HOW DARE YOU!

This is my fourth day of reviewing 10cc album's and it's time to review the band's fourth studio album "How dare you!" from 1976. It was thirty-nine years ago now and the album was the last with the original line-up, a marvelous group of four musicians: Eric Stewart, Lol Creme, Graham Gouldman and Kevin Godley which the year after would separate into two pieces. The four guys plays a lot of instruments and they all sing lead vocals, which I have always enjoyed so much with 10cc.

I love the physical long play record with pictures of people talking in telephone: a man at an office, a crying and smoking lady, a young woman on a hotel room and an elderly man in a telephone box and on the inside of the record we see very many people talking in telephones all over the place. It is a great design and the music is great too. It continues the professionalism from "The original soundtrack" and the humour that has always been important in 10cc's music. The album contains nine tracks with a big variety. It contains my favourite 10cc song "I'm Mandy fly me"(10/10) which is perfectly arranged, has lovely vocals(sung by Eric) and the best guitar work, I think it's adorable. Some more songs are masterpieces such as the introduction "How dare you!" (10/10) also perfectly played and the last song "Don't hang up" with Kevin's wonderful vocals and a typical 10cc dreamlike atmosphere(10/10). "Iceberg" sung by Graham is also close to perfection and a very funny piece(10/10) and "Rock'n'roll lullaby" sung by Kevin and Eric is something very special too (9/10) as well as "Lazy ways" sung by Eric(9/10). The two songs sung by Lol are funny and great, not as inspiring musically but they fit in very well too: "I wanna rule the world"(8/10) and "Head room"(8/10). I must also mention "Art for art's sake"(8/10) which is sung by Eric and Lol, a powerful thing.

My over all impression is that 10cc was perhaps not as perfect as on their last record but the quality of the genuinity was still extraordinary and I also think that the tops on "How dare you!" is higher than anywhere in 10cc's discography. The songs are more varied here and together the result is both funny and very interesting. My song to song rating ends at 4.55 which means I am glad to give 10cc's last record with the original line up five stars! So a great promising start and three jewels were the first four 10cc albums. I will now follow both Godley & Creme and the remaining 10cc and see what I think of their following works.

Five stars! Best songs: "I'm Mandy, fly mee", "Don't hang up", "How dare you!" and "Iceberg"