As "Even Serpents Shine" was one of the best albums I had ever heard, any follow-up would be on a hiding to nothing, and that was indeed the case with "Baby's Got A Gun". It wasn't that it was a bad album, or there wasn't a number of good songs on it, it was just that overall it failed to reach the incredibly high standards of its predecessor. The sticker on the cover shows i paid £4.99 in John Menzies for the album.
Looking at the track list on the back cover there were half a dozen tracks I couldn't remember.
The album starts with "The Happy Pilgrim" which is essentially a pop song with a bouncy bass line and a good guitar solo but lacks a memorable hook."I'm gonna give it to you, all the love that's in my heart".
"Why Don't You Kill Yourself" is one of the best songs on the LP and I love the guitar break after the first verse. The bass and drums are also excellent. "This ain't some missionary speech, just some friendly advice. Why don't you kill yourself? You ain't no use to no-one else".
The nearly 6 minutes long "Me And My Shadow" utilises the Bo Diddley riff and has backing vocals from Pauline Murray of Penetration but I found it to be very dull.
"Deadly Nightshade" has an intro of acoustic guitar and bass, and later has what sounds like bongo drums and a hint of Duane Eddy style guitar. It has a chilled out feel, and isn't bad !
"Strange Mouth" is the most punkish song in this collection but the production makes is feel rather lightweight. It could have been much better......
"The Big Sleep" is nearly five minutes long. The beat is slow and menacing and there is a decent guitar solo but otherwise it just drones on and on.
On the surface the side two opener "Oh Lucinda ( Love Becomes A Habit )" is a pretty, gentle love song although some of the lyrics hint at something a little more sinister. "You gotta learn to live again, that's the final twist. I really hate to see my friend cease to exist. (Aha) The enemy we're fighting, he's inside of you and me. (Aha) Please stop crying, I know you used to smile before. I know it's not impossible"
"Re-union" has a 70s rock riff, and a catchy chorus "All about our union, the things we did together". It's a bit of a toe tapper.
"Trouble In The World" is another highlight of the album, and the single version, which had girly backing vocals in the chorus in an attempt to break the charts, is noticeably different to that on the album . I prefer the stripped down version on the album. "If you do happen to be stronger, it only means you're gonna take longer to go under. That's the trouble in the world".
A gurgling baby starts "Castle Built On Sand" but the song has a dominant bass, soft organ and the guitar low down in mix. It lasts less than two minutes. "Standing at the Traitor's Gate masked men on horses wait, for their chance to infiltrate, and take the castle built...built on sand".
"Fools" is a cover of a country song by Johnny Duncan which Peter Perrett sings as a duet with Pauline Murray. It's nice, but seems a very odd choice, but there was probably more pressure from the record label to come up with a hit single.
The album closes with "My Way Out Of Here" and is the third highlight of "Baby's Got A Gun". The lead vocal is sung by bassist Alan Mair, who wrote the song, and a times sounds uncannily like Perrett.. There is an exceptionally strong, great bass and drums, and another brilliant guitar solo. "Now you see what you're doing to me. You don't know if it's up to you or me, to find, find a way out of here".
Listening to "Baby's Got A Gun" 44 years after its release it is now clearly noticeably how much the production sound is way inferior to "Even Serpents Shine". It might have a lighter feel, and is more pop rather than New Wave but for most of the time the guitar is low in the mix except for the solos.
Whereas everything on Serpents was brilliant, this LP has three outstanding songs, four very good, three OK but the two longest tracks are the worst.
Track Listing :
Side One :
1. The Happy Pilgrim
2. Why Don't You Kill Yourself
3. Me And My Shadow
4. Deadly Nightshade
5. Strange Mouth
6. The Big Sleep
Side Two :
2. Re-union
3. Trouble In The World
4. Castle Built On Sand
5. Fools
6. My Way Out Of Here
Released 1980
UK Chart Position : 37
Trouble In The World ( - 1979 )
Fools ( - 1980 )
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