I was browsing the iPlayer and saw Gimme Gimme Gimme was on there so stuck an episode on as used to make me laugh back in the day. During an argument Tom asks Linda “Why are you wearing more make up than Scritti Politti?” Quite mainstream to be mentioned in a hit BBC comedy as this is a band between 1977 and 2025 that have released only five albums and nothing new in nineteen years although there are rumours that a sixth album will one day appear.
So, what the hell does Green Gartside do , nothing? No seemingly he is a perfectionist constantly working on his music but has admitted he struggles to finish his songs. Maybe in his late sixties he will go on a flourish, and we will see an album every year or I suppose it’s possible we will never hear anything from him again. A rare person in the music world who has achieved immense success, but no one has any idea what he is doing.
I was to young for their debut so the first song I ever heard by them was their top ten hit Wood Beez back in 1984 when I was just hitting my teens and was a bit to slick for me, listening back now it’s a superior bit of pop, a little dated maybe, but an excellent lyric “Theres nothing I wouldn’t do, including doing nothing.” Very clever.
What made me buy this album back in the day was Absolute which I remember hearing on the radio and instantly falling for, it has melody, a nice guitar part throughout, excellent backing vocals and an insanely catchy sound. Still a great song for me.
The album opens with another single The Word Girl (five singles on a nine-track album!) , a magical reggae-tinged track that sets the tone for a lush pop album. Small Talk follows with quite a chunky guitar part and A Little Knowledge we enter ballad territory where for once we have no drums but a well-executed vocal from Gartside.
This is very much a record of its time with large drums, bass, and synth non so more on US hit Perfect Way which does not let up from start to finish and Hypnotize where the chorus would not sound out of place on a Prince album.
Listening now you know this is an eighties album but still enjoyable and can someone tell Green Gartside he clearly can finish songs.
7/10
GIVE IT A STREAM: Absolute