GOODBYE BLUE SKY

While this album sounds a bit like a grown up version of the 10cc albums Godley & Creme had been a part of early on, it is a far cry from the quirky, sensational, and just plain fun albums they had released earlier in their career. Perhaps it was the relative success of the single Cry on their previous album that drove them more towards traditional (read "uninteresting") song structure. This is a mostly forgettable album.

The duo at this point were still studio wizards. The production is beautiful, and the vocal harmonies are spectacular (the background vocal often add the humor which once permeated all of their music). But the songs are mostly simple pop, blues, gospel, or slightly jazzy rock.

They even revisit the "bomb on a plane" theme from the first 10cc album (Clockwork Creep), with less humor.

Really, the only song worthy of the earlier albums is Last Page Of History. But even this song would not be equal to anything on L, or possibly even Freeze Frame.

2.5 stars.

Let's start with my raising eyebrows as to why this band is covered here, especially this album! Godley & Creme has as much to do with prog-rock as an elephant to Europe. So if the rating has to do with its relation to prog, I would say no stars at all! This album has N.O.T.H.I.N.G. to do with progressive rock, period.

But if you are a listener attracted to pop rock, you may find some interest here, even though it is more than obvious that the golden days are gone and the inspiration is on the thin side. Something that struck me is this focus on mouth harmonicas, present on each track AND on the front cover! What happened? Love at first sight? Old passion? Desperate attempt at something undone? The surprise is that I must admit they did achieve quite a few things in the recording of this - to my ears - horrible instrument, like bringing flanging or varying its sound. Some other valid points are also made in the vocal arrangements, though we've heard better from them on previous albums. The lyrics also bring some pertinence, like on the tunes "The Big Bang", "Air Force One" or "Crime & Punishment". Musically speaking, I didn't really find any memorable good melodies; only plain trist pop rock trickery, worn out clichés and what also appears to me like a worn out duo. Gone are the good times of L and this isn't a swan song that raises the flag high. But as a pop rock album, I would raise the rating to two stars, still wondering what the hell it has to do on this site, when hundreds of other bands or albums NOT presented here would have in fact a far better and legitimate reason to be indeed included!