That was such a great band. Too bad that they really only got that
one song out there. I think they were too quirky, and had too many
lineup changes, for mainstream success. There are many other great
lines.
>From "Ideas for Walls" (a conceptual twist in itself) "Things like
polyester pants and shoes don't make it easy to remember."
>From "Folk of the '80's" "Sixties hairdos--nineties eyes."
The sheer amount of ideas and images per song were staggering. This
was real art school stuff. Safety Dance was their most sparse.
Such a great sound, too. Your basic first round of Japanese Moog
clones. One luscious buzzy note at a time. Most of their albums are
framed (ala "In the Wake of Poseidon") with a low-key, very low volume
high-art take on the mood of the album. One has a lyric like "Isn't
it strange, isn't it time to change again and live in a fire?"
I always thought they should have called themselves "l'Hommes Sans
Chapeaux," but I'm told that Ivan, lyricist, is an anglophone.
"Folk of the '80's," and "Folk of the '80's part III" which bracketed
the "Rhythm of Youth/Safety Dance" period are, in my opinion, their
best work.
The songs "Folk of the '80's" and "Danse Moderne" are wonderfully dark.
Great band. Those seminal albums are, sadly, out of print. MWH
themselves suggest eBay. They also say they are in the throes of a
new album project.
www.menwithouthats.com
Duh. I forgot Napster. Get "Mother's Opinion," "Danse Modern," and "Folk of
the '80's." For starters.
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