Classic Rock Bottom

Well, we're almost done with the 80's. After this, only one more week to go. So sad. But there's a light at the end of the tunnel since our next series will feature nothing but Sumatran Death Metal, so you have that to look forward to!

As you drool over the possibilities of what the next series will bring, I must gently pull the reins. I must force you to focus on 1988 and the second album from The Godfathers, "Birth, School, Work, Death".  

Here's a long writeup on who The Godfathers arem courtesy of Wikipedia (and Wikiman's favorite site):

"The Godfathers are an alternative rock/new wave band from London, England, with strong influences from R&B and punk."

There. Now you know who they are.

The title track was played quite a bit on the radio and was a top 40 hit on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart. I remember that they also got a lot of press and were supposed to be "the next big thing". Maybe that was all in my mind since they never did become "the next big thing". 

However, the album did get very strong reviews as shown by the following from allmusic.com:

"The Godfathers missed the British punk revolution by a decade and were a few years too early before loud guitars became fashionable in England again. Consequently, the group's 1988 LP Birth, School, Work, Death is often overlooked. Released during the U.K. rave craze of the late ‘80s, Birth, School, Work, Death must've seemed completely dated in the barrage of pulsating electronic sounds that enveloped Britain at the time. Wearing Mafia suits and skinny ties, the Godfathers had a mean look that matched their name. And their sound was similarly tough: brass-knuckled punches in the form of menacing, explosive riffs; venom-spewing, nihilistic vocals; body-slamming percussion. Yet the Godfathers never forget the importance of the hook. The bleak title track -- with its gloomy shouted chorus of "Birth, School, Work, Death" -- has head-bobbing basslines and a toe-tapping drum beat. "I cut myself but I don't bleed/'Cause I don't get what I need/And it doesn't matter what I say/Tomorrow's still another day," Peter Coyne spits, the bile in his voice bringing back memories of Johnny Rotten's snotty rage in the Sex Pistols' "God Save the Queen" as well Roger Daltrey's adolescent anguish in the Who's "My Generation". "Birth, School, Work, Death" is followed by two other rockers, "If I Only Had Time" and "Tell Me Why", that are equally catchy and filled with ticked-off confessions such as "If I only had time/I'd think of the perfect crime." But the Godfathers are from being one-dimensional. "Just Like You" is an upbeat love song and on "When Am I Coming Down" guitarist Kris Dollimore helps illustrate an acid trip gone wrong with swirling, disorienting guitars that recall Jimi Hendrix' moments of sonic transcendence. Coyne's spoken-word bit in "When Am I Coming Down" is chilling, told from the point-of-view of someone who has just overdosed on drugs. The production by Vic Maile is clean yet it doesn't soften the Godfathers' two-fisted attack."

So, this album did ok in the U.S.but didn't do that well in the U.K. because it was either too late or too early for that type of music. I guess we here in the U.S. were just in the middle? Or do our musical tastes sometimes suck, at least according to the charts? What am I trying to say?

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with this album. For 1988 it just seems a little bit out of place, but sometimes that's a good thing. I don't know. Who knows?

Birth, School, Work, Death

1. Birth, School, Work, Death
2. If I Only Had Time
3. Tell Me Why
4. It's So Hard
5. When Am I Coming Down
6. Cause I Said So
7. The Strangest Boy
8. S.T.B.
9. Just Like You
10. Obsession
11. Love Is Dead

Availability: Remastered will cost you around $14 while the original version will cost you around $4.

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They forgot about Taxes in their list of mortal musts...  So now we've got some Smithereens pre anti-depressants in AOTW to be followed up with Alt R&B New-Wave Punk Rock from England ...

Sure.

I just noticed how similar the AOTW and LFAOTW album covers are...

Didn't notice that. Oh, wait.....

This is somewhat similar to The Church if you ask me.  But I do think the guitar playing on this is well above that on The Church's album.  Vocals are okay.  The songwriting is okay.  I don't think there are any standout tracks here as compared to Under The Milky Way or Reptile off of Starfish.  But, as a whole, from start to finish, this has less weak songs on it.

So what am I saying?  This is very decent.  Not something I wanna run out and purchase, but a worthy purchase if I could find it in the used CD store on the cheap.  Nice pick Jonster.

How can you expect a songs chorus to be four yelled words devoid of any melodic goodness and catchy hook that most choruses strive for and still work?  Beats me, but this opening track pulls it off.  I like this, kind of a cool new wave vibe to it ...  so far...

Second and third tracks really showcase their punk influence with a bit of success but ultimately these two songs are really very good compared to the opener.

Back on track with the New Wave influence of track four.  Seems to me that instead of trying to be an Alt-R&B-Rock-NewWave-Punk band that the New Wave stuff works.  Should've stuck with their strengths..

Track 5 has some of those Alt geetars sounds but this track has a weird Candy-O vibe to it, not vocally or lyrically, but in parts musically.  Its what came to mind.  Strangely, I didn't mind this track.

Cause I said so does that "yell the chorus" thing again - kind of a rehash but it works again, although to a lesser degree than the opener.

Strangest Boy - not the strangest song, but kind of just there in the mix, it fits but its not very interesting.  Good thing that leads right into STB because these two back to back kind of melt into each other.  At least STB has a geetar solo.

Just Like You - a pop tune!  hmmm..  These guys are all over the map!

Back to the new wave thing again with Obsession and Love Is Dead...  I'm going to say it again - stick with your strengths these last two track are pretty cool. 

This is a new wave that should have done new wave music full time.  Too much identity crisis going on this to be a purchase consideration, but still a nice post...

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