The Teardrop Explodes - Wilder
#605 LISTENING POST GUEST REVIEWER DISCOVERY
By Tom Mott
November 1981
The Teardrop Explodes
Wilder
Genre: post-rock neo-psychedelic art-pop
Allen’s Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Tom’s Rating: 4 out of 5
Highlights
Bent Out of Shape
Colours Fly Away
Seven Views of Jerusalem
TOM DISCOVERY. Where has this been my whole life? What a lovely melange!
It's really quite wonderful. Especially the one-two-three punch of the first three songs. I hear shades of XTC, The The, Echo & The Bunnymen, Psychedelic Furs, Talk Talk, Toyah, The Jam, The Police, Peter Gabriel. Not derivative of those bands, but so firmly of its era. The Teardrop Explodes should've been in Urgh! A Music War. I hear so many directions these other bands were exploring, and would continue to explore over the next five years.
It's seeped in the sounds that got tiresome by the late 80s: funky bass way up in the mix, martial drumming, effects-laden guitars adding textures, detached vocals. But it's 1981 and we're at the start of that. And I gotta say, it sounds fresh. Mostly because, like Ian Drury or Matt Johnson, they've got layers of horns and pulsing repetitive beats and unexpected instrument combinations which carve out a unique space. And like John Martyn, it's such a quirky space, it worms its way in and works its magic.
More than anything, it reminds me of Costello's Punch the Clock (1983) and XTC's Oranges & Lemons (1989). Crazy that I've never heard this before. Mostly, it reminds me of the latter XTC album: the sunshine baa-paa-paa vocals, the odd sitar or organ joyfully springing up, the Penny Lane cornet flourishes. Kind of blowing my mind that The Teardrop Explodes raced here first seven years earlier. The teardrop implodes. So it goes.
[EDIT #1: OK, so Steve Lillywhite produced this. That explains so much about the overall 80s "modern rock" sound here that played out through the 80s.]
Some standout tracks:
Bent Out of Shape has a spare, catchy vibe a la Love Cats.
Colours Fly Away kicks off with punchy horns, an insistent bass, and some jangly guitars.
Seven Views of Jerusalem fades in with nonstop polyrhythms and dang this sounds like something off of Soul Mining.
Passionate Friend sounds like a collab between The Turtles, Elvis Costello, and XTC.
I dig it. Supposedly their previous album is even better. That makes sense. There's a lovely polish to Punch the Clock and Oranges & Lemons, but perhaps too much polish. Traveling backwards a year should reap some rewards. I can't wait!
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MORE ON JULIAN COPE
In 1981, Cope put out a Scott Walker compilation album, which helped revitalize Walker's career.
In the mid-90s, he put out the acclaimed Krautrocksampler book, and his list of the top 50 Krautrock albums is cited frequently.
The name "The Teardrop Explodes" name comes from a panel from Daredevil #77 (1971).
He's given lectures on Nordic mythology, published a book on neolithic stone circles, has been an avid champion of obscure and underground music ... and has set off fire alarms with his hairspray.
I like this guy! Kindred spirit.
https://open.spotify.com/album/3G0tbclbM4mNg3JMfoG3Dl?si=FU3uhegURVGGHd07wIeDAg
