Customer Reviews

Deceptive Bends (Mlps)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
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.

This import version is far superior to the domestic version of DECEPTIVE BENDS. The sound sprakles and you can appreciate the engineering and production of Eric Stewart. The songwriting here is sharper than on later efforts like BLOODY TOURIST!

Of all the post Creme/Godley 10cc albums, this is the one that most captures the spirit of early 10cc, while building on the songwriting craft and humor of previous albums. Stewart and Gouldman wrote all the songs and perform all the instruments(Paul Burgess plays drums--Burgess was the band's touring drummer freeing up Kevin Godley to sing).

The last great 10cc album(there would be some fine additions after this, but nothing of the caliber of their finest work), this album, along with SHEET MUSIC, THE ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK and HOW DARE YOU! represents the best of this underrated 70's-80's band.

Okay, if you're a fan of the zany aspect of 10cc, maybe this album isn't for you. Sure, the humor is present, but not as much as in other works.

On the other hand, if you appreciate 10cc for being a group of talented musicians capable of producing mesmerizing songs... you'll love this.

In addition to their biggest hit, "The Things We Do For Love," this album boasts the wistful ballad, "People in Love," the classic "Good Morning Judge," and "Feel the Benefit," a true masterpiece of songwriting with lyrics that will bring tears to your eyes. (Okay, not the reggae bit in the middle... but the end bit.)

I rank this album as being one of my absolute favorites (and that's out of a personal collection in excess of 1000).

Clearly the loss of Godley & Creme was a tremendous blow to 10cc. Stewar and Gouldman continued on and pushed the 10cc sound in a new direction. More overtly poppy than its predecessor(HOW DARE YOU!), this album actually seems, at first, to be more conventional than previous 10cc albums.

After repeated listenings, though, it is clear that Stewart and Gouldman were attempting another concept album--one looking at the "deceptive bends" of relationships and the things that drive us to act the way we do. "The things we do for love" is a witty review of what humanity puts itself through for companionship.

At times, the production appears too sweet(making one initially pine for more of the Zappa like odd time changes), but again, consider the theme of the album. It fits it quite well with the general concept.

Although not as groundbreaking as HOW DARE YOU!, DECEPTIVE BENDS, in its own way, is the band's most melodic and accomplished recording. ! Well worth owning!

The last truly great 10cc album ("Meanwhile... comes close behind this album with the songwriting just a notch below it), Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman handle most of the instruments and vocals themselves coming up with a stellar follow up to "How Dare You!". The 1997 remaster isn't horrible, it's just that this one is unfutzed, not as loud/compressed and the mastertape used here isn't damaged. The 1997 remaster has tape drag on a couple of tracks most notable on part of "Feel the Benefit".

The original CD doesn't have any bonus tracks and is on the Mercury label. The remaster is an import with three bonus tracks all of them quite good that would have added to the album in terms of quality. My hesitation is that the tape drag causes a change in pitch and some distortion on at least two of the tracks here although it isn't quite as noticable as the really bad tape drag that crops up throughout "Bloody Tourists"(get the original CD release for that as well).

The bonus tracks on the remaster are nice to have so try and find them somewhere else but pick up the original Mercury U.S. issue of this fine album. I'm really surprised that the label let the 1997 reissues go out with the damage to the tapes uncorrected and/or without restoration. Roger Wake who did the remasters for the Squeeze UK reissues a number of years back can do exceptional work if he's given the proper material to work with and the go ahead to do a restoration (although audio restoration/remastering specialists such as Eroc or Steve Hoffman would be better suited to this material). It's a pity because fans will have to own BOTH editions one one should really do.

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.

I ordered this product from Amazon and received it very quickly. The CD sounds excellent, but the CD jewel case was cracked and the hinge was broken. The price was right and the case is easily replaced.

ONE OF 10CC'S BEST ALBUMS, EVERY TRACK IS GREAT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE AWESOME SHM AUDIO FORMAT. MUST HAVE FOR ANY CD COLLECTION, BUT DON'T PAY THESE RIDICULOUS OVER-INFLATED PRICES, I BOUGHT MINE FROM THE MUSIC SPECIALIST ON E BAY, THEY ALSO HAVE A STORE IN GEMM, ANTEATERMUSIC. SAVE YOURSELF A TON OF CASH.
CHEERS!

First of all, I want to point out that if you intend to get a copy of "Deceptive Bends" on CD that contains the 3 non-LP b-sides from this era as bonus tracks, I'd be wary about ordering it from this particular page, because despite the track listing, this page appears to be for an older US release of "Deceptive Bends" that doesn't include the bonus tracks, although I think it does include song lyrics and a more faithful recreation of the layout of the original gatefold vinyl album.

As true 10cc fans know, Kevin Godley & Lol Creme left 10cc prior to 1977`s "Deceptive Bends", making this the first 10cc record to not feature the aforementioned duo, leaving Eric Stewart & Graham Gouldman as the only two remaining original members. Paul Burgess was brought in to handle drumming duties and would continue to work with the group on their next few albums. "Deceptive Bends" tends to be considered something of a last gasp for 10cc, i.e. the best album they made after Godley & Creme's departure. This is a cruel twist of fate indeed because it's actually quite the opposite--this is clearly the weakest 10cc studio album from the time of Godley & Creme's departure to 10cc's initial breakup in 1983/ 1984. If you pick this album up thinking it's the best 10cc had to offer after Godley & Creme's exit, it's quite possible you might not feel inclined to explore the band any further, which would be a terrible mistake. Each and every track on this album was written by Stewart & Gouldman, & on the whole, they were considerably off their game. It seems quite possible that they were thrown for a loop with the departure of Godley & Creme, who contributed a lot of the songwriting on previous efforts, and ended up scrambling to come up with enough material for the album. On top of this, it seems like Stewart & Gouldman were trying desperately to maintain Godley & Creme's trademark 'wackiness', and the album ends up often sounding forced (a previous reviewer for the "Bloody Tourists" album made a comment along these lines that really hits the nail on the head). I'm a diehard 10cc fan, and I've listened to this thing again and again thinking maybe the genius has been evading me, but no. Now, I'm not saying this album doesn't have its moments, because it certainly does. In fact, the first two tracks get it off to a great start--"Good Morning Judge" is an infectious funk-rocker with a fun, searing, echoy slide guitar lick that crops up; & the McCartney-esque "The Things We Do For Love" is a catchy feel-good pop confection with masterful vocal harmonies--it`s perhaps telling that these two tracks had both largely, if not entirely, already been written prior to Godley & Creme leaving, & unfortunately, things quickly take a turn for the worse following these two songs. The mellow ballad "Marriage Bureau Rendezvous" tries to be humorous & uplifting, and the effect is awkward and unsettling--it feels frustratingly forced, & suffers from the failed attempts at humor. "Modern Man Blues" has 10cc's trademark sudden musical shifts, but it still manages to feel underdeveloped, and it`s a highly annoying track with more failed humor & an overlong, overdone, repetitive fade. Another thing that hurts this album is presentation... They actually did a solid version of the funked-up "You've Got A Cold" on the 1977 live album "Live and Let Live", but the version here (with keyboards from Jean Roussel), though still pretty fun in a dumb way, is a bit overdone and overly slick, and it ends up sounding kind of lame. "Honeymoon With B Troop" is also better on "Live and Let Live"--the version here does get your attention with its catchiness & moodiness, but it overdoes the gimmicky, effect-laden background vocals to tedious effect. Stewart really wanted to make a 'Big Statement' on the 11+ minute album-closer "Feel the Benefit", but they badly missed the mark--it starts off with a guitar part that instantly recalls "Dear Prudence", & it rambles on aimlessly & incoherently, and it also features excessive orchestration, and an extended instrumental outro that annoyingly ends in `sudden death' fashion as if they knew they'd already rambled on for too long and didn't have a clue as to how to bring the track to a satisfying conclusion. On the positive side, "People In Love" is a nice, tuneful, dreamy ballad with an excellent lead vocal from Stewart, & the short "I Bought A Flat Guitar Tutor" with its extremely witty music terminology-laden lyrics is indeed very funny. "Deceptive Bends" is not a disaster, but it's a disappointing album in the career of one of the all-time great bands. However, Stewart & Gouldman kept Burgess on board, as well as adding several other new members to the band, & ended up bouncing back in a big way on the following album, "Bloody Tourists".

Oh no - 10cc have split up - what are we to do! I'll tell you exactly what...hit that shopping basket button and put a wide smile on your face! With the release of 'Deceptive Bends' Stewart and Gouldman reaffirmed their status as master song writers. You won't find any of the saccharin overtones of the pop orientated early 10cc here. This is the band at their very best - refined and polished until the album shines from start to finish. Prior to attempting this review, I took an objective view at the track listing...not a lemon amongst them! 'The things we do for love' alone justifies buying this album. It's no good, I'll have to stop and give the old faithful plastic copy a listen - see you in paradise!