The 1981 Listening Post - The Reflections - Slugs and Toads

 Reviewed by Jim Coursey

Released: November 1981 The Reflections Slugs And Toads Genre: Post-Punk / Garage Rock Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Highlights: Tightrope Walker Zigzagging The Interpreter “The Reflections were a post-punk super-group formed by Mark Perry (Alternative TV, The Good Missionaries, The Door And The Window), Dennis Burns (Alternative TV), Karl Blake (The Lemon Kittens) and Nag (The Door And The Window).” - Forced Exposure Can I tell you how much I hate the misuse of the term “super-group?” I have no issue when it’s used appropriately (from CSNY to Traveling Wilburys to boygenius). The problem is it's so often abused such that the term becomes meaningless. Newsflash: THERE IS NEVER GOING TO BE A PROPER SUPERGROUP THAT IS COMPRISED OF MEMBERS OF ALTERNATIVE TV AND THE LEMON KITTENS. Worse yet, despite having heard albums by both of those bands, I have no %$%ing clue who “The Door And The Window” even is. Talk about a name destined for obscurity! The proper way to describe this album is a SIDE-PROJECT. Cancel my subscription! (End of rant.) But it would be patently unfair to judge this album based on the stupidity of a single word in a Forced Exposure blurb. “Slugs and Tools” isn’t half bad. I suppose stacking your band with members from three (barely known) artists is the key to their moderate quality? “Tightrope Walker'' kicks things off with a cheery, twee, garagey duet that reminds me more of the shabby but friendly fare of bands like The Clean or Television Personalities than the more “serious”, angry, angular sound common in the post-punk scene. They get a little more edgy with the next cut “Zigzagging”, veering a bit more towards Minutemen territory, but there remains a sweetness that keeps things in check: “I could blow raspberries… stay in bed with you, and zigzag between opti-pessimism.” It’s not all this lighthearted. The sax comes out on the next couple tracks, showing a free jazz / skronk side reminiscent of Missing Presumed Dead, and later piano ballad “Clamming Up” is positively dreary. But on the plus side they keep things varied. Better yet is the dreamy organ-drenched post-psych fare of “Demon of My Desires” and Roky Erikson’s “The Interpreter”, which sound like they recorded while hungover but to good effect. The vocals on this album wouldn't win them any mainstream success. They're more reminiscent of a sour version of Dick Van Dyke's lovable chimney sweep in Mary Poppins (to my American ear) than a proper singer . But unlike Alternative TVs 1981 album that I also reviewed, Mark Perry’s vocals here fit the songs well and give them a certain charm. While there’s plenty of forgettable stuff here, it’s a good listen on the whole, and I found myself enjoying “Slugs and Toads” beyond the highlights.