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10cc's "Bloody Tourists" was originally released in September of 1978--this was the follow up to 1977's "Deceptive Bends", and it was the second 10cc record without Godley & Creme who left the group in 1976 and continued to work together as duo.
Certainly Godley & Creme's departure had a big impact on 10cc--they contributed largely to the songwriting and overall sound of the group. However, the other 2 original 10cc members, Eric Stewart & Graham Gouldman, were brilliant musical minds in their own right, and they're basically running the show on here. The result is this brilliant album.
I realize that "Bloody Tourists" is typically considered a disappointment compared to "Deceptive Bends", but it appears to me to be very much the other way around. On "Deceptive Bends", it sounds like Stewart & Gouldman weren't quite prepared to step up and fill the void left by Godley & Creme, but were forcing themselves to do it anyway despite being short on ideas. With "Bloody Tourists", 10cc bounced back in a big way, sounding far more assured and invigorated, and 10cc's work would remain consistently strong/ brilliant until their initial breakup in 1983/ 1984, making "Bloody Tourists" something of a comeback from my perspective.
Rick Fenn, Stuart Tosh, Duncan Mackay, & Paul Burgess were additional band members at this point, but apart from "Dreadlock Holiday" (as well as its non-LP b-side "Nothing Can Move Me", included here as a bonus track) which is credited as having been produced by the whole group, the entire album was produced by Stewart & Gouldman, and between the two of them, they were also responsible for all of the songwriting apart from just a few co-writes from other members. As usual, there are a lot of different styles, terrific production values, & great performances. You still gets lots of wildly imaginative lyrics that are at times highly amusing, although the overall tone is a heck of a lot less "jokey" without Godley & Creme around, and considering how over-the-top they went at times, plus with the material on "Bloody Tourists" being as strong as it is, the change/ evolution is a welcome one.
The album piles up great track after great track. The reggae tune "Dreadlock Holiday" and the somewhat country-fied "Take These Chains" are infectiously catchy. The gorgeous thought-provoking ballad "For You and I", and the amusing, irresistible "Reds In My Bed" (written by Eric & Stuart Tosh, with an excellent lead vocal by Stu) are each splendidly tuneful, as is the dramatic and hauntingly powerful "Old Mister Time". Graham's tender "Life Line" seamlessly moves from acoustic balladry to catchy reggae. Eric's multi-part, wild subway sex fantasy "Shock on the Tube (Don't Want Love)" is a blast--it starts off with him singing on top of a dreamy, choir-like backing, before switching into a mid-tempo quasi-barroom style rocker with prominent piano (I don't know how else to explain it) and an exciting, roaring Stewart vocal, & adds a catchy chorus & rip-roaring riffy sections. Eric's ode to "Tokyo" is pretty bizarre--admittedly, the lyrics are weak and rather embarassing, and the track doesn't entirely hold together, but the opening portion, before the drums kick in at 1:53 of the track, is truly arresting with the dreamy textured sound and the engaging, somewhat haunting melodicism. Graham's tropical-flavored "From Rochdale To Ocho Rios", with a great acoustic riff, expresses the frustration of travelling from place to place in upbeat, whimsical fashion--it's a tad fluff-ish, but it's still entertaining. "The Anonymous Alcoholic", in uncanny fashion, captures the woefulness of living with alcohol addiction--it fittingly starts off using slow R&B as a backdrop for a tale about a guy suffering from withdrawal who swears he won't drink again, though of course he can't help himself, & the music switches into disco-mode to coincide with the guy drunkenly hitting the dancefloor & getting himself into a mess of trouble; perhaps this is Stewart & Gouldman's attempt at their own "sound movie" (a term Godley & Creme used for their "Une Nuit A Paris" from the 1975 album "The Original Soundtrack"), but it doesn't sound at all forced & they pull it off excellently. The original vinyl LP ended with Stewart's "Everything You Wanted To Know About!!! (Exclamation Marks)" which has ultra catchy, highly syncopated verses, and the lyrics on this tune, as well as "Shock On The Tube", both demonstrate his seemingly intense obsession with casual sex and/ or sex without love, seemingly as an attempt to fill the emptiness of not having true love; this general theme would go on to become increasingly prominent with Stewart on his 1982 solo album "Frooty Rooties", which makes me wonder about the state of his personal life around this time. "Last Night" starts off in suprisingly grungey & dull fashion, but it does shift gears & overall it's not bad. Overall, the album is immensely enjoyable.
Unfortunately, as mentioned by other reviewers, this Mercury Records CD reissue numbered 534 973-2 does leave quite a bit to be desired. Yes, I do give a big thumbs up for the inclusion of the cool, bluesy "Dreadlock Holiday" b-side "Nothing Can Move Me"--that's a definite plus. However, the sticker on the front claiming "extensive sleevenotes" is highly exaggerated--you get a considerably unenlightening and tiring essay that sprinkles in quotes from the album's lyrics. The original gatefold vinyl LP featured a picture with all 6 band members, full performance credits for each tune, and printed lyrics for all of the songs--none of these are featured with this CD reissue. Plus, "Old Mister Time" is credited as having been co-written by Dave Mackay--I presume they must mean Duncan Mackay. Then, of course, there's the issue of sound quality... I will say that although speed fluctuations are indeed noticeable, the sound quality isn't a DISASTER--the speed fluctuations are actually quite minor. I mean, it's a damn shame to hear that the album's original master recordings were considerably damaged--you do unfortunately hear some 'wrinkled tape' noises, but it's not like the sound on this CD is so bad that it can't be enjoyed--disappointing though it is, it's not THAT bad. Certainly there's no need to avoid this CD at all costs, as another reviewer said, although an original vinyl copy of the album is also desirable. It'd be a shame if listeners pass on "Bloody Tourists", because it really is a must-have album, a terrific demonstration of the brilliance of Eric Stewart & Graham Gouldman.
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spigomars
BLOODY TOURISTS hits the songs with just the right amount of satire...
Reviewed in Canada on April 5, 2018krafty karper
10cc, were probably the best band in the world!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 21, 2014