10cc Album: “Deceptive Bends”

This import version is far superior to the domestic version of DECEPTIVE BENDS. The sound sprakles and you can appreciate the engineering and production of Eric Stewart. The songwriting here is sharper than on later efforts like BLOODY TOURIST!

Of all the post Creme/Godley 10cc albums, this is the one that most captures the spirit of early 10cc, while building on the songwriting craft and humor of previous albums. Stewart and Gouldman wrote all the songs and perform all the instruments(Paul Burgess plays drums--Burgess was the band's touring drummer freeing up Kevin Godley to sing).

The last great 10cc album(there would be some fine additions after this, but nothing of the caliber of their finest work), this album, along with SHEET MUSIC, THE ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK and HOW DARE YOU! represents the best of this underrated 70's-80's band.

When Creme and Godley left 10cc, the expectation was that they'd had it. How could they survive without the contrast provided by the more artsy sort of influence of the missing members? Yet survive they did for some time, turning out a few gems along the way.

There aren't any long pieces as complex and involved as "One Night in Paris", but there is "Feel the Benifit", a long-ish suite in the same general vein. There's also "I Bought a Flat Guitar Tutor", one of Stewart's wittiest compositions. Perhaps not the best album 10cc ever did, but it still has much to recommend it.

From the catchy beat of the novelty opening track "Good Morning, Judge" to the musical ride of the last title "Feel the Benefit", this is a solid album from top to bottom.

If you could only listen to one track(which would be a CRIME), make it the aforementioned "Feel the Benefit". It is truly an odyssey of wonderful orchestral musings with 10CC's signature guitar riffs amid flowing tempo changes. Just be forewarned that it is 10+ minutes long - but, for me, it was the best song I had never heard...

This has been one of my favorite albums for almost 30 years now, and it takes me back to high school very time!

10cc's first album without two of its original members, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme, is a perfectly agreeable effort, if a bit straightforward for longtime fans. "The Things We Do For Love" is a memorable single, and the epic "Feel The Benefit" recalls the band's previous inclination to totally change styles in the middle of a song. But beyond that, most of the songs are straightforward late 70's pop. There are novelty songs here, like "Modern Man Blues", but nothing so bent and memorable as "Rubber Bullets" (from the self-titled first album). So, if this is your first 10cc CD, you'll probably find their earlier ones more eccentric, while if you start with the early stuff, the middle of this disc may drag.

IMHO, the really neccessary 10cc CD's are this one, "10cc", and "The Original Soundtrack".

Okay that's a bit dismissive. Godley and Creme were just as important and vital to 10cc as were Gouldman and Stewart: example, on How Dare You!: Don't Hang Up, arguably their best song ever. Plus they added that insane oddness that pervades 10cc's early work.

However, Gouldman and Stewart were, arguably, better songwriters. Arguably. This album shows off their song writing talent in creative, and interesting ways: sure it's not as weird, or twisted as early stuff, but it's still melodic and creative and interesting. What more do you need?

I will agree that Marriage Bureau Rendevous and People In Love are a bit too stale, a bit too bread and buttah. However, the album starts with a bang with two great songs "Good Morning Judge" and "The Things We Do For Love". Good Morning Judge is a great rocker, with some slight tweaks to the "rock" song formula, where as The Things We Do For Love is as many people have said the best song Paul McCartney should have wrote.

The next two, which I already mentioned as the weakest, are still not bad: just a bit too bland for this band.

The next four songs, however, make the album great. Modern Man Blues is VERY misogynist, but in a joking manner (I hope they don't feel this way any ways!) with an interesting structure, and a bluesy feel they didn't do often. Honey Moon With B Troop is another oddly structured and played song, where as I Bought A Flat Guitar Tutor might pass you by with it's pleasantly pleasant melody, until one pays attention to the lyrics and hear that Grahamn is describing how to play the song by saying things like "I bought A flat diminished responibilty". Noveltesque, but short, and funny enough.

However, I have to say the main reason this album is great is because of don't feel the benefit. I know some people have said it's rambling and incoherent but honestly, I think it's the best extended song they ever did. The lyrics are maybe a bit too preachy, but I think it's arranged and structured logically, plus the extended instrumental coda is killer, with all these great guitar lines flying out and it does end abruptly which is annoying, but it's a pretty good song any ways.

This album, as much as I like the songs, does seem confused and a bit all over the map. Bloody Tourists consolidated and focused their energies, and it is actually quite a good album, in some ways better than this one!