this or David Gilmore too produce as the production was just wrong! Still if you like or love 10cc, ELO. Badfinger & The BEATLES!!! then buy this little gem. I did & still enjoy it.

Like some of the other reviewers for this album, I had the vinyl when I was young. I liked it but it was only when I listened to it with older ears that I realised how truly brilliant it was/is - I 'got' the references and jokes; but more than that, I was able to immerse myself in the nostalgia and wistfulness of songs like 'Somewhere In Hollywood' and 'Old Wild Men', and see how hilarious (but still rockin'!) 'Worst Band In the World' (wonder if Malcolm McLaren listened repeatedly to this song...) and 'Silly Love' are.

Clever without being pretentious, they were four talented musicians and songwriters who couldn't put a foot wrong - if you haven't at least listened to their first four albums (before Godley and Creme departed) you're missing out on some of the best music of the 70s or any other decade: their 1973 self-titled album (perhaps a little too jokey for mine, but still great), Sheet Music (perfect, less referential and more original and mature), The Original Soundtrack (anyone with anything resembling a heart should buy this album for the song 'I'm Not In Love' alone) and How Dare You (probably the most accessible of the four; still very artistic and smart though).

My only complaint with this CD is a technical gripe - I've got the Repertoire version released in 2000 and there's some less than wonderful remastering on a few tracks. 'Silly Love' suffers in particular - on vinyl it used to have really punchy, up-front guitars, but now it sounds like a blanket's been thrown over the mix on this track - the drums have been made to sound sort of distracting and 'doofy' too. Still an amazing song though. But Eric Stewart must be peeved at what's been done to some of his awesome production work. I'd love to hear (and buy of course) a properly remastered version of this incredible album. If anyone has both the new Glam / 7t's version and the Repertoire one could they please let me know via 'comments' at the end of the review if anything's been done to fix it...?

The British rock band 10cc was comprised of four exceedingly clever musicians and songwriters, all of whom brought considerable gifts to the table. They'd all been working in various capacities since the mid-60's - most notably Graham Gouldman (who had written hits for the Hollies, Herman's Hermits, and the Mindbenders), and Eric Stewart (who was a member of the latter group). These two were the pop oriented half of the band, while Kevin Godley and Lol Creme contributed the more experimental, offbeat flourishes and compositions. All four sang and were multi-instrumentalists.

Their terrific debut album "10cc" got them off to a roaring start in their homeland. Two singles from it - "Donna" and "The Dean And I" - made the U.K. Top Ten, and "Rubber Bullets" hit number one. "Rubber Bullets" was a regional hit in parts of America, and gained them their first exposure here. It was about a prison riot, and sounded like the Beach Boys parodying Elvis' "Jailhouse Rock". Other tracks also had a comical slant, sometimes sung 1950's doo-wop style. Even some of the song topics were 50's-centric. The title character in "Johnny Don't Do It" became a teen angel in a motorcycle crash - "Sand In My Face" is about being picked on by a bully and invokes the Charles Atlas ads found in comic books of the era. As a whole, the album portended great things to come.

That would happen with the release of "Sheet Music" (1974). I love their first 3 albums equally, but I'm spotlighting this one because I think it's the most neglected and forgotten. "Wall Street Shuffle" was the British top-tenner off this one, while "Silly Love" only cracked the top 30. In America some of these songs received FM airplay, but none were hit singles.

10cc came into their own and found their voice on "Sheet Music". It wasn't just parodies of 50's song styles and subject matter. The humor continued unabated, but was in the service of their own concepts (less obvious and more original). It rocked harder than the previous album, and featured heavier guitars and instrumentation. "Somewhere In Hollywood" was their first Queen-esque mini-opera, a "trial run" they would build upon on later efforts. The whole album is perfect.

Same goes for their highly acclaimed third album "The Original Soundtrack". It's widely acknowledged as a masterpiece, and deservedly so. "I'm Not In Love" was surely the most fussed-over song since Brian Wilson obsessed with "Good Vibrations". Stories of the band layering the vocal chorale in the studio are legendary, and it was a worldwide smash. The "One Night In Paris" suite was their second encroachment on Queen territory, and exquisitely well done.

After their rather lackluster fourth album "How Dare You", Godley and Creme left the band. Gouldman and Stewart would carry on as 10cc with new members, and issued the wonderful "Deceptive Bends" album. "The Things We Do For Love" was a big hit, and "Feel The Benefit" was another exemplary song suite. It was the last great 10cc album. While "How Dare You" and later albums contained some good hit singles, they no longer cohered as well as earlier work, and featured too much mediocre material.

If you want to collect their best, buy "10cc", "Sheet Music" (these 2 are available singly, or together on a two-fer CD), "The Original Soundtrack", and "Deceptive Bends". To get significant singles like "Art For Art's Sake", "I'm Mandy Fly Me", and "Dreadlock Holiday" - just invest in one of the many greatest hits collections.

One of the greatest things about 10cc and specifically Sheet Music is that, despite their oddly quirky songwriting talents, they actually find a way to make it *work* so their style of writing pop songs is quite listenable for just about anyone.

This album has PLENTY of oddly written vocal melodies, and plus a creative touch for experimenting with different genres, such as tropical themes and other weird ideas that can only be considered either the craziest experiments known to man, or just a really far-out head trip. One song even reminds me of a really drunk Paul McCartney ("The Sacro-Iliac" I believe).

I swear the verse melody to "Silly Love" sounds like Deep Purple's "Highway Star", and not to mention one song features some whistling tha reminds me of Yoko Ono on the Double Fantasy album. The two songs share a similar whistling technique. Furthermore, "We're the Worst Band in the World" has a heavy guitar trick that reminds me of the middle section of Black Sabbath's "Symptom of the Universe". Highly unusual stuff.

In the end though, this is one very talented band that was capable of writing some of the most unpredictable pop songs ever made, and even to this day there's not many bands like these guys (except Of Montreal- check out that band).

This album made a really horrible summer over into a great one for me in 1974. Fresh out of hospital, supposedly dying from pulmonary emboli in both lungs, new apartment, beautiful summer evening, a young girl, and a tab of something strawberry...Totally unlike me, NOW, but THEN, I dug this album the most since chicks seemed to dig it. Rolling stone dug it. Clapton's release from Miami sucked, period. These guys were like evil twin genius Lennon-McCartney clones gone horribly wrong and kind of glam, corny, and gay all at the same time, an arrow shot straight into the heart of where rocknroll was headed. Springsteen was the other dude who was gonna rock the cradle a bit. But do not forget! No! Not once, ever! To facetiously quote a lamented recently impeached president--these guys were Cambridge and Oxford material who happened to dig music too. So, panegyric re the music business, natch, forthright economically sound "Shufflin" on "Wall Street", some what politically incorrect "Oh Effendi" and "Hotel" and perhaps "Baron Samedi" as well, but these guys were Brits, a mad, Monty Pythonesque, pop sensibility twisted like Terry Gilliam's, predicting disco and ridiculous dance crazes("Sacro-Iliac") forecasting the Western World's Waterloo in the Middle East, all over that black gold ("Oh Effendi") and even using the Republican's war words "liberate the region" some thirty years in advance...breathless as I am, so is the music. It just never stops. The "Silly Love" song, pre-Sir Paul, and much better, thank you, because it really is silly, and monstrously guitarish at the same time, will play in your head for days. "Samedi" and "Hotel" are a hoot, listened to uncritically, like on the beach, smearig the lotion on yr sunglasses...that kind of music. Have a beer. "Clockwork Creep" is a tense little totally pop masterpiece dialog betwixt a plane and a bomb. Did I say prescient? Well, I suppose if one were only smart enough, we woulod have seen all this coming, but... These guys were very intelligent, very musical, I suspect they had read Kenneth Anger and Robin Wood, and out popped "Somewhere in Hollywood" which would absolutely outdo any other genre mashup, satirical piece ever written before or since. Brian WIlson got in here as well,in "Wild Old Men", as someone else mentioned, but these guys were simply encyclopedic in their musical knowledge, both pop and theoretical, and not too proud to show it. Every single beat of every song has been absolutely marbleized by tiny little fingers. Whew. Frank Zappa finally took a bath.

Further to the other reviews, which I agree with, I bought this CD version of Sheet Music for the bonus b-side tracks "18 Carat Man Of Means" and "Gizmo My Way".

18 Carat Man Of Means is as good as anything on the album...it starts off like a basic 12 bar blues/rock song, then morphs into a heartbreaking multi-harmonied classic.

Gizmo My Way is merely a hawaiian sounding instrumental, and not entirely essential but still pleasant.

Anyone who likes the spontaneous nature of this album should check out the album simply titled "L" by Godley&Creme from 1981 and prepare to be blown away with it's weirdness.

(it is also interesting to note the major similarities between "Somewhere In Hollywood" and Queen's subsequent mega-hit "Bohemian Rhapsody" released the following year. Freddie and Co. must have been studying it, surely).

I bought this soundtrack on Amazon cause there wasn't a bad song on it. Highly Recommended. I found the movie a bit odd but people seem to like it. The soundtrack is a must though and most local libraries don't seem to carry it so this maybe one of the few places to get it.

EXCELLENT CD SOUNDTRACK, PSYCHEDELIC FURS,CLIMAX BLUES BAND 10CC, HALL& OATES I ABSOLUTLY LOVE THIS CD 5 STARS

A soundtrack album might contain a lot of good songs, but ultimately the soundtrack is going to be judged on how well it captures the essence of the movie. This is indeed the case with the soundtrack to the film, "Cherish" - an independent film that virtually went unnoticed in 2002. "Cherish" is one of those films I happened to stumble on - and it proved to be one of the most entertaining films I had seen in some time. After watching the movie, I realized that this was one of the most entertaining movies I had seen in some time. One thing that contributed to this movie being entertaining was the outstanding soundtrack that was assembled. "Cherish" has a soundtrack that consists of a mix of pop favorites, one-hit wonders, and some modern day flavor.

To appreciate the soundtrack, one must understand the movie's plot. Zoe Adler (played by Robin Tunney) is someone who is basically socially inept and somewhat of an introvert. Zoe struggles with her lack of social skills both in the office and in the social scene as well. She is also romanticist who loves 1970s and 1980s music and gets immersed in the songs of that era. Unknown to Zoe, she is being pursued and followed by a stalker (played by Brad Hunt) Zoe's life will change when the stalker finds Zoe going to her car to pick up her cell phone. The stalker takes Zoe hostage and forces her to drive - running down a police officer Following the incident, the stalker leaves the scene and Zoe is left facing a homicide charge. While awaiting her trial, her lawyer arranges for Zoe to be put in the "Bracelet Program". This is a program that essentially places Zoe under house arrest and uses a bracelet to electronically track that Zoe stays indeed under house arrest. The movie focuses on Zoe's attempts to deal with her house arrest while attempting to prove her innocence. At the same time, there is focus on Zoe's relationship with the police officer Bill Daly from the bracelet program (played by Tim Blake Nelson), who also suffers from social ineptness.

Much of the credit for assembling the soundtrack has to go to Paul Broucek, who was in charge of music for this film. Much of the theme of the movie deals with obsessions - and many of the songs reflect this theme. The theme of music is very nicely woven into Zoe's character as well (she is a big music fan). There are fourteen tracks on the collection, unfortunately they are not ordered as in the movie:

"She's Gone" by Daryl Hall and John Oates
"Tainted Love" by Soft Cell
"Breakdown" by Noe Venable
"I Melt With You" by Modern English
"Private Eyes" by Modern English
"I'm Not in Love" by 10CC
"Cherish" by The Association
"Happy Together" by The Turtles
"(Keep Feeling) Fascination"
"Down Easy" by Noe Venable Trio
"Alone Remix" by Mark De Gli Antoni
"Get Up an Move" by The Impressions
"While I'm Alone" by Maze (Featuring Frankie Beverly)
"I Love You" by Climax Blues Band

Some of the classic songs on here are really going to grip you. When "Tainted Love" is played during the homicide and later in the movie, it gave me a whole new perspective on that song. Before this movie, "Tainted Love" was just another overplayed song by a one-hit wonder (Soft Cell). After hearing it in the movie, it gives a much more haunting feel when listening to it, resulting in a whole new appreciation for a song that I never cared for in the past.

The Hall and Oates tunes are well positioned in the movie too. "She's Gone" is played when the stalker realizes he can no longer find Zoe (who is under house arrest). "Private Eyes" is played when Zoe calls her own cell phone and the stalker realizes it is Zoe, so he plays that song to indicate "Private Eyes - they're watching you". Again, these are old songs, but given a whole new appreciation when put into the context of this film.

Perhaps the best use of music is saved for the end. Climax Blues Band's "I Love You" is beautifully woven into the movie's final scene. In that final scene, we find Zoe and Daly reflecting on the relationship that they had established. This is a very gripping and powerful song to begin with, but when put into the finale of the movie, it is that much stronger.

Like many soundtracks, "Cherish" does not include every song or piece of music that is in the movie. In particular there are some glaring omissions such as Terry Jacks' "Seasons in the Sun", Human League's "Don't You Want Me?" (although another Human League song, "Fascination" is included on the soundtrack), and America's "Sister Golden Hair". Other notable omissions include Togetherness' "I Bet You Never Knew That I Followed You", the Style Council's "You're the Best Thing", and the Flamingos "I Only Have Eyes for You". These songs would have been nice to be on the soundtrack - and all of them fit nicely into the theme of the movie.

One other omission revolves around "Breakdown". In the movie, the classic Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers song is included (and woven very nicely into a scene where the Stalker has a "melt down"). However on the soundtrack a cover is included by local San Francisco music star, Noe Venable. Venable's music has a small role in the movie and Venable also has another song included on the soundtrack ("Down Easy"). Venable puts a haunting, folksy spin on "Breakdown".

One final note, Mark De Gli Antoni provides much of the instrumental score of this film and I wish that more was included on the soundtrack. Still, this is a very good collection of music. Not only do I recommend the movie, but I also recommend this collection.

The movie was excellent and I found the soundtrack is one of those soundtracks that is hard and rare to find. 80"s were my teenage years and brought back alot of wonderful memories. They just don't make excellent music like that anymore. ANything that brings back excellent memories of my ex-husband is always an extra plus.

Either if you have seen this very enjoyable movie or not, if you like the 80's, you will love this soundtrack. It's a great collection of hits from those days.

This twofer CD of 10cc's first two albums, 1973's self-titled effort & 1974's "Sheet Music", is a splendid release for sure, however, in 2004, the Varese Sarabande label put out a superb 2 CD set called "The Complete UK Recordings" that contains all of the tracks from each of their first two albums along with all of the b-sides from this era, plus single/ alternate mixes. Certainly, that more comprehensive collection is preferrable to this older release, making this one, in a certain sense, obsolete--that's not that say this isn't an excellent release in its own right though, because it certainly is. If you see it cheap, it's a great bargain--there are a load of terrific tracks to be found over the course of this disc including the amusing, acoustic slide guitar-spiked "Sand In My Face"; the super-fun, hook-filled "The Dean And I" which is punctuated by great, layered guitar leads; the "Paperback Writer"-ish "Headline Hustler", has rather mellow, terrifically melodic McCartney-esque verses with Harrison-esque slide guitar, plus a surging singalong chorus; the wildly exciting, Bo Diddley-ish "Speed Kills" with its layers of fluid, searing lead guitar work from Eric Stewart; the splendidly tuneful doo-wop tune "Donna"; the infectious, bouncy uptempo pop of "Ships Don't Disappear In the Night (Do They?); the splendidly tuneful ballad "Fresh Air For My Mama"; the brilliant, ultra-catchy pop-rocker "The Wall Street Shuffle"; the gorgeous, atmospheric "Old Wild Men"; the very amusingly sarcastic and catchy "The Worst Band In the World"; & the folky, smile-inducing ode to chilling out "The Sacro-Iliac". "Hotel" starts off with spacey sci-fi noises before eventually kicking into an infectious Carribbean-flavored tune, & the hyperactive "Clockwork Creep" (a snippet of which was sampled on their subsequent "I'm Mandy Fly Me") is a lot of fun as well. Plus, they did add one of their best b-sides of this era as a bonus track: the dreamy, acoustic guitar-based "Waterfall". 2004's "The Complete UK Recordings" on Varese Sarabande is the definitive chronicle of the early UK Records period of 10cc, one of the greatest bands of all time, but there's no denying the brilliant music that this CD contains.

There is no pop album even close to Sheet Music in terms of pop catchiness, musical and arranging brilliance, lyric cleverness, incredible vocals, and fun. You will not see all these elements to such an excess on any other pop album from this era. Buy this CD for Sheet Music alone, and listen to '10CC' to see where they got their collective start (they were all succesfull musicians and songwriters before forming 10CC). It is remarkable that they changed and grew as they did from their 1st to 2nd albums. If you like catchy, fun pop, you cannot be without this disc.

This is the first two 10cc albums together on 1 disc (over 74 minutes of music!). Their 1972 first album, though a bit spotty, and very amphetemine-y mix, has classic tracks like: "Donna", "Headline Hustler", "Sand In My Face (Dynamic Tension)", "Speed Kills", and of course, "Rubber Bullets". On the other hand, their 1973 second album, "Sheet Music" is worth the price of this disc on its own! Tracks like "Hotel", "Somewhere In Hollywood", "Worst Band In The World", "Silly Love", and "Sacro-iliac" will have you swooning at their vocals and their great production techniques. Do not pass this CD up! It's one that will be spinning in your CD player over and over again!!

A CLASSIC 10CC SET OF CD'S WITH A BONUS TRACK. GREAT REMASTERING BY STEVE HOFFMAN--this would point the way to their later classics THE ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK & HOW DARE YOU!

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.

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.

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.

First of all, I want to point out that if you intend to get a copy of "Deceptive Bends" on CD that contains the 3 non-LP b-sides from this era as bonus tracks, I'd be wary about ordering it from this particular page, because despite the track listing, this page appears to be for an older US release of "Deceptive Bends" that doesn't include the bonus tracks, although I think it does include song lyrics and a more faithful recreation of the layout of the original gatefold vinyl album.

As true 10cc fans know, Kevin Godley & Lol Creme left 10cc prior to 1977`s "Deceptive Bends", making this the first 10cc record to not feature the aforementioned duo, leaving Eric Stewart & Graham Gouldman as the only two remaining original members. Paul Burgess was brought in to handle drumming duties and would continue to work with the group on their next few albums. "Deceptive Bends" tends to be considered something of a last gasp for 10cc, i.e. the best album they made after Godley & Creme's departure. This is a cruel twist of fate indeed because it's actually quite the opposite--this is clearly the weakest 10cc studio album from the time of Godley & Creme's departure to 10cc's initial breakup in 1983/ 1984. If you pick this album up thinking it's the best 10cc had to offer after Godley & Creme's exit, it's quite possible you might not feel inclined to explore the band any further, which would be a terrible mistake. Each and every track on this album was written by Stewart & Gouldman, & on the whole, they were considerably off their game. It seems quite possible that they were thrown for a loop with the departure of Godley & Creme, who contributed a lot of the songwriting on previous efforts, and ended up scrambling to come up with enough material for the album. On top of this, it seems like Stewart & Gouldman were trying desperately to maintain Godley & Creme's trademark 'wackiness', and the album ends up often sounding forced (a previous reviewer for the "Bloody Tourists" album made a comment along these lines that really hits the nail on the head). I'm a diehard 10cc fan, and I've listened to this thing again and again thinking maybe the genius has been evading me, but no. Now, I'm not saying this album doesn't have its moments, because it certainly does. In fact, the first two tracks get it off to a great start--"Good Morning Judge" is an infectious funk-rocker with a fun, searing, echoy slide guitar lick that crops up; & the McCartney-esque "The Things We Do For Love" is a catchy feel-good pop confection with masterful vocal harmonies--it`s perhaps telling that these two tracks had both largely, if not entirely, already been written prior to Godley & Creme leaving, & unfortunately, things quickly take a turn for the worse following these two songs. The mellow ballad "Marriage Bureau Rendezvous" tries to be humorous & uplifting, and the effect is awkward and unsettling--it feels frustratingly forced, & suffers from the failed attempts at humor. "Modern Man Blues" has 10cc's trademark sudden musical shifts, but it still manages to feel underdeveloped, and it`s a highly annoying track with more failed humor & an overlong, overdone, repetitive fade. Another thing that hurts this album is presentation... They actually did a solid version of the funked-up "You've Got A Cold" on the 1977 live album "Live and Let Live", but the version here (with keyboards from Jean Roussel), though still pretty fun in a dumb way, is a bit overdone and overly slick, and it ends up sounding kind of lame. "Honeymoon With B Troop" is also better on "Live and Let Live"--the version here does get your attention with its catchiness & moodiness, but it overdoes the gimmicky, effect-laden background vocals to tedious effect. Stewart really wanted to make a 'Big Statement' on the 11+ minute album-closer "Feel the Benefit", but they badly missed the mark--it starts off with a guitar part that instantly recalls "Dear Prudence", & it rambles on aimlessly & incoherently, and it also features excessive orchestration, and an extended instrumental outro that annoyingly ends in `sudden death' fashion as if they knew they'd already rambled on for too long and didn't have a clue as to how to bring the track to a satisfying conclusion. On the positive side, "People In Love" is a nice, tuneful, dreamy ballad with an excellent lead vocal from Stewart, & the short "I Bought A Flat Guitar Tutor" with its extremely witty music terminology-laden lyrics is indeed very funny. "Deceptive Bends" is not a disaster, but it's a disappointing album in the career of one of the all-time great bands. However, Stewart & Gouldman kept Burgess on board, as well as adding several other new members to the band, & ended up bouncing back in a big way on the following album, "Bloody Tourists".

As true 10cc fans know, Kevin Godley & Lol Creme left 10cc prior to 1977`s "Deceptive Bends", making this the first 10cc record to not feature the aforementioned duo, leaving Eric Stewart & Graham Gouldman as the only two remaining original members. Paul Burgess was brought in to handle drumming duties and would continue to work with the group on their next few albums. "Deceptive Bends" tends to be considered something of a last gasp for 10cc, i.e. the best album they made after Godley & Creme's departure. This is a cruel twist of fate indeed because it's actually quite the opposite--this is clearly the weakest 10cc studio album from the time of Godley & Creme's departure to 10cc's initial breakup in 1983/ 1984. If you pick this album up thinking it's the best 10cc had to offer after Godley & Creme's exit, it's quite possible you might not feel inclined to explore the band any further, which would be a terrible mistake. Each and every track on this album was written by Stewart & Gouldman, as were the three non-album b-sides added as bonus tracks to this CD version, & on the whole, they were considerably off their game. It seems quite possible that they were thrown for a loop with the departure of Godley & Creme, who contributed a lot of the songwriting on previous efforts, and ended up scrambling to come up with enough material for the album. On top of this, it seems like Stewart & Gouldman were trying desperately to maintain Godley & Creme's trademark 'wackiness', and the album ends up often sounding forced (a previous reviewer for the "Bloody Tourists" album made a comment along these lines that really hits the nail on the head). I'm a diehard 10cc fan, and I've listened to this thing again and again thinking maybe the genius has been evading me, but no. Now, I'm not saying this album doesn't have its moments, because it certainly does. In fact, the first two tracks get it off to a great start--"Good Morning Judge" is an infectious funk-rocker with a fun, searing, echoy slide guitar lick that crops up; & the McCartney-esque "The Things We Do For Love" is a catchy feel-good pop confection with masterful vocal harmonies--it`s perhaps telling that these two tracks had both largely, if not entirely, already been written prior to Godley & Creme leaving, & unfortunately, things quickly take a turn for the worse following these two songs. The mellow ballad "Marriage Bureau Rendezvous" tries to be humorous & uplifting, and the effect is awkward and unsettling--it feels frustratingly forced, & suffers from the failed attempts at humor. "Modern Man Blues" has 10cc's trademark sudden musical shifts, but it still manages to feel underdeveloped, and it`s a highly annoying track with more failed humor & an overlong, overdone, repetitive fade. Another thing that hurts this album is presentation... They actually did a solid version of the funked-up "You've Got A Cold" on the 1977 live album "Live and Let Live", but the version here (with keyboards from Jean Roussel), though still pretty fun in a dumb way, is a bit overdone and overly slick, and it ends up sounding kind of lame. "Honeymoon With B Troop" is also better on "Live and Let Live"--the version here does get your attention with its catchiness & moodiness, but it overdoes the gimmicky, effect-laden background vocals to tedious effect. Stewart really wanted to make a 'Big Statement' on the 11+ minute album-closer "Feel the Benefit", but they badly missed the mark--it starts off with a guitar part that instantly recalls "Dear Prudence", & it rambles on aimlessly & incoherently, and it also features excessive orchestration, and an extended instrumental outro that annoyingly ends in `sudden death' fashion as if they knew they'd already rambled on for too long and didn't have a clue as to how to bring the track to a satisfying conclusion. On the positive side, "People In Love" is a nice, tuneful, dreamy ballad with an excellent lead vocal from Stewart, & the short "I Bought A Flat Guitar Tutor" with its extremely witty music terminology-laden lyrics is indeed very funny. For the sake of completeness, the three non-LP b-sides added to this CD version are a great bonus, but like the album itself, they've overall disappointing--the minor-keyed "I`m So Laid Back, I`m Laid Out" is a really cool, catchy tune, but it's marred by the overly-repetitive fade; the ascending chords portions of "Hot To Trot" are annoying, and the mellow ballad "Don't Squeeze Me Like Toothpaste" is fluff. "Good Morning Judge", "The Things We Do For Love", & "People In Love" are all available on several different compilations including the 3 CD "Ultimate Collection" which is a great item to have for any 10cc fan. "Deceptive Bends" is not a disaster, but it's a disappointing album in the career of one of the all-time great bands. However, Stewart & Gouldman kept Burgess on board, as well as adding several other new members to the band, & ended up bouncing back in a big way on the following album, "Bloody Tourists".