Customer Reviews

Indecent Obsession [Vinyl]

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Just to correct the previous reviewer, this album was recorded in 1989. This makes a difference because popular music was a very different beast in 1992, with grunge taking over and synths all but forgotten. By then Aussie band Indecent Obsession had also moved onto a more rock sound which brought them considerable success in South Africa.
But this, their debut album (known as "Spoken Words" in their home country) spurred the Australian Top 10 single "Say Goodbye" and another Top 20 hit "Tell Me Something", which also hit No.31 in the US. I'm not going to say this album hasn't dated, it has, but it also delivers some well-crafted pop melodies and great memories - as a pre-teen I gave the LP quite a work out.
(It is also well-remembered for the Australia-only album cover which saw the boys posing in wet suits on the beach ... somebody has to upload that one!)

Tracks...

1) Tell Me Something
2) Going Down
3) Say Goodbye
4) Dream After Dream
5) Never Gonna Stop
6) Spoken Words
7) Survive The Heat
8) Come Back To Me
9) Nowhere To Hide
10) Believe

This is the kind of music that's been influenced by many artists and movements of pop music that went before, which of course everybody does, but this band didn't appropriate these styles with any real conviction. It's kind of like listening to the greatest music movements of the 80's (this album was made in 1992) as made by a generic poser band like Survivor ("Eye of the Tiger") or Frank Stallone's band (remember Sly's brother's band from the 70's? Didn't think so.) Throw in a little Duran Duran, a little new romantics, a little George Michael, a little Billy Idol, some really faux Prince grooves, some hair and spandex band, synth pop this, synth pop that, a lot of swagger attitude and mix liberally in the studio. It's whiffs and hints of literally every power pop thing you heard from 1978 to 1992. I imagine anybody listening would start into a song and say, "That's not a bad groove." And then they'd say, "That's not a bad hook." Then they'd start bopping their heads and really trying to get into the song then the lyrics don't quite hit the right mood or the the listener finally figures out the groove isn't really in the pocket or they finally realize the hook isn't that great. Go to the next song and repeat the same experience. A little disappointing. I really want to root for every band. Maybe it was the mix of guys in the band or maybe the producer pushing them into material that really didn't fit. Whatever the cause this seems like the kind of pop music that gets made for TV when the TV producer wants something that sounds vaguely like something else but doesn't want to pay for the rights.