10cc How Dare You? (Mercury)

Gallery Magazine (AU) vol. 1 no. 4 circa 1976
Author unknown

Okay, so it's own-up time. I gripe on manfully about contemporary pop groups which I regard as unfit to lick the boots of a Beatle, a Stone or a Beach Boy — so who do I really rate as a true musical supergroup in 1976?

Answer: 10cc. Formed in Manchester in 1972, the quartet has shown consistent progress through their albums — 10cc, Sheet Music, Original Soundtrack and now this one.

They're into all kinds of song subjects herein. Heavy-breathing-down-phone, a telly-jingle twist on "I'm Mandy Fly me", and "Head Room", a cheekily-worded encounter with sex.

Complex rhythmic patterns, words that amazingly add up to a jungle of simplicity. Little deft touches all the way.

10cc is a singles band, in that they can produce the instant-impact three minutes required in that area of pop — like "I'm Not In Love", a chart-topper at U.K. and U.S. level. But the albums prove that hard-to-find overall consistency.

They write their own material. One member, Graham Gouldman, wrote several hits for the Hollies. Nice coincidence. Prior to the arrival of 10cc, the Hollies had long been my favourite non-heavy, pure-pop group.

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