10cc's pop goes soft

Adelaide News 26 october 1978
Author Unknown

10cc
Bloody Tourists (Mercury)

Worn out your Paul McCartney album? Tiring of Electric Light Orchestra? Ready for something new? How about 10cc's new blockbuster?

No longer the thinking man's pop band, 10cc's newish line-up has traded sincerity for sound, intelligence for effect.

Which is pretty cool, 'cause now you won't have to put up with all those smart-ass lyrics. Just another lucrative slab of dumb sentiment served as high-gloss pop crammed full of production technique.

Let's see, there's "Dreadlock Holiday" — the reggae take-off with that fabulous film clip on the tele. And there's "Reds in the Bed," a waffling nonsensical piece about Communist infiltrators or something. And for some really dreary atmospherics — wallpaper music for the under-30s — there's "Tokyo."

But you probably won't like "For You And I" (reminiscent of "I'm Not In Love"). Grit your teeth on "Shock on the Tube (Don't Want Love)," a clever fantasy song about striking up a meaningful, physical relationship with a stunning bird on the floor of a railway carriage. And there's the gentle lilt of "Life Line."

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