Album Review: 10cc - Sheet Music (1974)

Somehow, without my direct knowledge or participation, I had never listened to 10cc until a few weeks ago. This is in my 40th year of existence on this great and wild planet. That such an oversight could occur is no surprise to me, most people have barely heard of 10cc, much less consider them a monumental if not revolutionary force in the development of Art-Rock and popular music in the 70s and far beyond. Laugh you must, but laugh last will I, when this delightfully complex and accessible piece of Art-Pop, Sheet Music (1974), makes it's way onto your digital turntable for a listen.

Think of 10cc as a mix between early Eno-era Roxy Music fused with T-Rex, Brian Wilson, The Beatles, The Mothers of Invention, and probably about 10 other bands I could throw in there. If any of these bands are making you pant a bit you are getting my point. This level of musical diversity and integration typically occurs in the course of one song on Sheet Music. Sly British wit with surreal word play and social satire resounds through the album, with such classic one lines such as this during the Wall Street Shuffle - "To do the Wall Street Shuffle Let your money hustle. Bet you'd sell your mother. You can buy another." Complex key and time changes abound, but never too much by sacrificing the enjoyment of the beautiful angelic vocals and harmonies.

This group produced all their own music, had their own studios, and had complete creative control on this album, and it shows. The production is exquisite, the effects are there to enhance the music, never to distract from it.

The only thing that could possible deter the interested audiophile from picking up this up would be the pervasive British wit and humor, but in my opinion it adds to the complexity of the arrangements, that the surreal lyrics are another puzzle to be barely understood and perhaps deciphered at some point in the distant future on a cold distant planet.

If you have the vaguest idea what I am talking about above, you need to go get this album immediately and post a thank you comment below for good measure. If you have no idea who Roxy Music is, what Art Rock is, and well...just go pick up a Maroon 5 CD. I hear they're on sale this week.