10cc Japan

Hard to be too critical on Godley and Creme when overall they always were the more risk taking of the 10cc outfit of Godley, Creme, Stewart and Gouldman. Whilst the latter two members always stuck to successful formulae and engineered a hugely effective band throughout the 70's, the Godly Creme unison were always champing at the bit the break barriers, take risks and even at the expense of pissing off their other two 10cc members broke with tradition and ultimately the band to forge ahead…

A decade after Kevin Godley and Lol Creme walked out on 10cc and took half of that band's magic with them, the pair convened a reunion of sorts with The History Mix, Vol. 1, the ultimate ideal of all that the then-infant industry of remixing had to offer…

Where most trip-hop artists downplay melody as a matter of principle, Olive (keyboardist / trumpeter / producer Tim Kellett and vocalist Ruth-Ann) embraces it almost defiantly, maintaining the rhythmic interest of electronica and the generally dark undercurrents of trip-hop while simultaneously delivering tunes that are swooningly lovely without ever sounding quite commercial. The lead track on the band's Maverick debut is perhaps its best: "Love Affair" glides on an updraft of sampled strings and a subtly jungle-flavored breakbeat, while the sung melody (especially in the chorus, where the chord progression takes an unusual and delightful turn) climbs from peak to emotional peak. The rest of the program is almost as good, from the slow and funky "Trickle" and a tweaked and bleepy version of the 10cc classic "I'm Not in Love" to a slightly Latin-tinged kiss-off song titled "Creature of Comfort." (Several minutes after the end of the album's last track is a hidden song called "Take My Hand").

The Love Album - the ultimate collection of love songs, 80 romantic favourites on 4CDs all packaged in an attracitve fold out card digipack. Includes George Michael, Whitney Houston, Take That, Lady Gaga, Celine Dion, Rod Stewart, Dusty Springfield, Marvin Gaye and many more…

City Boy was an interesting art rock band, and it's surprising that they didn't win a more lasting legacy of acclaim. Their sound is a stew of late 70s styles, from the arty rock of 10cc to the pomp of Queen and the glossy sheen of Utopia. This is one of their later albums and is chock full of dramatic tunes driven by big riffs, clanky piano, smooth keyboards and high-pitched harmonies. There seems to be an apocalyptic theme, particularly in the opening two tracks. Proggers will interested in the 12-minute "Ambition", which features some orchestration for extra pomposity. This is definitely slick music with commercial appeal, but it is also interesting enough and has enough good musicianship to hold the attention of demanding listeners. City Boy's output was very consistent in terms of quality, so any of their albums make for a good listen.