Spring Break
New Performance Evaluation for Men at Work
Michael Fortes, Special Contributor
Issue date: 2/18/03 Section: A&E
Men at Work released their second album, "Cargo" (Columbia/Legacy), in 1983. Already at this point their sound was morphing. Only "Upstairs at My House," "Restrictions" and "I Like To" resemble the new wave sound of their earlier efforts. The latter in fact surpasses the standard fare of "Business as Usual" with more intensity and brisk guitar breaks.
The songwriting became more polished, highlighted by Colin Hay's brilliant "Overkill" (yet another 45 I acquired back in my youth), the mournful "No Sign of Yesterday" and the cautionary "It's a Mistake." The latter is just as relevant today as it was in 1983, as the world is once again turning its attention to nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.
A quick scan of David Wild's liner notes to "Cargo" reveals what one might have expected - the band was falling apart. This story is bound to be expanded at length on an upcoming episode of VH-1's "Behind the Music," but let not the idea of a band's internal strife distract one from the quality of the music. "Cargo" was the album where Men at Work streamlined their sound to accommodate the audience that craved the pleasant pop sounds of "Down Under" and "Who Can It Be Now?" without alienating those who enjoyed the new wave aspects of their sound. In that regard, they succeeded.
Cargo's bonus tracks are significantly more enjoyable than those on "Business as Usual". Coincidentally, all of Cargo's bonus tracks are from the period of the album. "Till The Money Runs Out" sounds as if the lyrics may not have been finished, but its fast pace negates the need for too many words. The real treats, however, are the live recordings of the reggae jams "Fallin' Down" and "The Longest Night." Tracks like these make the effort to append bonus tracks to album reissues worth our while.
What's even more worthwhile is that 20 years later, these albums are not merely fluffy trips down memory lane. Even for those who played out these entire albums in their day, the bonus tracks offer some sides of the band not often heard. They also provide a new context within which we can hear once-omnipresent hit singles.
Who can it be now that's capturing my attention the most these days? Bob Dylan and Queens of the Stone Age tend to be doing it for me much more so than Men at Work and ABC, but it's reassuring to know that the music which caught my attention as a 5-year-old still has plenty to offer me as a grown adult.
The songwriting became more polished, highlighted by Colin Hay's brilliant "Overkill" (yet another 45 I acquired back in my youth), the mournful "No Sign of Yesterday" and the cautionary "It's a Mistake." The latter is just as relevant today as it was in 1983, as the world is once again turning its attention to nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.
A quick scan of David Wild's liner notes to "Cargo" reveals what one might have expected - the band was falling apart. This story is bound to be expanded at length on an upcoming episode of VH-1's "Behind the Music," but let not the idea of a band's internal strife distract one from the quality of the music. "Cargo" was the album where Men at Work streamlined their sound to accommodate the audience that craved the pleasant pop sounds of "Down Under" and "Who Can It Be Now?" without alienating those who enjoyed the new wave aspects of their sound. In that regard, they succeeded.
Cargo's bonus tracks are significantly more enjoyable than those on "Business as Usual". Coincidentally, all of Cargo's bonus tracks are from the period of the album. "Till The Money Runs Out" sounds as if the lyrics may not have been finished, but its fast pace negates the need for too many words. The real treats, however, are the live recordings of the reggae jams "Fallin' Down" and "The Longest Night." Tracks like these make the effort to append bonus tracks to album reissues worth our while.
What's even more worthwhile is that 20 years later, these albums are not merely fluffy trips down memory lane. Even for those who played out these entire albums in their day, the bonus tracks offer some sides of the band not often heard. They also provide a new context within which we can hear once-omnipresent hit singles.
Who can it be now that's capturing my attention the most these days? Bob Dylan and Queens of the Stone Age tend to be doing it for me much more so than Men at Work and ABC, but it's reassuring to know that the music which caught my attention as a 5-year-old still has plenty to offer me as a grown adult.
