A Certain Ratio: Genius or Gee-Whiz?

4 Oct 2005, 13:26

From the accounts i've heard, ACR were eternal joke of the Mancunian post-punk scene. The best quote i've seen on the subject dubbed them the 'Right Said Fred' of post-punk.

Simon Topping has the voice of Ian Curtis with a headcold and Martin Moscrop's guitar makes Bernard's riffs seem like power metal. That being said, as a group they were able to make some fairly good singles(Knife Slits Water, Guess Who, Wild Party) some passable albums, and actually pulled off a legitimately good batch of singles and one solid album after Topping went bananas and went to NYC to become a percussion student.

Either way, the band was doomed, I think. Topping wanted to turn ACR into a fully instrumental bossa nova-lite group(this can be seen on I'd Like to See You Again), while the other creative force in the band, DoJo, wanted to format it into a pop jazz-funk collective (See: Force, first ACR album without Topping's presence). Regardless, in my opinion, Good Together was where ACR dropped dead.

4 Oct 2005, 13:34

Genius

4 Oct 2005, 13:41

When you're sick and tired.............. :clap:

4 Oct 2005, 13:43

Dunno if I ever heard them.....

:ignore:

4 Oct 2005, 14:15

Genius. it helps if you get the idea that they didnt want to sound like Joy Division. Hence Skipscada and the like... And the fact that they played their instruments in a completely different way.

4 Oct 2005, 14:21

Rocket Mick wrote: When you're sick and tired..............

If you can laugh inspite of this...there's nothing you can do The big E,great song :clap:

4 Oct 2005, 15:21

Fooking legends to me. Stuck at it throughout the changing musical times regardless of whats currently hip. Each lp is so different. Their like wine i think -takes a while to get into but once you connect they take you somewhere else. Remember when i was 11 my big cousin lent me 'To Each' & A Gang of 4 lp. No matter how hard i tried i could not 'get it'. I tried again at 15 and it all clicked- even 'Sextet' tracks : rialto, skipscada.. sounded visionary

6 Oct 2005, 07:38

Hannett of the Apes wrote: From the accounts i've heard, ACR were eternal joke of the Mancunian post-punk scene. The best quote i've seen on the subject dubbed them the 'Right Said Fred' of post-punk.

No offence, but where does a 19 year old Yank 'hear' 'accounts' about ACR?!

Do you double-up as a 45 year old barman in the Band on the Wall on weekends?! :laugh:

ACR. Hit or miss. Never as commercially viable as New Order, so shouldn't be perhaps compared in the same sentence, but had some fine moments nevertheless. Some of their stuff though, way too avant garde for these ears. There's only so much sax and trumpet I can take in a track, and they bludgeoned tracks to death with these instruments in the early 80's.

Jez Kerr mind, what a cool dude for his ages. Gets younger every time you see him.

6 Oct 2005, 07:41

And who called them an "eternal joke"?

6 Oct 2005, 10:21

I heard accounts of simon topping by people who had classes with him in brooklyn. I heard accounts of joy division even thought i'm a yankee , 29 yrs old, and never seen them play.

Crazy huh!

Your being way too harsh liam, and whoever.

genius half the time btw.

6 Oct 2005, 10:32

Harsh of who exactly? I have seen ACR a number of times, and have most of their records. So am therefore in a better position than most to offer an opinion on them.

And i fail to see how i am being 'harsh'?

6 Oct 2005, 10:37

Uncle Liam wrote: Harsh of who exactly? I have seen ACR a number of times, and have most of their records. So am therefore in a better position than most to offer an opinion on them.

And i fail to see how i am being 'harsh'?

well ,he wasnt exactly offering his opinion but others.Perhaps he heard this from people who are familiar with them and manchester . I heard some stories about JD but i have no way of knowing if the source is trustworthy.

6 Oct 2005, 10:55

i fail to see how that makes me 'harsh'. Just because i'm defending a band from stupid and uninformed comments.

6 Oct 2005, 10:55

Admittedly, the only people who have heard of ACR on this side of the pond are 52-year-old music shop owners who've seen the band a grand total of twice (Talking Heads tour, NO tour) and neophyte snobs who were fetuses or drooling in the heyday of the groups they namedrop (cough).

When you mention "post-funk" around here, most people would rather talk about Liquid Liquid or ESG than 'that Brit band that did a hilarious Banbarra cover.' Darn nationalism.

I don't necessarily agree with the "eternal joke" snipes, I would certainly rather listen to Sextet or To Each than the Pop Group or Essential Logic. I think the problem here is that Ah-murr-i-cun indie fans tend(ed?) to judge bands, especially non-local ones, on the merits of a single album or live performance.

In any case, does anyone know what Simon Topping is up to these days?

6 Oct 2005, 10:59

Mark, Wonderful bands you like.

Its seems like nobody knows what simon is up to these days.

6 Oct 2005, 11:05

He works in Nottingham. Think in some kind of music shop.

6 Oct 2005, 11:28

So Liam, should I direct all questions about ACR to you? Sorry i couldnt resist.

You may not believe it but i respect you views, and just thought you came off the wrong. You could use a gentler tone.

6 Oct 2005, 18:26

They're a hell of a band.

6 Oct 2005, 19:36

I do like ACR, not sure I'd label them as 'Genius' but they have had their moments; more hit or miss as Al said. If I could compile an album of my favourite ACR tracks it would be as follows:

Flight
Do the Du
Wild Party
Only Together
Fever 103°
Good Together
Won't stop loving you
Spirit Dance
Shack Up (Radio edit)
There's Only This (Sub Sub's Rainy City Mix)
Bootsy (The Swingfire Mix) - The original Bootsy's no bad
Wild Party (Way Out West Mix)

More devoted fans would probably :nonono: as I've missed out alot of the earlier stuff :) But to be honest out of the four or five ACR albums I own, there's only about 2 or 3 tracks at most from each I really like. I've tried listening to stuff like Skipscada etc. but it doesn't agree with me, would much rather give Wild Party or the cool electro of Spirit Dance a spin; ACR:MCR's a pretty good album.

It was good they were trying something new musically at the time of punk, can't knock their creativity eh? That bit in 24 Party People where Joy Division are observing an ACR gig and comment "They look good don't they? Shit though." is class :laugh:

7 Oct 2005, 02:54

Jonathan wrote: I heard accounts of simon topping by people who had classes with him in brooklyn. I heard accounts of joy division even thought i'm a yankee , 29 yrs old, and never seen them play.

You, sir, then qualify as an expert on this site!

7 Oct 2005, 19:34

On the very same programme that Johnny Giles made his radio debut, Hooky set an ACR question. The question was...."how many hits have ACR had, and I'l give you a clue. None. First prize is two tickets to see them, second prize is four........". Tony the Greek pissed himself.

9 Oct 2005, 14:06

oldmonkey wrote: Tony the Greek

Is he still going? I used to listen to him in the mid '80's. He gave Stone Roses their big break, oh... and Simply Fookin Red:D

10 Oct 2005, 00:59

My mix would go:

Shack Up The Fox Oceans Lucinda Knife Slits Water 12" There's Only This (Sub Sub Mix) I Need Someone Tonight Guess Who Wild Party Life's a Scream Spirit Dance Anthem Fever 103 Nostromo a Gogo Backs to the Wall Naked and White Your Blue Eyes Funk Off The Big E Waiting For You (this track is really the Big E's little brother) Shack Up (radio edit) Si Firmi O Grido

Not exactly in chronological order to say the least, and nothing off Up in Downsville as that's the one album I haven't been able to track down.

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