The 1981 Listening Post - Bucks Fizz - Bucks Fizz

 Bucks Fizz - Bucks Fizz

#385

By Andrew Anthony

July 26 1981

Bucks Fizz

Bucks Fizz

Genre: ABBA Wannabes 

Allen’s Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Andrew’s Rating: 2 out of 5

Highlights: 

Making Your Mind Up (I say this begrudgingly, as it was the big hit of this album, but does a bowl of vanilla pudding truly have any highlights?)

Every few years, artists emerge that are true gamechangers, bands that offer something to an unsuspecting public that creates a cultural movement or defines a generation, that leaves an unforgettable mark on history. The Beatles come to mind.  Little Richard.  Elvis.  Nirvana.  Van Halen.  David Bowie.  Guns n Roses.  Michael Jackson.  Prince.  ABBA.  

And, invariably, as these bands become popular, what happens?  Record companies want to capitalize on that success, so they start signing any band that even somewhat resembles the avant garde.  For every Beatles, there are a hundred Herman’s Hermits.  For every Van Halen, a hundred Dokkens.  For every Nirvana, a hundred Bushes.  Bands that are just missing that inexplicable something that makes the original band truly historic.  Pale imitations.  Xerox copies of Xerox copies. 

And that’s precisely what Bucks Fizz is. A Xerox copy of a Xerox copy of ABBA.  The record company that signed them nailed the ABBA “formula”: 2 good looking guys and 2 good looking girls, catchy but shallow lyrics, decent vocals and instrumentals. But something is missing.  The songs ARE catchy but completely forgettable.  There’s a reason you all know the lyrics to Dancing Queen, Waterloo, and Mamma Mia. There’s a reason ABBA is one of the all-time biggest selling artists, artists that were rich and successful enough to turn down a BILLION dollar tour a few years ago.  Bucks Fizz just ain’t got it.  Apparently, they were fairly successful in Europe for a couple of years, having won the Eurovision Song Contest in early 1981. They were NOT successful enough to cross the pond.  In fact, this review assignment was the very first time I’d ever even heard of them.

If you haven’t heard of Bucks Fizz, let alone any of their music, don’t worry.  You’re not missing much.  Pretty soulless, by-the-numbers stuff.  There probably IS a dentist’s office somewhere in Europe playing a Bucks Fizz song on the Muzak overhead.  That song might be helping the patient relax enough to feel less anxious about getting their teeth fixed, but I can guarantee they won’t remember the song by the time they leave the office.

https://open.spotify.com/album/5HqRd9aYv1b0x8A6q2ljFb?si=0tcFjkd5Sd-ha80g3GlWzg