UK Records
UKAL 1007
1974
A1. The Wall Street Shuffle
A2. The Worst Band In The World
A3. Hotel
A4. Old Wild Men
A5. Clockwork Creep
B1. Silly Love
B2. Somewhere In Hollywood
B3. Baron Samedi
B4. The Sacro-Iliac
B5. Oh Effendi
Eric Stewart – guitars, keyboards, vocals
Lol Creme – guitar, keyboards, percussion, vocals
Graham Gouldman – bass guitar, guitar, percussion, vocals
Kevin Godley – drums, percussion, vocals
10cc's second album was the next phase in what guitarist Eric Stewart called the band's 'masterplan to control the universe. The Sweet, Slade, and Gary Glitter are all very valuable pop,' he proclaimed, 'but it's fragile because it's so dependent on a vogue. We don't try to appeal to one audience, or aspire to instant stardom, we're satisfied to move ahead a little at a time as long as we're always moving forward.' Sheet Music, perhaps the most widely adventurous album of what would become a wildly adventurous year, would more than justify that claim. 'It grips the heart of rock'n'roll like nothing I've heard before,' raved Melody Maker, before describing 10cc as "the Beach Boys of 'Good Vibrations,' the Beatles of 'Penny Lane,' they're the mischievous kid next door, they're the Marx Brothers, they're Jack and Jill, they're comic cuts characters, and they're sheer brilliance." Stewart certainly agreed -- he told that same paper, 10cc's music was 'better than 90% of the sheer unadulterated crap that's in the charts' and, 20 years on, bassist Graham Gouldman continued, 'Sheet Music is probably the definitive 10cc album. What it was, our second album wasn't our difficult second album, it was our best second album. It was the best second album we ever did.' Three hit singles spun off the record, and most of the other tracks could have followed suit; it says much for Sheet Music's staying power that, no matter how many times the album is reissued, it has never lost its power to delight, excite, and set alight a lousy day.
320 vinyl drop of one of my fam's most played records. a mind bending shot of biting wit & irreverent social commentary cleverly disguised as sublimely superb genre-defying pop musique. catchy 4-part candy-coated harmonies collide with infectious riffs, bizarre tempo shifts, weird keyboards & innovative percussion. this one stays in perpetual rotation round here with lyrics that still make me laugh aloud. surely a testament to its timelessness & as thoughtfully pointed out by Josh in the comments [thank you], sampled by J Dilla [R.I.P.]. gold standard schtuff with tongue planted firmly in cheek
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