11 October 1984
"I was praying this wasn't going to be a disappointment — and it's not."
— Mike Read
Guesting in the reviewer's chair this fortnight is Radio 1 deejay Mike Read. The same Mike Read who abruptly yanked Frankie's "Relax" from the airwaves, deeming it obscene. The same Mike Read who has long supported the Conservatives (though, in fairness, he's hardly alone among radio presenters in that regard) and, more recently, UKIP. The same Mike Read who played tennis with Cliff Richard — and who, probably, let him win. Looks like we're in for a winner of a SOTF then.
This is also the same Mike Read, however, who championed The Icicle Works to no end so at least we've been spared a rum MOR pick. (Fellow straight-laced, Tory-approving DJ Bruno Brookes would later be a backer of acid house rave anthem "Stakker Humanoid" by Humanoid, proving that even the most vanilla of individuals may have out there tastes) On the other hand, "Hollow Horse" isn't quite as brilliant as their most famous fan would have you believe.
Coming out of the thriving post-punk Merseyside scene, The Icicle Works always seemed to belong to the second division of bands. They never enjoyed the devoted following of Echo & The Bunnymen nor did they have a charismatic frontman the way Julian Cope led The Teardrop Explodes. Beyond the two most obvious comparables, they weren't able to bottle current pop into something original like Orchestral Maneuvres in the Dark nor did they ever manipulate press — as well as one Mike Read — the way Frankie Goes to Hollywood did. (Though, to be fair, it's doubtful they were aiming for either of these but for certain they lacked much to go over the top) They had just one UK top twenty hit with "Love Is a Wonderful Colour" — which nonetheless proved insufficient to Read who felt they were denied their rightful place in the top ten — along with another ("Birds Fly (A Whisper to a Scream)") which did well in North America. A good, respectable band with a decent level of success but nothing for the Liver birds to shriek over either.
This generation of Liverpool acts were well known for their disregard and even hostility towards The Beatles. Some did so by going the synth-pop or goth routes but the more melodic guitar bands of the time were left in search of other areas. Oddly, the sixties probably mattered even more here than in other parts of Britain that weren't so desperate to ignore the Fab Four. Arthur Lee, leader of California flower power doomsayers Love, was a major influence but with "Hollow Horse" at least the real shadow is cast by The Byrds. Being one of the finest guitarists of his generation, Ian McNabb ably pulls out a pair of striking solos that could have come straight out of Roger McGuinn's remarkable playing on "Eight Miles High" and, indeed, the whole song is based on some aggressive but unmistakable 12-string picking from "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Turn! Turn! Turn!". While they're a tight trio and the playing all around is sturdy, there's not much here without McNabb's parts.
Which perhaps goes some way to explaining just what Mike Read saw in them. With other Mersey acts still keeping a foot in new wave values (Julian Cope was always the unholy marriage of Lee and Iggy Pop), The Icicle Works did nothing to hide their debt to the sixties, even if the big drums are as eighties as anyone could ever wish to be. Thirtysomething, Tory-supporting Radio 1 hosts had in them an act that could dish up fanciful songs with some blistering guitar solos that brought back those wistful days of plugging away on Radio Caroline or Radio Luxembourg, long before pop went down the crapper.
Despite this, as well as the doubtless numerous plays Read gave it in the days and weeks ahead, "Hollow Horse" barely dented the the bottom of the top one hundred. Clearly listeners weren't quite ready for the sixties to be back, although it wouldn't be long. Meanwhile, yet another talented Liverpudlian was slowly getting his act together. Ian Broudie took a while to emerge but perhaps he was simply biding his time while Merseyside began to love The Beatles again.
~~~~~
Also Reviewed This Fortnight
Julian Lennon: "Too Late for Goodbyes"
1) No, it doesn't matter whether he sounds like his dad or not. 2) It ought to be a much better record: Julian Lennon has a great voice and there's a lovely melody but the lyrics are in desperate need of a re-write and there really should be a middle-eight to keep boredom at bay. 3) It's way faster than I remember it being and the faux-reggae doesn't work at all. 4) A proper collaborator — not simply a superstar producer — could have made this into an outstanding debut. 5) No, it should never have mattered whether he was as successful as his dad or not. (Good that Mike Read and I agree on a couple things here; I wonder if he's up for a tennis match?)
— Mike Read
Guesting in the reviewer's chair this fortnight is Radio 1 deejay Mike Read. The same Mike Read who abruptly yanked Frankie's "Relax" from the airwaves, deeming it obscene. The same Mike Read who has long supported the Conservatives (though, in fairness, he's hardly alone among radio presenters in that regard) and, more recently, UKIP. The same Mike Read who played tennis with Cliff Richard — and who, probably, let him win. Looks like we're in for a winner of a SOTF then.
This is also the same Mike Read, however, who championed The Icicle Works to no end so at least we've been spared a rum MOR pick. (Fellow straight-laced, Tory-approving DJ Bruno Brookes would later be a backer of acid house rave anthem "Stakker Humanoid" by Humanoid, proving that even the most vanilla of individuals may have out there tastes) On the other hand, "Hollow Horse" isn't quite as brilliant as their most famous fan would have you believe.
Coming out of the thriving post-punk Merseyside scene, The Icicle Works always seemed to belong to the second division of bands. They never enjoyed the devoted following of Echo & The Bunnymen nor did they have a charismatic frontman the way Julian Cope led The Teardrop Explodes. Beyond the two most obvious comparables, they weren't able to bottle current pop into something original like Orchestral Maneuvres in the Dark nor did they ever manipulate press — as well as one Mike Read — the way Frankie Goes to Hollywood did. (Though, to be fair, it's doubtful they were aiming for either of these but for certain they lacked much to go over the top) They had just one UK top twenty hit with "Love Is a Wonderful Colour" — which nonetheless proved insufficient to Read who felt they were denied their rightful place in the top ten — along with another ("Birds Fly (A Whisper to a Scream)") which did well in North America. A good, respectable band with a decent level of success but nothing for the Liver birds to shriek over either.
This generation of Liverpool acts were well known for their disregard and even hostility towards The Beatles. Some did so by going the synth-pop or goth routes but the more melodic guitar bands of the time were left in search of other areas. Oddly, the sixties probably mattered even more here than in other parts of Britain that weren't so desperate to ignore the Fab Four. Arthur Lee, leader of California flower power doomsayers Love, was a major influence but with "Hollow Horse" at least the real shadow is cast by The Byrds. Being one of the finest guitarists of his generation, Ian McNabb ably pulls out a pair of striking solos that could have come straight out of Roger McGuinn's remarkable playing on "Eight Miles High" and, indeed, the whole song is based on some aggressive but unmistakable 12-string picking from "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Turn! Turn! Turn!". While they're a tight trio and the playing all around is sturdy, there's not much here without McNabb's parts.
Which perhaps goes some way to explaining just what Mike Read saw in them. With other Mersey acts still keeping a foot in new wave values (Julian Cope was always the unholy marriage of Lee and Iggy Pop), The Icicle Works did nothing to hide their debt to the sixties, even if the big drums are as eighties as anyone could ever wish to be. Thirtysomething, Tory-supporting Radio 1 hosts had in them an act that could dish up fanciful songs with some blistering guitar solos that brought back those wistful days of plugging away on Radio Caroline or Radio Luxembourg, long before pop went down the crapper.
Despite this, as well as the doubtless numerous plays Read gave it in the days and weeks ahead, "Hollow Horse" barely dented the the bottom of the top one hundred. Clearly listeners weren't quite ready for the sixties to be back, although it wouldn't be long. Meanwhile, yet another talented Liverpudlian was slowly getting his act together. Ian Broudie took a while to emerge but perhaps he was simply biding his time while Merseyside began to love The Beatles again.
~~~~~
Also Reviewed This Fortnight
Julian Lennon: "Too Late for Goodbyes"
1) No, it doesn't matter whether he sounds like his dad or not. 2) It ought to be a much better record: Julian Lennon has a great voice and there's a lovely melody but the lyrics are in desperate need of a re-write and there really should be a middle-eight to keep boredom at bay. 3) It's way faster than I remember it being and the faux-reggae doesn't work at all. 4) A proper collaborator — not simply a superstar producer — could have made this into an outstanding debut. 5) No, it should never have mattered whether he was as successful as his dad or not. (Good that Mike Read and I agree on a couple things here; I wonder if he's up for a tennis match?)
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