Customer Reviews

Cargo

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I was 10, all I could think about was Men At Work. They were my first favorite band. Their first album, Business as usual(1982) was a solid piece of work but there were too many candy songs on it. Cargo only has one candy song (Dr. Heckyll and Mr.Jive)and the rest are pure pop bliss. The guitar work on this album (Ron Strykert)is brilliant. Songs like "I Like To", "Blue for You", "No Restrictions", and "No sign of Yesterday" are all sort of dark in their own poppy way. It really seemed as if Men At Work were getting much better and greater things were yet to come. I truly beleive that the drumming of Jerry Spieser was just as good as anybody ever (before or since) and Colin Hay had the voice of a superstar. I think this album really could have been and certainly should have been the launching pad to an even more focused project. The only other studio album that they did was almost 3 years later and without Spieser and Bassist John Reese (two hearts 1985). The album was terrible and almost completely void of that great Men At Work sound. I have no idea why these guys couldnt stick together but I do know it cost us some great music. Great Album.

If you branded men at work as one hit fools and overlooked their sophomore release CARGO, take a second look, this album rocks! It seems that CARGO sufficiently sunk the 80's band, but I think it's their strongest work. Songs like overkill, high wire, and it's a mistake play with tight rhythms, melodic hooks and soaring vocals. A recent remake of the song overkill by some indie band (colin hay actually makes a guest appearance in the final verse) reminded me of how awesome these guys were. If you're a fan of the regatta de blanc that the police pioneered, check out CARGO. You'll appreciate this album for it's lack of commercial success. When you pick up business as usual you'll be bored quickly with songs like down under and who can it be now, tracks you've heard thousands of times on your local 80s radio stations. On Cargo you'll hear songs you've never heard before that will became instant favorites. This album is definitely the jewel in Men At Work's crown. You won't be disappointed.

If you're younger, you will never understand the very real fear that existed in the 80's... a fear that nuclear war was inevitable, and likely to begin at any moment. Now that the Cold War is over, we are hearing about some of the things that happened (secret at the time), and it's amazing we survived this long.

Overkill and It's A Mistake are about that fear. And by hearing it in music, GOOD music, it was possible to laugh a little at the fear.

Cargo is definitely a more mature album than Business As Usual. If you liked the pop stuff, get into this more serious stuff... you'll love it.

Australian based rockers Men At Work's second album entitled Cargo was was released in May of 1983.
At the time of its release, Men at Work had just won a Best New Artist Grammy and their debut album Business as Usual was still in the US Top Ten and selling very well on its way to six million copies in US sales.
With lightning success, guitarist/singer/songwriter Colin Hay, guitarist Ron Strykert, bass player John Rees, sax player/keyboard player Greg Ham and drummer Jerry Speiser went back to the studio and had to deliver an album that was either as good as its predecessor or better. Would this album be great as their phenomenal debut or crummy, read on and find out (as I did when I first got this album on cassette in July of 1983 when I was 7).
The sound effects and bells lead into the whimsical opening Top 30 hit "Dr Heckyll and Mr Jive". This new wave rocker is a funny song about a nutty professor who turns into a casanova after drinking a potion but is a classic. Next is the album's first single, the creepy US Top 10 hit "Overkill". The track is a classic song and a great rocker which included Ham's classic soprano sax solo and Colin Hay's great guitar solo. Next, Ron Strykert steps out with his vocal debut on "Settle Down My Boy" which is a great number. On this remaster, this song is extended to have its full ending which prematurely faded on the original record and cassette versions. The rocker "Upstairs in My House" is next and is another great rocker. The first half closes with the 6 minute epic entitled "No Sign Of Yesterday" which is possibly Men at Work's greatest song ever. This epic is hard to put into words, awesome. The ending is extended on this remaster where it prematurely faded on the original album to be 5 minutes and 50 seconds, it is extended by 30 plus seconds here as CDs can hold more music than vinyl could.
The album's second half kicks off with the album's second US Top 10 hit and the anti-nuclear anthem "It's A Mistake" which is a great number. This track is a classic and is also extended on this remaster. Next is the album's third single "High Wire" which unfortunately tanked and there was video for this track but is a great song. The laid-back "Blue For You" is next and is a little breather before the last two frantic paced closing tracks. "I Like To" is next and has Greg Ham on lead vocals and is a great fast-paced new wave rocker with great guitar work from Strykert (who penned the track). We end the album with the classic entitled "No Restrictions" which is another great song and unfortunately turned out to be the swan song of the original lineup.
Cargo when originally released reached #4 on the Billboard album charts and sold yet another FOUR MILLION COPIES here Stateside (which was close to equalling the debut's SIX MILLION in US sales). Sadly the album turned out to be the swan song with John Rees and Jerry Speiser whom both quit the band in 1984. They did one more album out of 1985's Two Hearts but Ron Strykert quit mid-way through and the band split thereafter.
In 2003, Cargo was re-released in digitally remastered form on CD with FIVE BONUS TRACKS which were the humorous "Shintaro" and the mostly instrumental "Till The Money Runs Out" plus a live reading of "Upstairs in My House" and two further live tracks, the reggae sounding "Fallin' Down" and "The Longest Night" which were on a long out of print Men at Work concert video.
Cargo is recommended!

CARGO, A true classic 1983 album by this semi-populer short time early 80s soft rock group. Has pretty much got to be in my opinion and i'm sure others the best thing to come out since sliced bread, and will go down in history. It deserves a lot more recognition then it's got when it first came out, and i thought to be a whole lot better then thier first. This whole recording is jam-packed with some of the most inovative type songs you will ever hear, you will enjoy every note and word. From the start off song of (DR. HECKELL AND MR. JIVE) i just love the consistent cymbal beating on the drums to this song and a few others. (OVERKILL) has to be my favorite with the sax as the intro, then colin hay lead saying -i can't get to sleep i think about the implacations of diveing in to deep or possably the complecations. (SETTLE DOWN MY BOY) sung and written by the groups guitarist ron strykert is a clever song. (UPSTAIRS IN MY HOUSE)and (NO SIGN OF YESTERDAY) rank with the best of the best (IT'S A MISTAKE)it's also clever to make this song sound like a fun war song (HIGH WIRE)to a circus song -neat- (BLUE FOR YOU)also to regge sound (I LIKE TO) another song by ron strykert with a tint of punk in it. If your thinken about buying a cass-or-cd through this service or any other take my advice or better yet, let it surprise you.

This was the second effort from Men At Work, and considering the mega-hits their first album had, this was just as good. With super songs like It's A Mistake and Overkill, this effort was well thought out and well done by the group. But No Sign Of Yesterday, I Like To, and No Restriction are also great songs. This is a must have for all the Men At Work fans. And the CD has Bonus tracks which are also wonderful. Too bad that this was really their last great effort.

Although there's only half an album of memorable songs here, they are worthy additions to any early-80's collection.

In the early 80s, a previously unknown band from Australia suddenly sprang on the worldwide stage with an amusing but very tasty single called "Who Can It Be Now" before following it up with an even more amusing hit called "Down Under". This band was made up of extremely talented musicians such as Ron Strykert who plays fantastic guitar, Greg Ham who plays the woodwind instruments, John Rees who plays the bass, Jerry Speiser on drums and of course the face of the band, lead singer and for the most part songwriter Colin Hay. They were great entertainers as well and their clowning around on stage tended to be a double-edged sword for them as it seems that their great songwriting and musicianship has been forgotten making them one of the most underrated bands ever.

Listening to the mini-lp replica sleeve (mlps) version of the follow-up and in many ways more cohesive and mature album addressing the sobering theme of nuclear warfare after literally decades it amazes me just how well the tracks have aged over the years. For instance I realise that the guitar-work on "Overkill" is excellent and the guitar solo alone is evidence of just how underrated Strykert is as a guitarist. The influence of the Police and specifically Andy Summers on the guitar work is pretty obvious to me but Strykert does very well with the techniques like the tasteful use of delay and flange as well as the frequently muted appegiatted chords as well as the inclusion of reggae/ska styles especially on the track "Blue For You" but the similarities to Summers' stylings is very evident on "No Restrictions" and you would be forgiven for thinking that Summers himself was doing the guitar work on this track. My favourite and I believe to be the best track on this album is the brilliant "It's a Mistake"; it's simply a pop work of art and almost the perfect pop song with no weaknesses as everything seems to work. Great songwriting, great guitar work, bass work, keyboards everything just seems to come together and click. Change anything and it just wouldn't work and it reminds me of that other perfect pop song by Tears For Fears called "Everybody Wants To Rule the World". There are some tracks though that don't seem to belong and unlike "Business As Usual" where all the tracks seem in place with no fillers, tracks like "Dr Heckyll & Mr Jive" and to some extent "No Sign of Yesterday" don't seem to fit sonically although I can understand lyrically and thematically (atomic warfare) why that track is relevant. My other favourite tracks here are "Blue For You" and "High Wire" as well as the Police tribute (intentional or otherwise) "No Restrictions".

The bonus tracks include "Shintaro" which is nice, a strange filler called "Till the Money Runs Out" and live versions of "Upstairs In My House", "Fallin' Down" and "The Longest Night". The sound quality by the way is very good having been remastered well enough and a folded sheet that opens up to show all the lyrics in both English and Japanese plus the familiar black and white photo of the band in the toilet has been included. Unlike the relatively poor cardboard mlps design made of very thin cardboard shabbily put together that looks like it will come apart once the glue gets old that they did for "Business As Usual", the mlps design here for "Cargo" is very, very good and reminds me of the great designs Sony did for the Billy Joel mlps album series. The "Innocent Man" mlps version is an example of what Sony is capable of with regards quality mlps design if they are ever inclined or motivated to do it.

In summary, a very good 80s album that ages very well and has been remastered well enough and the mlps design itself is one of the best that I've seen.

Highly recommended!

Somehow those wily Aussies evaded the Laws of Pop, and, in doing so, avoided becoming One-Hit Wonders. On their second album, they sound more confident, more serious, and more loose, as evidenced by songs like "Overkill," a far cry from the zany foreign romp of "Down Under." "At least there's pretty lights," Hays sings. "And though there's little variation/It nullifies the night/From overkill." Guitarist Ron Strykert contributes two songs, the first a nice, old-fashioned rock parable that disrupts the tough pace set in motion by the wonderful "Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive" ("They are a person who feels good to be alive"), the second a standard New Wave anthem that turns into a sort-of listener-abusive guitar showcase. It's Hays' music that has vision and grace. Musings: "I like it upstairs in my house;" "Metal ships are falling;" "Laugh at the reflections of cat's eyes on the road/Freeways hypnotise me."

CARGO, A true classic 1983 album by this semi-populer short time early 80s soft rock group. Has pretty much got to be in my opinion and i'm sure others the best thing to come out since sliced bread, and will go down in history. It deserves a lot more recognition then it's got when it first came out, and i thought to be a whole lot better then thier first. This whole recording is jam-packed with some of the most inovative type songs you will ever hear, you will enjoy every note and word. From the start off song of (DR. HECKELL AND MR. JIVE) i just love the consistent cymbal beating on the drums to this song and a few others. (OVERKILL) has to be my favorite with the sax as the intro, then colin hay lead saying -i can't get to sleep i think about the implacations of diveing in to deep or possably the complecations. (SETTLE DOWN MY BOY) sung and written by the groups guitarist ron strykert is a clever song. (UPSTAIRS IN MY HOUSE)and (NO SIGN OF YESTERDAY) rank with the best of the best (IT'S A MISTAKE)it's also clever to make this song sound like a fun war song (HIGH WIRE)to a circus song -neat- (BLUE FOR YOU)also to regge sound (I LIKE TO) another song by ron strykert with a tint of punk in it. If your thinken about buying a cass-or-cd through this service or any other take my advice or better yet, let it surprise you.