The Associates – “Sulk”
The Associates are definitely an acquired taste, and I don’t mean that in any negative way. When I was a teenager I first got into them after listening to “The Affectionate Punch” they’re debut and more Post-Punk leaning work. As I got older I kind of drifted away from them before circling back to explore their discography with a more mature ear, and that is when you really hear the beauty of the Associates, from Billy MacKenzie’s angelic vocals to Alan Rankine’s master musicianship they really are an underrated and often over looked gem of the early 80’s Post-Punk / New Wave scene.
The album opens with the song “Arrogance Gave Him Up” which is an instrumental piece, consisting mostly of keys and percussion, leading us into the next song “No” and it’s bassy, with a jangly piano coming off with an almost sinister sound to it as it builds up to the vocals. Billy’s vocals are powerful, but yet easeful. “Bap De La Bap” comes next, and Billy brings his vocals down a notch, not hitting as many of the highs but still delivering beautiful vocals over the bass-y percussion backing. Billy brings his vocals up, captivating and powerful. Next up, we have the song “Gloomy Sunday” (The Hungarian Suicide song) – and it’s one of those songs you’d never imagine hear with a synthesizer backing, but here we are listening to Billy MacKenzie’s haunting vocals singing this classic song. The live version is just as good. The A-Side closes out “Nude Spoons” which apparently, according to Alan Rankine is about an acid trip that Billy had in his teens were the spoons with engaging in sexual intercourse while engaged in a war with plastic flowers in a pot next to him. Nonetheless, it is one of my favorite songs by the Associates, and one of my favorites on this album. It’s fast paced, with a good pace, and lot’s of experimental sounds.
The B-Side opens with “Skipping” and the bass playing on this song is quite great, as I listen to this album I am reading about the production of this album and there are stories about how frivolous the band was while recording this album, spending money lavishly on clothes, drugs and a private hotel room for Billy’s two pet Whippets (as you do). The bass player is Michael Dempsey, who was previously a member of the Cure – hence why the bass probably sounds so familiar. “It’s Better This Way” follows, and we get that drum machine and the bass once, and it’s a beat that keeps you moving. The vocals from Billy as he delivers the song title is absolutely beautifully haunting. We then continue on with their biggest hit, “Party Fears Two” and it’s upbeat and full of bass, for me it is one of those songs that I truly feel can be sung along to. The piano riff in this song is stunning. The lyrics reflect more on a mood than an exact precise meaning. Apparently the features the sound of three cups being smashed and Billy MacKenzie spitting out his gum, I don’t hear it. We continue forward with another one of my favorite songs by the Associates, “Club Country” which opens with one of the most beautifully written lyrics, “The fault is, I can find no fault in you” – and supposedly, the song is about when Billy attended a New Romantic club and found it to be superficial. (I can see it.) The song also features Martha Ladly of Martha and the Muffins on backing vocals and keyboards. We go into the bass riff by Michael Dempsey, and it’s something that just needs to be heard as words can’t quite describe it. The album closes out with “Nothing In Something Particular” (stylized as “nothinginsomethingparticular“) and much like the opening track, it is an instrumental and I do like that they started the album with an instrumental then they closed it out with another, it’s up beat and has some great synth playing on it. The album cover was designed and photographed by Peter Ashworth in an out of season summer house in South London, with duo sitting on benches draped with dust sheets. A digitised version has been included in the National Portrait Gallery of London’s permananent collection.
Catalog Number:
ASCLP1 / 4050538713893
Credits:
Instruments – Alan Rankine
Vocals – Billy MacKenize
Bass – Michael Dempsey
Drums – John Murphy
Backing Vocals & Keyboards (B4 & B5) – Martha Ladly
All Compositions – MacKenzie / Rankine
Lyrics – MacKenize
Except – ‘Gloomy Sunday’ (Seress / Lewis) & ‘Skipping’ (Rankine / MacKenzie / Dempsey)
Production – Mike Hedges & Associates
Helped Considerably by Graham John & Janie
Recorded at Playground
Sleeve – Alan MacDonald & Associates
Released:
1982 (Initial Release) / 2022 (40th Anniversary Edition)
Find it on Discogs
