Customer Reviews

Deceptive Bends

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

When Creme and Godley left 10cc, the expectation was that they'd had it. How could they survive without the contrast provided by the more artsy sort of influence of the missing members? Yet survive they did for some time, turning out a few gems along the way.

There aren't any long pieces as complex and involved as "One Night in Paris", but there is "Feel the Benifit", a long-ish suite in the same general vein. There's also "I Bought a Flat Guitar Tutor", one of Stewart's wittiest compositions. Perhaps not the best album 10cc ever did, but it still has much to recommend it.

With only 50% of the original band (Eric Stewart & Graham Gouldman retained the 10cc name when Godley & Creme left), 10cc (or in this case 5cc) produce a sleek, solid and creative pop-rock record. While popier even than its predecessors (with the exception of the first album), this album is missing the edge that Godley & Creme helped provide in the band.

There are a number of classic tracks that hold their own against the best the quartet produced. The first two tracks are strong, witty and melodic.Marriage Bureau Rendezvous also shines capturing the uncertainty, sense of adventure and desperation of a blind date situation. The epic Feel the Benefit demonstrates the loss of Godley & Creme most; while the song features solid harmonies, melodies and is interesting, it's missing the outrageousness (or excessiveness depending on your point of view) that G&C provided.

The bonus tracks are nice additions, but clearly b side material. The remastering very good.

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!

I dusted off this gem while still recording old vinyl to digital recently and and realized how good this effort really is. Without Kevin Godley and Lol Creme the two remaining members ( Eric Stewert and Graham Chapman) turn out their carefully measured brand of pop and they hit paydirt with nearly every cut. "Good Morning Judge" builds clever, tougue-in-cheek lyrics/story around a tight guitar riff and transitions smoothly into the classic pop "the Things we do for Love". "Marriage Bureau Rendezvous" is a melancholy ballad beautiful in its lyrics and melody (and is a bitch to spell). "People in Love" is more of the same for the duo...wistful lyrics and uncanny sense of melody. Side two offers up the epic "Feel the Benefit" one of the band's finest efforts ever. Overall the album has the feel of the duo crafting these songs and piecing them together with skill. The duo perform most of the instruments themselves and perform them well. These aren't three chord rockers , many are complicated pieces with intricate parts layered. Which brings up another score for the band here....production. This effort is sonically superior to most everything produced in the era of the mid-to-late 70s, it's a very clean, spry production. The only thing keeping the album from the cherished five-star rating is the weaker effort "Modern Man Blues" which doesn't seem to suit the band's pop stylings. Anyway, "Deceptive Bends" is easily one of 10cc's best efforts and a top 20 effort in my book from any band of the 1970s.

Okay that's a bit dismissive. Godley and Creme were just as important and vital to 10cc as were Gouldman and Stewart: example, on How Dare You!: Don't Hang Up, arguably their best song ever. Plus they added that insane oddness that pervades 10cc's early work.
However, Gouldman and Stewart were, arguably, better songwriters. Arguably. This album shows off their song writing talent in creative, and interesting ways: sure it's not as weird, or twisted as early stuff, but it's still melodic and creative and interesting. What more do you need?
I will agree that Marriage Bureau Rendevous and People In Love are a bit too stale, a bit too bread and buttah. However, the album starts with a bang with two great songs "Good Morning Judge" and "The Things We Do For Love". Good Morning Judge is a great rocker, with some slight tweaks to the "rock" song formula, where as The Things We Do For Love is as many people have said the best song Paul McCartney should have wrote.
The next two, which I already mentioned as the weakest, are still not bad: just a bit too bland for this band.
The next four songs, however, make the album great. Modern Man Blues is VERY misogynist, but in a joking manner (I hope they don't feel this way any ways!) with an interesting structure, and a bluesy feel they didn't do often. Honey Moon With B Troop is another oddly structured and played song, where as I Bought A Flat Guitar Tutor might pass you by with it's pleasantly pleasant melody, until one pays attention to the lyrics and hear that Grahamn is describing how to play the song by saying things like "I bought A flat diminished responibilty". Noveltesque, but short, and funny enough.

However, I have to say the main reason this album is great is because of don't feel the benefit. I know some people have said it's rambling and incoherent but honestly, I think it's the best extended song they ever did. The lyrics are maybe a bit too preachy, but I think it's arranged and structured logically, plus the extended instrumental coda is killer, with all these great guitar lines flying out and it does end abruptly which is annoying, but it's a pretty good song any ways.

This album, as much as I like the songs, does seem confused and a bit all over the map. Bloody Tourists consolidated and focused their energies, and it is actually quite a good album, in some ways better than this one!

Anyway an excellent album. One of my all time favourites. Originally released in 1977 after Godley & Creme departed to pursue a solo career. This album remains one of their most accessible among their "classic" period (1973-1977). The next "Bloody Tourists" although containing their No.1 hit "Dreadlock Holiday" lacked the cohesiveness of this and often considered by their fans as the end of the classic era. Stewart and Gouldman actually recorded this together inviting only Paul Burgess as a drummer (later with Camel) and a session keyboardist. Beautifully remastered by Roger Wake with 3 bonus tracks. My only complaint is the illustration. The old american release of this item though not digitally remastered at least contained fill lyrics. Regarding the cover this 1997 release is a missed opportunity. Instead of full lyrics inside here we have only an essay with information most 10CC fans already know. Hence I have bought a Japanese mini LP sleeve release. It does contain not only the original inner sleeve from LP with full lyrics but also a beautiful fold out photo of divers as it was on original LP and unavailible on CD elsewhere. Remastering is the same. Although it is pricey. Just an information for all concerned.

10cc's first album without two of its original members, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme, is a perfectly agreeable effort, if a bit straightforward for longtime fans. "The Things We Do For Love" is a memorable single, and the epic "Feel The Benefit" recalls the band's previous inclination to totally change styles in the middle of a song. But beyond that, most of the songs are straightforward late 70's pop. There are novelty songs here, like "Modern Man Blues", but nothing so bent and memorable as "Rubber Bullets" (from the self-titled first album). So, if this is your first 10cc CD, you'll probably find their earlier ones more eccentric, while if you start with the early stuff, the middle of this disc may drag.

IMHO, the really neccessary 10cc CD's are this one, "10cc", and "The Original Soundtrack".

the best song on the album-feel the benefit,also happens to be one of the best pop songs ever,with one of the best guitar solos ever.period.

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.