Thursday, September 10, 2020

The 1980 Listening Post - Silicon Teens - Music for Parties

 Silicon Teens - Music for Parties


#342

September 1 1980

Silicon Teens

Music for Parties

2.5 out of 5






How fucking weird is this?

The live version of this band was fronted by Frank (Fad Gadget) Tovey. But he didn’t sing on the album. That album was all a project by Daniel Miller and the “band” was made up of actors for the purpose of in person performances on tv shows. 

These are mostly covers, with just three tracks written by Miller. So, as you know, I am reluctant to make those highlights unless they bend the original in ways that can’t be avoided. I got close with “Let’s Dance” but, despite it’s cutesy, almost B-52ishness, I passed.  Same with “Red River Rock”, but it sounded too much like that popcorn song that accompanied every afternoon movie on WPIX when I was a kid. You might like ‘em. As we say, your mileage may vary. 

Having heard this immediately after that abysmal Fad Gadded record I am struck by how starkly different they are. This is upbeat, weird, kind of a companion to Barnes and Barnes Voobaha. What Tovey is doing anywhere near this record is beyond me save for the fact that both projects traffic in synthetic music. What I wish, though, is that the originals were as interesting as the covers. 

They aren’t. While the time you would save by not listening to this album is. 


https://music.apple.com/us/album/music-for-parties/1158367089

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