"Deceptive Bends" by 10cc – May 1977 UK Fifth Studio Album on Mercury Records (USA also) featuring Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman with Guests Paul Burgess on Drums and Del Newman on String Arrangements (July 1997 UK Mercury 'Digitally Remastered' CD Reissue – Expanded Edition with Three Non-LP B-sides as Bonus Tracks) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Will Feel The Benefit..."

 

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After the January 1976 release of their fourth studio album - "How Dare You!" – the original fab-foursome of 10cc split into two – Kevin Godley and Lol Crème exploring the Gizmo Guitar and their experimental October 1977 3LP Box Set "Consequences" - while Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman kept the 10cc moniker and the band going.

 

Much was muted in the press at the time about a supergroup splitting up (Beatles comparisons abounded) – but the overall winning comerciality of "Deceptive Bends" shocked many in May 1977 – the 10cc sound still fresh and inventive – and all of it handled by the dynamic remaining duo (with help from Drummer Paul Burgess and Strings Arranger Del Newman). Fans even got three singles out of "Bends" – the hooky-as-it-gets "Good Morning Judge" and "The Things We Do For Love" that open the LP and the lesser rather-sappy 45 "People In Love".

 

And then there was the brilliance of the eleven-and-a-half minute three-part "Feel The Benefit" – an absolute showstopper that finished the LP over on Side 2. I've seen 10cc do it live in the 80s and it tears up the crowd every time – reminding you of the melodies chopping and changing and flitting in and out (there is even a Prog Rock element to it). "Deceptive Bends" even came in cool Storm Thorgerson Hipgnosis gatefold sleeve artwork. So it's hardly surprising that with Three Bonuses – this old but great-sounding CD Remaster offers a punter loads to nibble on. Lots to discuss...

 

UK released June 1997 - "Deceptive Bends" by 10cc on Mercury 534 974-2 (Barcode 731453497429) is a 'Digitally Remastered' Expanded Edition CD Reissue with Three Bonus Tracks that plays out as follows (51:33 minutes):

 

1. Good Morning Judge [Side 1]

2. The Things We Do For Love

3. Marriage Bureau Rendezvous

4. People In Love

5. Modern Man Blues

6. Honeymoon With B Troop [Side 2]

7. I Bought A Flat Guitar Tutor

8. You've Got A Cold

9. Feel The Benefit (Parts 1, 2 & 3)

(i) Reminisce And Speculation

(ii) A Latin Break

(iii) Feel The Benefit

Tracks 1 to 9 are their fifth studio album "Deceptive Bends" - released May 1977 in the UK on Mercury Records 9102 502 and May 1977 in the USA on Mercury SRM-1-3702. Produced by 10cc - it peaked at No. 3 in the UK and No. 31 in the US LP charts.

 

BONUS TRACKS:

9. Hot To Trot

Track 9 is the 3 December 1976 UK 45-single on Mercury 6008 022, Non-LP B-side of "The Things We Do For Love" (Dec 1976 USA on Mercury 73875)

 

10. Don't Squeeze Me Like Toothpaste

Track 10 is the 1 April 1977 UK 45-single on Mercury 6008 025, Non-LP B-side of "Good Morning Judge" (May 1977 USA on Mercury 73917 with "People In Love" as the A-side)

 

11. I'm So Laid Back, I'm Laid Out

Track 11 is the 8 July 1977 UK 45-single on Mercury 6008 028, Non-LP B-side of "People In Love" (July 1977 USA on Mercury 73943 with "Good Morning Judge" on the A-side)

 

The 8-page booklet is both good and bad, but you can' help feel that it's functional at best. Only the front and rear cover of the LP is represented with the inner gatefold and the hugely detailed lyric inner-sleeve both AWOL (no tasty foreigh picture sleeves either). In their place is a new set of liner notes from CHRIS WHITE that convincingly covers their surprisingly good fifth LP for Mercury Records with archival interview quotes from Stewart and Gouldman (first time on CD Remaster too). And the three Non-LP B-sides will allow US and UK fans sequence the 45s – properly good additions for those who've waited decades for them.

 

ROGER WAKE who did all the Strawbs and Joan Armatrading CD Remasters on A&M Records – handles the Remaster here and it's an audio winner. Fans will go for deep LP cuts like the quietly gorgeous "Marriage Bureau Department" and the R&B chug of "Modern Man Blues" and find hugely improved sonic details (guitar soloing) – clear as a bell. After the "Art For Art's Sake" muffle on the decidedly mixed sound to "How Dare You!" – Bends is a welcome uplift. And again, crank it! To the music...

 

With every song written by Stewart and Gouldman – and both playing a huge array of instruments (leaving the Drums to Jethro Tull sessionman Paul Burgess) – the album is essentially theirs completely. Engineered by Eric Stewart, it also sounds so damn good. And as I said before – the Remaster has really brought out those discoveries - "Marriage Bureau Department" and the R&B chug of "Modern Man Blues". You could almost hear five 45s in its clever-clogs run.

 

After the general excellence of Side 1, the opening duo of Side 2 are very disappointing – neither "Honeymoon In B Troop" or "I Bought A Flat Guitar Tutor". Even if it is a tad B-side-ish, at least the hot toddy jaunt of "You've Got A Cold" feels like that cool 10cc of old – great guitar work too that's brought out by the speaker-to-speaker remaster. But the side is dominated by the three-parts of "Feel The Benefit" – a very One Night In Paris affair with an equal amount of melody changes and wild lyric runs. The Latin Break is still a hoot and that dual guitar battle in Part 3 is utterly brilliant and cranked with those strings too.

 

Bonuses: released a full five months ahead of its parent LP - "The Things We Do For Love" had the suggestive "Hot To Trot" – a very 10cc B-side – good not brill enough to be on the LP (she was smiling at me). The putty in my hands "Don't Squeeze Me Like Toothpaste" is OK too, but again never rises too much else. But hell, it sounds great in Remastered form. Best of the three is "I'm So Laid Back, I'm Laid Out" – a tune I would have replaced the Guitar Tutor LP track with.

 

Once again, I'm taken aback at the last-ability of 10cc's Seventies Music – goodies galore and a few gems worthy of re-discovery into the cheap-as-chips CD reissue bargain. Time to feel that benefit once again...