Friday, April 07, 2006

 

Consequences

'In nature, there are neither rewards nor punishments -there are Consequences.'
R.G.Ingersoll, 1833-1899 - quoted in the sleeve notes of "Consequences"

One of the most neglected and greatest rock albums that I came across and still love dearly is “Consequences”, a triple box set concept album by Lol Crème & Kevin Godley , the two main creative force behind an old british rock band 10cc. It was widely panned and reviled by music critic at the time as 70’s worst kind of rock music excesses - similar to what was hurled at Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel’s Genesis and Robert Fripp’s King Crimson music – which ironically later came to be viewed as the best in progressive rock genre…This was understandable because these were the golden years of the ridiculous disco music and it’s she devil partner the punk rock…

In this day and age where all kinds of natural disasters are getting worryingly more frequent(?) and the fact that some big and small countries are capable of blowing the world to smithereen ten times over by WMD (as they call it these days) the idea of saving and soothing the anger of the world by music is charming… and this is the theme of this album. (Oh! what a far cry from all the current rubbish 3 minute ditties that they called music today!!)

(Oh how I miss this kind of music now…does anyone know of any new music like this now? Do tell me….)

And not only that…one of the great things about this album is that it included a lengthy and hilarious play by the great british comedian peter cook!!

Here is an excerpt of the theme of the album as described by one fan site Mr Blint’s attic (which incidently have everything you want to know about this album and what a treat! It has a complete transcript of the great & completely mad play by Peter cook!!!!) - i dare you to read it without laughing even if you can't hear the inimmitable cadence of Cook's various voices for different players.

…. the combination of some of Godley & Creme's most beautiful music, the haunting sound of their guitar 'Gizmo', the vocal talents of Sarah Vaughan and the comedic skills of Peter Cook make a wonderful listening experience


….Cook wrote a play to go with the music, and he played almost all the parts himself.

The main action of the play takes place in the office of the increasingly drunken solicitor Mr Haig; he is negotiating the divorce between Walter Stapleton and his French wife Lulu, represented by Mr Pepperman. They are continually interrupted by Mr Blint, an eccentric composer, who lives below; when the building was redeveloped he was the only tenant who refused to sell and a hole (ahhhhh!) remains in Mr Haig's floor which is, technically, Blint's attic; it is through this hole (ahhhhh!) that Blint addresses them.
The litigants are unware that larger forces are at work; the world is being threatened by an meteorological disaster. Weather is possibly being used as a weapon in a global war, and eventually it dawns on them that only Mr Blint can save them, with his arcane knowledge of pyramids, music and the
number 17.

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