THE TEARDROP EXPLODES (2008 REPRINT)

Where the name came from.



Cope wearing a pillow case. It's that kind of story.


Kilimanjaro - ****1/2
Wilder - *****
Everybody Wants To Shag... - ***1/2
Piano - ***
Video Sounds VHS - ***1/2
BBC Live In Guildford - ****
OGWT DVD - *****
Zoology - ****
Peel Sessions - ***1/2

Although they'd been going for roughly two years before its release, 'Kilimanjaro' brought The Teardrop Explodes, the late-70's/early-80's Liverpool-based psych-pop band, to the attention of a more mainstream audience than the preceding run of singles, several of which are re-recorded for the album. The classic oddity 'Reward' (a number 6 chart success no less), features on all but the earliest of pressings, and is probably the best thing here. That's not to say there's not a hell of a lot of other gems to wade through though. Whilst it's undoubtedly a period piece, the charm of songs like the dreamy 'Treason', the hypnotic 'Poppies' and the sweet 'When I Dream' allow the album to transcend its time and stand as a masterclass of post-punk pop.



The "ugly tripping fools" Kilimanjaro sleeve.


Then what happens? Well, they get big in 1981, which doesn't exactly sit well with frontman, main songwriter and well-spoken, acid-fried personality Julian Cope. Sensing, not for the last time, an opportunity to upset the normal balance of things, Cope mucks about with the line-up and writes some distinctly gloomy songs for the sophomore album. 'Wilder', however, does not wear its dark heart too openly. The production, perhaps even more of-its-time than the debut, may make the songs more palatable, but can't hide the frankly unsettling musings of a truly original songwriter. To these ears, this album is a masterpiece, an all-time classic well worth the effort it may take to fully appreciate its spectral yet highly personal wonder. There's enough pop to latch onto on first listen, such as the timeless 'Passionate Friend' and storming 'Colours Fly Away', but further attention will hopefully allow fuller understanding of, for example, the beautiful groove of 'The Culture Bunker', the lonely guitar melancholy of '...And Then The Fighting Takes Over' and the grandstanding Scott-Walker-for-the-early-80's of 'The Great Dominions'. Sure, there are numerous traceable influences (Love, The Doors, the lyricism of Syd Barrett perhaps), but something, maybe the personality of the songwriting, or the odd chemistry of the ragtag band, makes this underrated classic a truly original work.



Artwork for Wilder.


I'd love to tell you that 'Wilder' was the making of the band, but if anything, it's what started them on the road to eventual ruin. Although appreciated in later years, the album baffled much of the press and the group's more mainstream fans. Cope became something of a whacked-out pariah, all over the place both onstage and in interviews. The already-strained ties within the band (especially between Cope and his nemesis, keyboardist/sexual predator Dave Balfe) grew almost impossible to maintain. By the time they tried to record a third album in the summer of 1982, only Cope, Balfe and drummer Gary Dwyer remained. Perhaps inevitably, things collapsed in on themselves before the album was finished, but in 1990, a revamped version of the surviving recordings was released as 'Everybody Wants To Shag The Teardrop Explodes'. It's a complete mess of course (some tracks, whilst showing promise, are clearly unfinished, such as 'Not My Only Friend' and 'Metranil Vavin'), but one well worth wading through to find such gems as the heavenly, piano-led 'Soft Enough For You' and tongue-presumably-in-cheek techno-pop of 'The Inpsychlopaedia'.



'Reward' on Top Of The Pops. Literally on acid.


As for the other posthumous releases, 'Piano' is a diverting if not necessarily essential collection of the band's early singles (although some purists swear by this material). A BBC live show from Guildford never quite made the shelves, but has appeared as a bootleg. It's a great gig (especially the thrilling versions of 'The Culture Bunker' and 'Sleeping Gas'), but some copies (mine for instance!) are inexplicably lacking keyboards in the mix. 'Zoology' is a wonderful rarities set, featuring properly mastered versions of those glorious Guildford tracks, as well as some brilliant demos of songs such as 'When I Dream', 'Tiny Children' and 'You Disappear From View' which come very close to bettering the 'proper' versions. Adding to the fun are previously unreleased tracks like new-wave stormer 'Nobody Knows This Is Everywhere' and the pristine 'Log Cabin', making this absolutely essential for fans (just skip the dire early live track 'The Tunnel', for your own sake!). Completing the round-up is the recent 'Peel Sessions' release, showing fascinating glimpses into the early developments of tracks off both albums, as well as a righteous Wah! Heat cover and the newly-unearthed electro-psych curiosity 'Buchanan'.



Top Of The Pops performance for 'Passionate Friend'. Yes, you guessed it, on acid.


For those really digging deep, there's a couple of visual aids which haven't made it onto YouTube yet in their entirety. Both are available on fan-made DVDs, but these vary in quality (my copy barely plays these days!). The 1981 Videosounds set is only 7 songs long, plus Julian appears to be in a bit of a mood, but it's still worth a look for one of the strongest versions of lost gem 'Suffocate' (also see compliation 'The Greatest Hit' for a wonderfully-arranged orchestral version). The Old Grey Whistle Test set from 1982 is an absolute classic. Cope, either tripping his brains out or just toying with us, puts on what we'll call an 'idiosyncratic' display, whilst the band (probably a stronger line-up than the previous show) truly excels itself. Set-closer 'The Culture Bunker' must stand as one of the most bizarrely absorbing performances in TV history, churning along magically and culminating in a truly frazzled Cope soliliquy as the song dies out around him.



'The Culture Bunker' on Old Grey Whistle Test. "This is Kevin speaking..."


(NB - Both of the proper albums feature a bunch of extra tracks which overlap with some of the other compliations. The new 'Kilimanjaro' is required listening for the borderline-psychotic take on 'Sleeping Gas' from the short-lived Club Zoo).