Scritti Politti - Provision (1988)

Scritti's Cupid & Psyche 85 is my favorite album of 1985, but for some reason (probably the three years between albums), I didn't pick this up in 1988 and I should have because it's more of the same: synth-dance music with funky rhythms, lots of drum programming, and granular production detail. There's no stand-out track and the choice to use Roger from Zapp on a talk box was an odd one, but the grooves are good and there's Marcus Miller on bass with a solo from Miles Davis, so I can dig it. Shuffle these tracks with those of Cupid and it's an enjoyable couple of hours of dance music that's very easy to listen to.

Press of the time:

• Smash Hits (6½ out of 10): "extremely clever, dreamy, crisp songs"
• Robert Christgau (C+): "a flighty funk of positively offensive banality"
• CashBox: "takes a common synth-dance formula and invigorates it with spunky rhythms, insinuating vocals, literate lyrics and production detail."
• Billboard: "subdued synth -pop notable for its tunefulness"
• Stereo Review: "sweet, ethereal vocals and sharp, earthy rhythms"

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #113

Tracks: I'm tempted to call this "all filler, no killer," and while I wouldn't skip any tracks, there are admittedly some songs that have more hooks than others. Plus, this is one of those albums that gets better on each listen. The lead track, Boom! There She Was, was the third single released from this album and was the most successful in the US in terms of chart positions: #12 on the US Billboard Dance Songs chart and #53 on the Hot 100. The other two singles, First Boy In This Town (Lovesick) and Oh Patti (Don't Feel Sorry For Loverboy) a.k.a. "The One With Miles," are definitely catchier than the other tracks, so their choice as singles seems obvious, especially in retrospect.

Because it was the 80s, we're also treated to a couple of extended mixes/dubs of Oh Patti and Boom! as the final tracks.

Exclusive CD longbox photo courtesy of
Dirk Digglinator of the Hambonian Archives.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None as it is a recent purchase. Even though this was released in June 1988, there's no memories attached to it from what I commonly call "The Lost Summer of Mark." Fortunately.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Cupid & Psyche 85 (1985)

Scritti Politti - Cupid & Psyche 85 (1985)

Note: this release was originally purchased as a cassette tape, later replaced by a CD.

I think of this album as a "winter album" and the disc has been recently spending some time in my truck's CD player, so I figured I'd go ahead and blog about it. I think it's a really good synthpop album (if you think "good synthpop album" is an oxymoron, you're at the wrong blog). I've never known much about the group, most likely because I bought the cassette, not the LP. For me, liner notes in cassettes weren't read because the music was played in the car, not at the house. I'm also guessing the group didn't get much written about them in Rolling Stone magazine, my go-to music publication at the time. The singer/group leader Green Gartside has a thin voice, but it doesn't really detract from the otherwise strong, bubbly material and production. I guess I like the tunes so much that I'm able to overlook the dated Fairlight CMI synths and drum programming.

Press of the time:

• Rolling Stone: "Stylishly wrought, at times delightfully eccentric"
• Spin: "No disco was ever this sublime."
• Billboard: "playful yet melodically strong originals"
• Smash Hits (6½ out of 10): "smooth and sickly sweet, but quite enjoyable in small amounts."
• CashBox: "clearest distilled versions of white hip-hop in recent memory"
• Stereo Review: "diddling nose-candy synth pop"

Also listed in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (2005): "with its sweet Synclaviers, Fairlight fanfares, and meticulously sequenced breakbeats, the influence of Cupid & Psyche 85 on pop has been immeasurable."

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #50
• CashBox: #31
• Rolling Stone: #35

Tracks: They're all so different and I like 'em all, bonus tracks included. For an in-depth retro recap, I defer to Thomas Inskeep at the now defunct Stylus Magazine.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Purchased on the strength of the single, Perfect Way, I remember this cassette getting heavy play in the Markmobile during Christmas break my freshman year of college when I was working at the local plumbing supply house. Aren't the 5 week winter breaks in higher education wonderful?