Customer Reviews

Bloody Tourists

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Bloody Tourist is the second post Godley & Creme 10cc album. This album demonstrated that Deceptive Bends wasn't a fluke and that Stewart and Gouldman could capably continue without the duo. This loose concept album uses the tourist theme of the title for a wide variety of great songs (including Reds in my Bed and Dreadlock Holiday).In addition to the terrific Dreadlock Holiday, there is the Beatlesque Chains of Love. Stewart's excellent slide playing (which reminds me a bit of George Harrison--albeit considerably more skillful)along with his strong lead vocal are highlights of this great track. There are a couple of clunkers as well--this album probably could have been pared down to 8 strong tracks line The Original Soundtrack with the remainder as b sides.

New member Rick Fenn co-writes one of the better tracks and, with later albums, would show as much skill as a songwriter as both Stewart & Gouldman. This is the last 10cc album that holds up well to the classic first four. I find You And I to be a nice song but filler. It hasn't aged as well as the single or the stronger album tracks. The sythesizer dates the song (the poor sounding remastering on this track doesn't help either). While the band would produce albums that were always memorable, the quality got a bit spotty after this album. I should mention that the out of print 10 out of 10 (which you can find occasionally at amazon auctions) and Window to the Jungle are both fairly solid albums. The former album is the better of the two and almost as good as this and Deceptive Bends.

As to the issue of the sound quality. It varies considerably from track to track. Roger Wake (who supervised the fine mastering job on both Original Soundtrack and How Dare You!) fails to do a good mastering job here. Shame on you Roger!

This reissue doesn't sound significantly worse than the previously issued CD version (the previous version sounds a bit more brittle and the depth and definition aren't as good as this versions best tracks) just different. The "wow" and "flutter" problem mentioned does cause some distortion. The sound isn't up to the same quality of the Mobile Fidelity Sound version of The Original Soundtrack or any of the other reissues (RIP MFS--you folks would have done a marvelous job with this CD). All I can suggest to fans of the band is to contact DCC (who put out the excellent 2fer of 10cc/Sheet Music)and convince them to license this CD. With Steve Hoffman at the sound board I don't don't this would sound terrific.

A missed opportunity on the part of Polydor and Wake to truly make this fine album shine. A pity that Eric Stewart wasn't involved in remastering this. His talents as both producer and engineer would have improved this version considerably.

2 Stars for the variable sound quality but 4 stars for the bulk of the album. By the way, the bonus track (a b side from the Dreadlock Holiday single) is one of the best tracks on the album. It should have been substituted for one of the weaker album tracks.

First, allow me to say that I have loved this album since it first came out on vinyl back in 1978 - it's full of the inventive and humorous music that 10cc has been known for.
However, when Mercury-UK remastered "Bloody Tourists" for reissue in 1997 (release #534 973-2), they botched it dramatically. There are obvious tape speed fluctuations all over the place, most dramatically on "Last Night," "Old Mister Time," "From Rochdale To Ocho Rios," and "Everything You Wanted To Know About!!!" Strangely the newly appended bonus track "Nothing Can Move Me" is without flaws - perhaps the source tape used for the main album was bad, or the machine it was run on was improperly calibrated. However, Mercury/Polygram should not have allowed this product to be distributed in the poor condition that it is in. Avoid this version at all costs, and hope that perhaps the Japanese release is a different master.

10cc's "Bloody Tourists" was originally released in September of 1978--this was the follow up to 1977's "Deceptive Bends", and it was the second 10cc record without Godley & Creme who left the group in 1976 and continued to work together as duo.

Certainly Godley & Creme's departure had a big impact on 10cc--they contributed largely to the songwriting and overall sound of the group. However, the other 2 original 10cc members, Eric Stewart & Graham Gouldman, were brilliant musical minds in their own right, and they're basically running the show on here. The result is this brilliant album.

I realize that "Bloody Tourists" is typically considered a disappointment compared to "Deceptive Bends", but it appears to me to be very much the other way around. On "Deceptive Bends", it sounds like Stewart & Gouldman weren't quite prepared to step up and fill the void left by Godley & Creme, but were forcing themselves to do it anyway despite being short on ideas. With "Bloody Tourists", 10cc bounced back in a big way, sounding far more assured and invigorated, and 10cc's work would remain consistently strong/ brilliant until their initial breakup in 1983/ 1984, making "Bloody Tourists" something of a comeback from my perspective.

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, and between the two of them, they were also 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 overall tone is a heck of a lot less "jokey" without Godley & Creme around, and considering how over-the-top they went at times, plus with the material on "Bloody Tourists" being as strong as it is, the change/ evolution is a welcome one.

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, irresistible "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 entertaining. "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 and 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, and 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 this CD at all costs, as another reviewer said, although an original vinyl copy of the album is also desirable. 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.

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.

I just want to warn you all of the horrible remastering of this import version of this album ( the one with bonus track,"Nothing can move me").The Amazon stock # is Polygram 6u4j.The album is a pop classic,every tune is catchy, subtle,innovative,and filled with great harmonies and toung-in-cheek lyrics.However,on this mastering,the tape was actually run far too slow;so much so that "wow" and pitch variance are distinctly present.

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.

While there are a few losers on this record, (Shock on the Tube, The Anonymos Alcoholic), they are far outweighed by beautiful 10CC songs/arrangements/productions such as 'Tokyo','Old Mr. Time' and 'Reds in my Bed'. Thesynthesizer sounds which may sound dated to some,I believe are very strong and skillfully played byDuncan MacKay. The main synth that pops up a lotis an old instrument called the Yamaha CS80. It has a powerful presence that is not present in newer synths on the market. Many bands have returned to this and other retro keyboards becausethey have a style and a personality that is absent in most modern keyboards. Although this album lacks the Godley/Creme touch, my opinion is thattheir absence was far more glaring on 'Deceptive Bends', which featured several very forgettabletunes; i.e.'Good Morning Judge','Marriage Bureau Rendezvous',etc.'Bloody Tourists' to me was Stewart & Gouldman dealing with the fact that Lol's and Kevin's brilliance was gone. But beingbrilliant themselves in other ways, they, with this record, set out to find their own, new definition of 10CC.

I had bought this album when it first came out and loved it until the demise of the turntable. I copied it on cassette and listened to it until the demise of cassettes. I have looked for it to come out on CD and was disapointed to find out it was not released on CD. Then one day while searching Amazon.com for some other vintage music from the 60's and 70's, I found Bloody Tourists had been re-mastered. The day it arrived was one of sheer joy. Although 10cc had gone through some major changes with the band members, I feel their overall style remained very strong. The lyrics in Bloody Tourists show the kind of lasting dedications it takes to keep on producing great music with diversions apparently not making one change musically as with some other bands. I think this CD is one of the best overall CD's of all time and can be enjoyed by many people with very different musical interests.

In the autumn of 1978 it was hard to escape the tuneless pogoing drivel of punk and the monotonous cacophony of disco drums. 10cc breathed fresh air into the music scene with 'Bloody Tourists' which the general public will remember, for better or worse, for 'Dreadlock Holiday'. The album abounds with jaunty harmonies in cleverly crafted songs which defy you not to sing along. Stewart and Gouldman (aided by, in some cases, Fenn and Tosh) pen some virtually unsurpassable 10cc classics, which the band perform with gusto and technical expertise. All considered this is still a must buy - retire your vinyl copy, and add the CD to your shopping basket.

I have the cd but not the remastered version so I can't put any objective comments about the sound quality. However, this album provides excellent music with simple, yet wonderful harmonies and it gives you pretty much emotional input! I first heard it -78 at the age of 12-13 so this music has definately occupied my mind! Also check out my other reviews of other 10 cc albums and more.