After the rejuvenated excitement of
10 Out of 10,
Eric Stewart and
Graham Gouldman pulled in studio heavyweights like Steve Gadd and recorded this ambitious, but ultimately lukewarm album in 1983. All of the usual
10cc trademarks were in place: great melodies, heartbreaking harmonies, and inventive arrangements are in great abundance here. Unfortunately, the
10cc sense of humor is sorely lacking in this jungle, which casts a gray cloud over the whole album.
Eric Stewart, one of rock's most sincere vocalists, sounds bored with the material, although he certainly does give it his best shot. There are some fabulous songs here, including the singles "Feel the Love" and "24 Hours," the finger-pointing "American Panorama," and the dramatic "Taxi Taxi," but with only eight songs to choose from, there's less margin for error. Not that there are any real errors here, but half the album sounds uninspired. To think that this was their 'swan song' until their reunion album nearly a decade later makes perfect sense. Perhaps they had run out steam, and couldn't take the band any further? And where is
Graham Gouldman on this album? He's in there somewhere, handling various instruments and backing vocals, but surprisingly, does not handle any significant lead vocals on the album. (When one of your two vocalists does not sing lead on an album, there is some cause for concern). There are some scraps of
Gouldman floating about, but not enough to satisfy the diehards. If you are an
Eric Stewart fan, rejoice, because this is practically a solo album. If you are a
Godley and
Creme fan, then go back ten spaces because they left the band six years prior to this album! ~ Steve Schnee