Album #89 : The Go-Go's - Beauty and the Beat

The Go-Go's

Beauty and the Beat (1981)

The Go-Go's started life as an all-girl punk band in 1978. At the time of the group's inception, only singer Belinda Carlisle and rhythm axewoman Jane Wiedlin were present in terms of the lineup that would take the band to the top of the charts. A desire to move to a new wave/pop style resulted in several lineup changes, namely the addition of lead guitarist Charlotte Caffey, drummer Gina Schock and bassist Kathy Valentine.

With this five-piece lineup in place, The Go-Go's were ready to go, and in 1981 they released their debut album Beauty and the Beat. Songwriting duties were largely handled by Caffey and Wiedlin (though not always together), although one of the album's singles (and one of the group's defining moments) needed a little help from an unlikely source....

The Album

Packed full of new wave, post-punk and proto-pop punk (yep, I just invented a new genre, what of it?), Beauty And The Beat alters between summery Californian powerpop and darker, moodier post-punk cuts. The majority of the songs are undeniably catchy, and the musicianship on display is solid (with the exception of Carlisle, who is fantastic, and Schock, whose snappy snare fills are a real feature of the record). 

Two singles frame the album. The first, Our Lips Are Sealed, was written by Wiedlin and, unusually, Coventry 2-Tone ska legends The Specials' lead singer, Terry Hall. It differs from the usual Go-Go's sound in that it is slower, lusher, more out and out pop. The chorus in particular is a monstrous hook, and it sits in your head long after the song has passed. The second, We Got The Beat, is a prime example of that new wave-meets-punk aesthetic. It's built around a driving guitar riff, which is overshadowed only by a walking bassline and Carlisle's high-register vocal. There's even a drum and vocal only break, complete with crowd-participating handclaps. It's short, punchy and splendid.

Outside of the singles is a good-quality collection of album tracks. The highlights of these are the musically interesting This Town, with its 14/4 time signature in the verses, a chorus where the bright guitar tone contrasts with the darker chord progressions, and Belinda Carlisle's best vocal performance of the album; How Much More, which is the closest the band come to a pure punk feel, as Gina Schock unleashes those machine gun fills, Caffey gives us a hooky riff and the group spin out some high-tempo guitar chugginess; and the jaunty, breezy You Can't Walk In Your Sleep (If You Can't Sleep).

The only real disappointments are Fading Fast, which despite a darker, more reflective tone, lacks the attitude you might expect to find in a song about leaving behind a douchebag relationship; and Automatic, which is all German precision and angular beats....but it doesn't work, and comes off rather flat.  

Two disappointments out of eleven is still a pretty good strike rate, though.

The Verdict

Beauty And The Beat is a sometimes fun, sometimes serious, always rocking album. It's easy to see why the band began to build a substantial fanbase from the very beginning, because as debut albums go, this is a really good one. 

Definitely worth a listen.

My rating: *** and a half

Standout Tracks

This Town

Our Lips Are Sealed

How Much More

Finishing off the month of March......TOOL.