All About Money, the (presumably) first and only release by New Jersey duo
Spontaneous Overthrow, is catnip for collectors of obscure private-press recordings. Self-issued in 1984, the album contains seven tracks of warped lo-fi soul made with cheap drum machines and Casio keyboards. No information accompanied the original release, which sank without a trace. It wasn't until the 2000s, when filesharing and MP3 blogs made discovering obscure music a piece of cake, that
All About Money finally began to develop a cult audience. The album's title track was included on
Personal Space, Chocolate Industries' groundbreaking 2012 compilation of homegrown electronic R&B from the '70s and '80s, and a Numero Group pressing of
All About Money finally appeared in 2018. To say the least, the album sounds different than anything else out there. There's no mistaking the fact that these two musicians were total amateurs; one doesn't have to understand music theory to be able to tell that the vocals and instruments are all wildly out of tune. This, of course, enhances the spacy, otherworldly quality of the music. Opening track "Why Did You Leave Me" floats in and sets the tone, resembling an '80s update of one of
Sun Ra's doo wop-era singles crossed with the psychedelic soul of
Shuggie Otis. The vocals alternate between backup harmonies and
Curtis Mayfield-like falsetto, and a certain sparkling keyboard tone appears throughout the entire album. The album's lyrics aren't nearly as revolution-minded as the band's name would imply, but there is a socially conscious underpinning to some of them. This is best represented by the anti-capitalist lament "All About Money," which remains the duo's shining moment. "If We Work It Out" and "Party" are more optimistic and celebratory, coming closer to a sort of sideways, bare-bones disco. The near-instrumental "Overthrow Groove" is the most experimental cut, its breezy groove awash with interstellar dub effects. Perhaps the world will never know the true story behind this singular album, but it remains an enjoyable curiosity. ~ Paul Simpson