DECEPTIVE BENDS

For the more familiar fan, it is of course a MAJOR shock but the other great duet from this incredible band is strongly taking over. At the end of the day, the pair Stuart-Gouldman wrote "Art For Art's Sake", the most known of any 10CC song ever written "I'm Not In Love" and "The Wall Street Shuffle".

Stewart sharing "Live Is A Minestrone" and "Oh Effendi" with either Godley or Creme and Gouldman participating in lots of tracks with either one of the fantastic quatuor ("Rubber Bullets". "Johnny, Don't Do It!", ""The Worst Band in the World" and "The Second Sitting for the Last Supper"to name a few.

These four guys were so creative and original that the band will survive after this earthquake. Even if, needless to say, Stuart and Gouldman are great composers, they will miss the other fantastic duet.

Vocals harmonies are still extremely polished, melodies are powerful but a part of the magic has gone (physically and in terms of song writing). The Fab Four orientation is still very much present in "People In Love", the popish and grandiose style still striking hard with "The Things We Do For Love" and the complexity of the band is featured in "Good Morning Judge".

Some limitations are shown with "Modern Man Blues". But I have never been into blues (and probably never will). The incredible 10CC-ish style is fully displayed during "Honeymoon With B Troop". Another inventive piece of music and fully rock-opera oriented. As rich as lots of prior 10CC songs.

I guess that it was almost impossible for the band to release a better album due to the circumstances. It is not as good as "Sheet Music" or "The Original Soundtrack" but on par with "How Dare You".

A closing such as "Feel The Benefit" with its "ELO" flavour and its Beatles-esque melody only confirms the feeling that Stuart- Goldman had strong shoulders to carry on the 10CC flag. But who had any doubts about that ? This is THE highlight of this album.

Their marketing agent or their management (or anyone who chose the title for this album) should be hung by the balls. To call an album with a word such as "deceptive" in the title after this major split is unconscious. I would have called it "Positive Trends".

Three stars.

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