Another rock ‘n’ roll swindle

Press, 11 September 1986, Page 18

Another rock ‘n’ roll swindle

Sigue Sigue Sputnik ‘Flaunt It’ (EMI PCS 7305) Having more or less succeeded with a hype campaign designed to make them look the biggest prats in the Universe, Sigue Sigue Sputnik are now at the crucial point in their ridiculous career with the release of their first LP “Flaunt It."

Already, the signs are ominous for the British follow-up, and this LP has barely dented the U.K. top twenty so far.

All this must have a familiar ring for EMI — the last big hype they fell for was The Sex Pistols, whom they promptly got rid of at the first sniff of band and their ill-fated label, EMI. A reasonably promising start with the hit single “Love Missile Fl-11” backfired with the relative failure of. the trouble, losing big money in the process. But the Pistols at least backed up their various scams with some enduring rock music, while S.S.S.

have yet to prove they won’t be pop’s answer to that great motoring debacle, The Edsel. I must admit that the packaging is superb. The combination of comic art, video chic, and Japanesestyle graphics pretty much sums up the Sputnik consumerist philosphy, while their personal 1980 s-style glam image is pretty sharp. Simplicity is the password to the actual music on “Flaunt It.” Most of the songs sound like electro remakes of Eddie Cochran's “C’mon Everybody,” the only human inputs being Martin Degville’s yelping vocals and the guitars of Neal X and Tony James (ex-Genera-tion X — Billy Idol’s first band). The lyrics are basically a shopping list of pop consumer items, as this snippet from “21st Century Boy” aptly shows: “Siamese, Lebanese, Chinese strip TVs embryo U.F.0., freako physcho, horrowshow. I’m a space cowboy, I’m a 21st century whoopee boy!” Interestingly enough, the first listen to a S.S.S. tune is rather more fun than you might think, especially if you happen to pick the liveliest song, the aforementioned “21st Century Boy.” Sadly, however, the other seven songs are all pastiches of this one, lacking either a tune (there isn’t one on the whole LP!) or any great musical innovation. Sigue Sigue Sputnik are a very appealing sell-out, but stripped of their image, advertising, and marketing prowess, their brand of pop looks like more spineless Go West fodder, fit for the usual 15 minutes and nothing more. — TONY GREEN