Monochrome Set appreciation
DJ_NevilleC
1,922 Posts
Monochrome who? a lot of you are saying (see Trouser Press review below) but I love these guys and think they are vastly underappreciated. I found Eligible Bachelors and Strange Boutique years ago and in spite of some goofy lyrics (Latin, French, overdone posh English accents, etc.) these guys rock. Rock may not be the right word (quirky is better) but instrumentally they are tight. I especially love their bass player (no homo). Check em out as their records can still be found pretty cheap. Any other quirky pop fans out there? MONOCHROME SET Love Zombies (UK DinDisc) 1980Strange Boutique (DinDisc) 1980Eligible Bachelors (UK Cherry Red) 1982Volume, Contrast, Brilliance (UK Cherry Red) 1983Jacob's Ladder EP (UK Blanco y Negro) 1985The Lost Weekend (UK Blanco y Negro) 1985Fin (UK ??l/Cherry Red) 1986Colour Transmission (Virgin) 1988Westminster Affair (UK ??l/Cherry Red) 1988Dante's Casino (Vinyl Japan) 1990Beginning with a series of arty rock singles, this amusingly suave and sarcastic London quartet fronted by Bid (vocals), Lester Square (guitar) and Andy Warren (bass) ???all of whom had played with Adam Ant in obscure early bands???took a sharp sardonic swing towards lightweight pop when they reached album format. Aided by producer Bob Sargeant on keyboards, the Set mixed uncommon source material (polkas, etc.) into cabaret material (?? la Village Green Preservation Society Kinks) on Strange Boutique. Fortunately, the highly controlled results are untainted by seriousness; even without much to say, the arch Set says it well.Love Zombies expands the cabaret stylings while limiting the bizarre material, producing a smoother and more accessible sound. The melodies are stronger, and Bid's vocals are brought up to spotlight lyrics that take sharp, light jabs at emotional traps and social mores.With a new drummer in the lineup, Eligible Bachelors strips the music down to essential elements???clean, bouncy melodies and gently satirical verse, performed with deceptive facility. Songs like "March of the Eligible Bachelors," "The Jet Set Junta" and "The Great Barrier Riff" typify the band's witty intelligence.Another lineup revision left Bid and bassist Warren the only remaining original members. Leading off with the suave pop of "Jacob's Ladder," The Lost Weekend has such a light touch that it threatens to float away. Nostalgic recollections of the '30s, '50s and '60s color the songs, variously suggesting "When I'm 64" crossed with XTC and a bikini beach movie soundtrack. Clever and entertaining, although only the second side is truly compelling.
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