Lloyd Cole And The Commotions - Rattlesnakes

 

 

 

I'm not exactly quite sure how I became aware of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions but I presume it was due to "Forest Fire" receiving a lot of airplay on the evening radio stations that I used to listen to when living in a bed-sit in West London in the mid 1980s. In any case, the sticker still on the LP shows I paid £5.69 for the privilige of owning their first album.

I remember really liking the album, with side two being played a lot more often than side one. I also liked the clever lyrics, and the clear intellectual writing behind the songs. That said, looking at the track listing, I can actually remember more of the songs on side one !

I had always assumed that Lloyd Cole was Scottish so it was a bit of a surprise to recently learn he was originally from Derbyshire, and was only part of the vibrant Scottish music scene at the time as he was studying at Glasgow University.............

The album opens with "Perfect Skin" which was the first single from the album, but to be honest I always thought the song to be a bit monotonous, and listening again today there is nothing to change my opinion on it. Similarly the low key "Speedboat" only comes alive the the joyous organ break/chorus after the dull, spoken style verses.

However, things improve significantly with the title track, with a brief acoustic guitar intro leading into strings and the name dropping of "She looks like Yves Marie Saint in On The Water Front" and "She reads Simone de Beauvoir and her American circumstance" in a truely memorable melody. "A girl needs gun these days on account of all the rattlesnakes".

"Down On Mission Street" is a slower number but again has a great chorus refrain. "Will you never be contented with your life, will you always be the one who won't think twice".

The side ends with "Forest Fire", the second single from the album and another very slow song with a great toe-tapping beat and a tremendous vocal. There is also a great guitar solo to complete a fabulous trio of songs to end the side.

I had completely forgotten how "Charlotte Street" sounded but remembered immediately when the song started, and it is one of the best songs on the album. "Here comes my train.....".

"2CV" is another slow song with plucked acoustic guitar to the fore, and with another heart felt vocal but the tempo increases with the lively "Four Flights Up" where "we're living four flights up but I swear right now it feels underground".......

"Patience" is my favourite song on "Rattlesnakes" with the "da da da da da da" backing vocals  and more great lyrics. "I get pressures of life through lack of patience", "patience is a girl that I hate to love the way I do, but I do". "She took her bags but left all her clothes".

The final song on the album is considered to be a bit of a cult classic but I've always been a little underwhelmed by "Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken". There is nothing wrong with it, but I've never felt it to be worthy of all of the critical acclaim, especially when there are at least half a dozen better songs on the album. However, the acoustic guitar playing is quite nice.

That said, "Rattlesnakes" remains a really good album and continues to be well worth a listen to.

Side 1
1. Perfect Skin
2. Speadboat
3. Rattlesnakes
4. Down On Mission Street
5. Forest Fire

Side 2
1. Charlotte Street
2. 2cv
3. Four Flights Up
4. Patience
5. Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken ?

Released 1984
UK Chart Position : 13

Singles :

Perfect Skin ( No 26 - 1984 )

Forest Fire ( No 41 - 1984 )

Rattlesnakes ( No 65 - 1984 )