Godley & Creme – Snack Attack

★★✰

   The one and only artistic project known as Godley & Creme has its own history in which various and contradictive elements connected as processes were oscillating like waves. After periods of great creativity they started producing more and more schematic, popular songs and later again were back to experiments mixing sounds and structures of progressive music and popular culture. The two former musicians of 10cc – soft rock super group of 1970’s – the duo of Kevin Godley and Lol Creme was from its beginning determined by some esthetic ideas and market segment. If most of rock songs have its formal extensions in jam-like improvisations, in smoother songs of art rock main narrative means were lyrics and arrangements. And main ambition of Godley & Creme duo was to look for new means of expression while many of their listeners were old 10cc fans.
   Unfortunately their most ambitious project Consequences become instant failure. Critics were negatively oriented towards musicians whom they blamed for breaking down the 10cc. Public was rather disappointed with a three record concept album with only few songs. In such situation shortly after debut they withdraw from radical ideas of their first album. In second album L Godley & Creme have showed some balanced songs in original polystylistyc arrangements. Third Godley & Creme album Freeze Frame from 1979 was even bigger success being a reference to old 10cc style. In next LP published in 1981 Ismism, Godley & Creme had run some of their L ideas again. Nine songs, with extensively discursive texts as much poetic as ironic and original sound solutions, makes Godley & Creme fourth album potential blockbuster.

Godley & Creme – Snack Attack (1982)

   And in fact this album was their greatest success, even bigger than Freeze Frame. In European charts of 1981 two singles from Ismism were relatively high, peaking in UK chart on 3rd position in September 1981 (Under your Thumb) and 7th position in November 1981 (Wedding Bells). Whole Ismism album was peaking 29th in UK album chart. Ballades and narrative songs with strong rhythmic and instrumental background were in some cases clearly in New Wave style. These songs were perfectly matching tendencies in popular music of 1981, where harsh post-punk sounds (Snack Attack, Joe’s Camel) and dance rhythms (Ready for Ralph) were often reduced to synthpop (The Problem). Sarcasm can be sparkling idea of narrative, almost short story lyrics (Lonnie) but in fact satire never bites too much and sometimes changes into touching factor (Wedding Bells). Some songs are reviving clichés of early sixties (Sale of the Century), in some this playing with tradition shows quite new sound of saxophone riffs which in next decades would be back in various contexts. Played by Bimbo Acock saxophones are on featured position in Ready for Ralph and Lonnie. Most interesting narrative piece is closing album The Party, continuing ideas tested on L album and in style of radio play, this is again a reason for appreciating Godley & Cream ideas.

Godley & Creme – Ready for Ralph (1981)

   The Ismism album was recorded at Godley & Creme’s Lymehouse Studios in Leatherhead, during two months April and May of 1980 and published more than a year later in October 1981. In UK it was released with nice concept cover where names and title were made out of holes punched through the white cardboard cover and visible through these holes contrasting colors of inner sleeve. In later editions cover was black and dots were printed rouge and white. And such clear idea was overwhelmed by one of the ugliest covers in the whole history of 12 inch vinyl records in American edition of this album. Even the title Snack Attack was horrific in its insolent simplicity. Thirty two years later it is still hard to understand who and why decided to publish this interesting record in US in such a horrible shape. Maybe it was a kind of revenge for economic liberalism, maybe a kind of distorting mirror of American dream, but whatever it was, even in early 1980’s this was just ugly, being definitely very bad front for product containing such intriguing music. Three and a half star for Ismism and whole star less for Snack Attack horrible cover.

Lol Creme & Kevin Godley – L

★★★★

   One of most significant and recognized duos in progressive rock history is assuredly Godley-Creme. During 11 years of the collaboration they recorded seven albums, numerous singles and music videos. Lol Creme and Kevin Godley were playing together years before they started the duo. Their professional paths had intertwined since end of fifties, through rock and roll decade when they were members of The Magic Lanterns, than in 1970 they played in Doctor Father and Hotlegs. And in 1972 together with Eric Stewart from Hotlegs and Kevin Godley’s school friend Graham Gouldman (in mid-sixties both were playing in The Mindbenders) they started official history of 10cc – a supergroup from Stockport active in soft rock and art rock genres.
   Lol Creme and Kevin Godley started their duo career with triple-LP album Consequences in 1977. Despite many great ideas and improvements in technology of sound recording, project of two artists, formerly musicians of 10cc, met with vast criticism. Not disheartened with malevolent opinions, artists take most common objection concerning the length of album and produced the very next year album L as concentrated, 34 minutes long collection of seven songs. But despite production changes, more consistent, clear content and less extravagance, music of Godley-Creme duo still met hostility of critics and second album became commercial failure.

Lol Creme & Kevin Godley – L (1978)

   Second album was recorded in Surrey Sound Studios Leatherhead Surrey between March and June 1978. Reactions on Consequences were already known, and as we know it was disappointing for artists. As before entire material for this album was recorded by two multi instrumentalists – Kevin Godley on drums and a wide range of percussion instruments, Lol Creme played keyboards, bass and various types of guitars including gizmo, drums, and both were singing. The exceptions were saxophone parts played by Andy Mackay and Jonathan Handelsman. There was also Paul Gambaccini recorded the voice of Bad Samaritan in The Sporting Life. Album was dense and consistent in musical action and lyrics. Its creativity has expressed in freedom and joy of experimenting with forms of popular and rock music.
   All material has been composed and written by Kevin Godley and Lol Creme. The songs of L have strong multilayer musical and word structures. Sometimes these are poetic visions sometimes an utterance on social issues, and all songs are perfectly joining deep lyrics with musical artistry, meanings with rich, constantly changing points of view. This is polystylistic, complex structure rather draining from popular culture, than creating pop music. And it shows reference to Frank Zappa was not an accident. In fact the idea of building music using pop culture material, not only songs but also commercials and common sounds, all mixed in massive arrangements, with Godley’s marimba and melodic percussion was very much close to some ideas of Over Nite Sensation and late projects of Mothers of Invention.

Lol Creme & Kevin Godley - Punchbag (1978)

   This is perfect case of two creative musicians trying to find their own receipt for progressive, ambitious music, basing on soft rock, clear for all and deep for insiders. And in fact they found it in self-irony, originality and quality of musical material. There remains an open question on how much irony soft rock public can tolerate. Anyway they didn’t buy, critics didn’t want to speak about. Nobody clearly demands artists should have the one and only destination. It’s clear Godley-Creme albums were poorly received because some 10cc fans just can’t forgive they are no longer in the band. It’s significant the best position on charts they had with 1987 compilation Changing Faces where duo songs were placed together with 10cc hits. On the other hand no songs from L album were taken.
   The story of Godley-Creme duo can be regarded as a clear case of non-musical grounds in musical business. Both were talented musicians thus anyway they were appreciated – especially for their contribution in soft rock, for pioneering new ideas of music visualizations, for producing great music videos. For many first albums of Godley-Cream duo are just some eccentric music, a kind of side path of musical evolution. Maybe some critics were biased as if they could not forgive parting 10cc. I think this is also a story of misunderstanding artistic ideas by the public demanding more trendy songs than inspiring artistic expression. Business and art are fundamentally different and duo Godley-Creme should be considered as the art work first and foremost. And I’m pretty sure with passing time there will be increasing number of those who think so. Four stars and I hesitate whether to add a half.

Lol Creme / Kevin Godley – Consequences

   When in 1976 soft rock super group 10cc has split as a consequence of some kind of artistic disagreements, musicians of the band parted into two fractions. One part was the trio continuing working under the name of the band. Second was the duo Kevin Godley and Lol Creme who had focused on progressive art-rock project which result was their first album published the very next year. They were active in years 1977 to 1988 and became known as Godley & Creme. The duo recording seven innovative studio art-rock albums melting rock, pop, cabaret, jazz, country and every possible connection in semi popular, semi progressive vision of specific sense of humor and creative attitude in every aspect of musical production.
   Godley & Creme first project and main reason of breaking with 10cc was triple LP album Consequences released in 1977 in box cassette with booklet inside. Providing detailed information on project development edited in fanzine style with lots of photos and illustrations 20-page insert was written by Paul Gambaccini. Black lacquered box with elegant typography in gold and as Phil McNeil called it “tasteful picture of a cloud formation resembling a monstrous face” from the very beginning strived to display it as one of most ambitious concept albums in the history of rock. This was the main feature critics saw as opposite to unsuccessful musical content.

Lol Creme / Kevin Godley – Consequences (1977)

   Kevin Godley and Lol Creme, multi-instrumentalists experimenting with gizmotronic, the electromechanical bow effect for guitar, recorded all essential tracks of this album. Both artists focused on studio possibilities, building music with multitrack recording and melting instrumental phrases with sound effects and noises at Strawberry Studios in Stockport and The Manor in Shipton-on-Cherwell, Oxfordshire for 18 months. This was nothing new, Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells was already a classical album and many artists since sixties were experimenting with tape – one of first orchestral multiplication was Frank Zappa’s Uncle Meat. In 1976 problem was not “how”, but “what” to do in rock composition.
   Lol Creme and Kevin Godley collaborated with very few artists. As guest stars they hired Mel Collins and Sarah Vaughan. Mel Collins played soprano and tenor saxophones tracks in When Things Go Wrong. Guest appearances gave some new perspective as in Lost Weekend where the elements of gospel style choir are mixing with jazz vocal performance by Sarah Vaughan. Constructing complex narrative and musical structure artists hired Peter Cook who wrote dialogues and gave great gig playing different characters. His half comic performance has cabaret impact but in some parts it looks as it steals the show, making music weaker. Following critics, artists decided to publish two year later one LP compilation album Music from Consequences.
   As in many parts musical textures are perfect continuation of what Creme and Godley were doing as half of 10cc group, the end result ensures that sometimes the better, the worse – the excess of ambition often leads to the disclosure of weaknesses and to the moment when even best intentions have contrary effect. After four decades this album turns out to be worth listening. Not for old jokes, but for gentle musical changes defining the time and narratives, giving feeling of steadiness under every transitory moment. Quoted review by Phil McNeil in New Musical Express wrote at the end: “against my better judgment, I find myself enjoying it” and this shows subversive sense of the whole project. This album is perfectly made and ambitious attempt to go beyond the limitations of soft rock – two and half stars, full two for the album and a half for rising of Godley & Creme in next decade.