Album #21 : Icehouse - Man of Colours

Icehouse

Man of Colours (1987)

Icehouse (formerly Flowers) gained a reputation in the 1980s as one of Australia's foremost pop bands. This was largely down to the songwriting talents of Iva Davies, a man who should rightly be considered one of this country's finest musical talents. Davies had proved time and time again that he was a man with an ear for a hook, penning such singles as Walls, We Can Get Together, Hey Little Girl and Great Southern Land. 

Aided by long-time Icehouse collaborators Simon Lynch and Robert Kretschmer, Davies was to produce the band's biggest selling album in 1987, Man of Colours. The album featured no less than five Top 30 singles, and included the band's biggest overseas hit, Electric Blue. 

I said yesterday that what intrigued me about this album, and the question I wanted to resolve, was whether or not the album was just hits and crap filler, or whether Icehouse were more than just a hit single band. Let's find out.

The Album

Let's start with the album's five hit singles in the order that they appear (coincidentally, four of the five are the album's opening tracks). Crazy is a timeless example of classic 80s synthpop that stands up to scrutiny even today. Davies's effortless vocal punches over the top of some very tasteful, subtle synth lines, and there's even a punchy guitar solo to break up the song. Electric Blue was co-written with John Oates (of Hall and Oates fame) and there are definitely hints of the Hall and Oates sound; those high-pitched backing vocals that surround and punctuate the lead vocal in the chorus are a prime example. There's even an oh-so-80s sax solo in the midsection. Like Crazy, it's a brilliant pop song. Nothing Too Serious is a song I used to enjoy when I was younger - faster and more urgent in tempo, it's a bit of a throwback to the band's earlier Flowers sound. Listening to it today though, it doesn't (unlike the first two songs) stand up to closer adult scrutiny, the cheesy lyrics detract from the song and musically, it's just a bit naff.

Man of Colours is a real highlight of the album. It's a synth-based (there's a shock) ballad but despite the lavish, epic sound to the drums and synthesisers, the star is Davies, whose vocal manages to be strong yet fragile, emotionally moving yet powerful. The lyrics also evoke a fragile, sympathetic emotion and paints a wonderful picture of a man who has, whether deliberately or accidentally, chosen a life of solitude. Lastly, My Obsession is another solid synthpop tune showcasing more of those trademark hooks and 80s production values (i.e. lots and lots of reverb.

So in terms of the hit singles, for me it was 4/5 tracks of at least a good quality, which isn't too bad.

Elsewhere though, the album tracks are 80s synthpop without the hooks that make the hit singles such strong tunes. Consequently, they sound rather dated and irrelevant. The best of the bunch is the grandiose Sunrise, which closes the album. Everything about this track is bold in stature, from the sweeping synthesiser chord melody to the reverb-heavy multi-tracked vocals. I imagine, despite it being a very good song, this wall of sound is probably what precluded its consideration as a single, because it doesn't have the streamlined pop feel of the singles on the album. Anybody's War isn't bad either, as it channels the Flowers era with its faster tempo and slightly heavier sound. The remaining tracks are forgettable at best, and in the case of The Kingdom, incredibly turgid. 

The Verdict

Man of Colours can best be described as being of two halves - half the songs are really good, and stand as great examples of the very best that 80s synthpop had to offer; while the other half lack the quality, hooks and emotional impact of the better songs. For that reason, as an overall album, it's not a particularly enthralling listen....and I was disappointed that was the case.

It's an album you would have bought for the singles, and probably only listened to the album tracks once or twice unless you were an Icehouse devotee.

Iva Davies' standing as one of Australia's best songwriters is richly deserved, that I can say. But it's also fair to say that he is a hitmaker, a pop songwriter, and crafting whole albums of high-quality material is not his strength.

Download the singles (and Sunrise), ladies and gentlemen.

My rating: ** and a half

Standout Tracks

Man of Colours

Crazy

Electric Blue

Tomorrow, I review an album by an 80s master of funk, soul and R&B. I'm going to take on the album considered by many to be his finest work. I'm bloody excited because I hold this man's musical abilities, as well as his songwriting, in high acclaim.