10cc Deceptive Bends (1977){2014, Mercury Uicy 40081}

10cc are an English rock band formed in Stockport in 1972. They initially consisted of four musicians – Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme – who had written and recorded together since 1968. The group featured two songwriting teams. Stewart and Gouldman were predominantly pop songwriters, who created most of the band's accessible songs. By contrast, Godley and Creme were the predominantly experimental half of 10cc, featuring art school and cinematically-inspired writing…

Deriving their name from the metric total of semen ejaculated by the average male, the tongue-in-cheek British art pop band 10cc comprised an all-star roster of Manchester-based musicians: vocalist/guitarist Graham Gouldman was a former member of the Mockingbirds and the author of hits for the Yardbirds, the Hollies, Herman's Hermits and Jeff Beck; singer/guitarist Eric Stewart was an alum of Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders; and vocalists/multi-instrumentalists Kevin Godley and Lol Creme were both highly regarded studio players…

Live and Let Live was 10cc's first live album, released in the Autumn of 1977. It was recorded at the Odeon Theatre in London between 18 and 20 June 1977 and the Apollo Theatre, Manchester between 16 and 17 July 1977. The album featured the new line-up of Eric Stewart, Graham Gouldman, Rick Fenn, Paul Burgess and Stuart Tosh along with Tony O'Malley.

After the success of Bloody Tourists, and the artsy excess of Look Hear?, Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman gave the rest of the band their walking papers, and recorded this album as a duo. Sounding fresh and energized, this was by far 10cc's best album since 1977's Deceptive Bends. Maintaining a mild case of the quirkiness of old, Stewart and Gouldman embrace some of their finest melodies on this release, allowing the songs to speak for themselves. "Don't Ask" is one of those great little pop songs that you think you've heard somewhere before, but haven't, and it should have been a massive single, but wasn't.

2012's Classic Album Selection is a handsome, affordable box set containing paper-sleeve mini-LPs of 10cc's five most popular and best albums: The Original Soundtrack, How Dare You!, Deceptive Bends, Live and Let Live, and Bloody Tourists. This is an easy, convenient, and attractive way to get 10cc's best all at once.

2012's Classic Album Selection is a handsome, affordable box set containing paper-sleeve mini-LPs of 10cc's five most popular and best albums: The Original Soundtrack, How Dare You!, Deceptive Bends, Live and Let Live, and Bloody Tourists. This is an easy, convenient, and attractive way to get 10cc's best all at once.

The time for a 10cc live album would have been as they toured The Original Soundtrack with one of the most adventurous – not to mention musically extravagant – shows of the age. Instead, they waited two more years, until the newly reduced Eric Stewart/Graham Gouldman-led lineup headed out to promote the first LP since the split, Deceptive Bends, buoyed by the fact that the hits just kept on coming…

Deriving their name from the metric total of semen ejaculated by the average male, the tongue-in-cheek British art pop band 10cc comprised an all-star roster of Manchester-based musicians: vocalist/guitarist Graham Gouldman was a former member of the Mockingbirds and the author of hits for the Yardbirds, the Hollies, Herman's Hermits and Jeff Beck; singer/guitarist Eric Stewart was an alum of Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders; and vocalists/multi-instrumentalists Kevin Godley and Lol Creme were both highly regarded studio players…

After the success of Bloody Tourists, and the artsy excess of Look Hear?, Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman gave the rest of the band their walking papers, and recorded this album as a duo. Sounding fresh and energized, this was by far 10cc's best album since 1977's Deceptive Bends…

After proving they could keep 10cc alive as a duo act with 1977's successful Deceptive Bends, Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman pressed on in 1978 with Bloody Tourists. Although it scored some notable hits, it was a less consistent and less memorable affair than its predecessor…