Men at Work - Cargo (1983)

Note: this release was originally purchased as a LP, later replaced by this CD, the 2003 release with 5 bonus tracks.

No sophomore slump here. In fact, I like this album better than the band's 1982 debut, Business As Usual. Even so, it took me a while before I had my own copy of this one. Before that, I simply dubbed a cassette copy from my friend Scott's LP. Like the first album, Cargo consists of a few obvious singles and some obvious filler, but the filler on Cargo is better although the overall atmosphere is a bit moodier. I listened to this album quite a bit back in high school and recently came across this enamel Cargo pinback that probably appeared on the collar of my letter jacket at some point in 1983:

I dig the thing and think this is one of the better albums released in '83. (Note to self: rank albums released in 1983.)

Press of the time:

• Rolling Stone (★★★½): "song for song, it is a stronger overall effort than Business as Usual"
• Robert Christgau (B): "A touch dour, two touches bemused, and probably way too passive, they're so smashingly unambitious that they're forgettable when they don't strike just the right note."
• Smash Hits (8 out of 10): "an immaculately constructed album"
• Stereo Review: "accomplished melody writing and clean, bracing arrangements"
• Trouser Press: "tickles the ear without stirring up feelings."
• Record Mirror: "the whole thing's about as interesting as a can of flat Fosters."
• RPM: "There's more than one single on this set, and much more in keeping with the rock of North America that is more pop than rock."

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard Top 200: #3
• Billboard Rock: #1
• Rolling Stone: #2
• CashBox: #2

Tracks:

• Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive (#28 pop, #12 rock)
  This isn't Colin Hay's best effort in terms of lyrics, but the music has its fair share of hooks. I'm guessing that the half-time feel on the chorus is the "Mr. Jive" in contrast to the verses' "Dr. Heckyll." Or vice versa. Whatever. No idea what's going on in the bridge.
• Overkill (#3 pop, #3 rock, #6 adult contemporary)
  Easily my favorite song the album. This is a great song that got a lot of playing time in my car in 1983. Of course, I would sing along and when Colin Hay sings the last verse up an octave, I would try to keep up with often hilarious results. Love the guitar solo.
• Settle Down My Boy
  Rather rudimentary songwriting, which means it's easy to sing along to, which means it doesn't get skipped. Bonus points for the sax solo, which reminds me of Sonny Rollins' work on the Stones' Waiting for a Friend. Not enough sax on this album for my tastes.
• Upstairs In My House
  The verse is pretty good, but the driving chorus is even better. I like the rhythm guitar part that alternates between choppy and smooth. And another nice guitar solo.
• No Sign Of Yesterday
  This one never gets where you think its going to go.
• It's A Mistake (#6 pop, #27 rock, #10 adult contemporary)
  That upbeat stuff doesn't quite make it as reggae, does it? No matter. The lyrics remind us of what it was like living during the Cold War. Yet another fantastic guitar solo, which builds slowly over a smooth, arpeggiated rhythm part that is in direct contrast to the heavy syncopation of the earlier parts of the song.
• High Wire (#23 rock)
  Love the honking horn accompaniment underneath hooks a'plenty. Everything works on this one for me - the vocal harmonies, the sax solo over heavy hi-hat, the syncopated verse playing against the smooth chorus.
• Blue For You
  A simple, very singable song that comes closer to reggae than It's A Mistake. Of all the music of this album, this catchy love song will be the one that's stuck in my head all day.
• I Like To
  The song isn't that great, but the guitar-heavy arrangement helps it a bit. There's just too many lyrics and guitar solo notes to try to fit into this, making it anxious and manic (maybe that's the point?). The chorus is much better than the verse and that's ultimately what you take from this one.
• No Restrictions
  In which Colin and the boys do their best to sound like The Police ca. 1979 and fail.
  

For my own amusement, I'm going to rank the tracks in order of my preference:

1. Overkill
2. It's A Mistake
3. High Wire
4. Upstairs In My House
5. Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive
6. Blue For You
7. I Like To
8. Settle Down My Boy
9. No Restrictions
10. No Sign Of Yesterday

Bonus tracks: 4 b-sides plus a previously unreleased live track. Hardly essential.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: When I dubbed a copy of the LP, all I had handy was a C-60 cassette, so I figured I'd record the good stuff and skip over 2 or 3 of the filler tunes. After all these years, I don't remember which tunes I omitted, but I'd have to guess that my preferences in 1983 were very similar to my ranking above. I wish I could remember what I put on the other side of that cassette.

While I can't find any evidence that we ever performed it in public, but my high school jazz band at least rehearsed a rudimentary arrangement of Overkill. An unlikely candidate for a jazz band arrangement, for sure, so it is for the best that it wasn't performed outside our rehearsal space. Of course, Overkill isn't well-suited for a sitcom, either, but that didn't stop 'em.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Contraband: The Best of Men at Work (1996)