The 1986 Listening Post - General Public - Hand to Mouth

General Public - Hand to Mouth

#186/1351

May 27 1986

General Public

Hand to Mouth

Genre: SynthPop

3.25 out of 5

On “Faults and All” I started to realize, or rather, hope, what this record might hold: whimsy. The first GP record was dull and self-important. This one feels slightly more whimsical. It doesn’t hold for the whole record and there’s nothing here as catchy as “Tenderness” but the songs are aight. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/hand-to-mouth/1443741904

The 1984 Listening Post - General Public - All the Rage

General Public - All the Rage

#16

January 28 1984

General Public

All the Rage

3.5 out of 5

Highlights:

Tenderness

Are You Leading Me On

I knew nothing about General Public except for the big hit single, “Tenderness”, which is a perfectly fine song. I can’t count it as an earworm cuz, for me, after it’s done, pfft, it’s gone for me.

This reminds me of a fuller Fun Boy Three and, in looking them up, should be no surprise. This is basically a new wave supergroup. The English Beat, an ex-Dexys, Mick Freaking Jones, someone from the Specials and all of that melds together to make…a pretty pedestrian, sometimes listless, occasionally interesting record. I would’ve expected more. A little ska, a little blue eyed soul, pop n fresh melodies that Dave Wakeling renders somewhat distancing. He’s not an inviting singer. Cut from that Brit-a-tone that was so prevalent but without the smoothness of the better choices of the day.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/all-the-rage/849234410