"Liberte, elgalite, aujourdhuis c'est tres, tres, tres. Voici l'oppurtunite, nous encroyable!
Adam and the Ants – Prince Charming – 1981
I'll be honest. The main reasons for doing this Reflecting Pool is to (finally) listen to Wonderful, an album I've had since its release and never given more than 5 minutes to, a chance to examine the unreleased Persuasion, and as an excuse to really listen to this record again.
I love Prince Charming.
In many ways it's better, by far, than Kings. It's much more muscular. It builds on the sounds created for “antmusic”, while at the same time abandoning almost fully the minimalist art school posing of Dirk. Adam and his crew are fully vested in their mythos and image, Indian war paint meets Sgt Pepper Pirates traded in for Ornate Highwaymen and, well, okay, they're still pirates.
The opening number, “Scorpios” is easily one of Adam's best and often overlooked songs. A pompous, self-referential, self-aggrandizing song, it opens with a horn section attack (there's some woodwind in there, too!) and has one of the greatest drum breakdowns in the history of modern rock just before the end of the song.
It's a powerhouse.
Followed by a song that, when stripped down, probably would fit on Dirk, but thanks to the fun everyone seems to be having in the studio is just a fantastic curio that, unlike ANYTHING on Dirk, begs and cajoles and dares you to sing alon. I am talking about, of course, “Picasso Visitos Los Planetos de los Simios”. Yes. Pablo Picasso visits the Planet of the Apes.
Genius. And when Adam starts imitating monkeys you know that these people were just having a fucking blast in that studio.
I haven't even mentioned the Rap yet. Don't worry, we'll get there.
The last album had the unlikely hit single, “Kings of the Wild Frontier” and this one doesn't miss a step, the title track is a big pirate shanty march celebrating individualism and peacock of the walk style and goes on way too long and is like eating a piece of delicious taffy. Fully satisfying and full of flavor.
They're cheekier this time with even more songs that talk about how great they are (“5 Guns West” & “Ant Rap”) and it's impossible to get annoyed by this because when Adam sings in that overwrought American South drawl, “I'm a big tough man, with a big tough plan, Gonna spend my day in a big tough way.” it's hysterical and stoopid and fun.
Rap had barely registered a blip in the states where it originated by 1981. It's massive success was still a few years away. But some artists, most notably the New Wavers, loved it. Blondie had already incorporated it (Eat to the Beat) and the Waitresses used it on their perennial holiday favorite, “Christmas Wrapping”. But for my money no New Wave artist “got” rap and had more fun with it than Adam. Ant Rap is sung partially in french. Why? I have no idea. It's more than passingly interested in puffing out it's chest and singing about how amazing “Marco! Merrick! Terry Lee! Gary Tibbs! And Yours Tru-ly!” are.
And it was a hit. Ha!
As was the brilliant “Stand & Deliver” with the equally terrific ode to S&M B-Side, “Beat My Guest”.
In fact, S&D can be looked at as the epitome of all things “Antmusic”. Lyrically it's inspired. Hughes and Marco and Adam take full advantage of Adam's vocal gymnastics. The drums pound, the guitar is huge, that signature click-clack ant sound is all over the place. The song was ready made for a video and it's beyond silly with it's “fa-diddly-qua-qua” backing vox.
It's perfection.
Prince Charming slips all over the place but even when it does the band is still having a blast. Recognizing the disposability of their music on songs like “That Voodoo” and “S.E.X.” and “Mowhok”, it's impossible not to notice that they aren't very good (well, I kinda dig “Mowhok”) but they fit with the theme and the production is just top notch.
Only “Mile High Club” is kind of terrible, but it bleeds so well into “Ant Rap” that it's almost worth listening to. Almost. But, “Mashed Potato, rocksteady rub”? What the hell is that?
Grade A-
A-Side: Prince Charming, Stand & Deliver, Ant Rap
BlindSide: Scorpios, Picasso Visitos Los Planetos de los Simios, Mowhok
DownSide: That Voodoo, Mile High Club
No comments:
Post a Comment