Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: 10cc
Label: Mercury Records
Released: September 1, 1978
Length: 49:57
Rating: 4.5/5
»Bloody Tourists« was the sixth studio album from the cult art-rock jokers 10cc, a one-of-a-kind musical collective that never stopped thrilling people throughout its colorful career with its unusual mix of tempting melodies, complex arrangements and classic English humor, with plenty of biting sarcasm thrown in. The classic 10cc lineup, which included the eternal pranksters, drummer Kevin Godley and guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist Lol Creme, was ancient history after 1976, and by the time of »Bloody Tourists«, the second studio effort since that duo’s departure, vocalist/guitarist Graham Gouldman and vocalist/keyboardist Eric Stewart (who later teamed up with Sir Paul McCartney too) had the reins of the band firmly in their hands. The new 10cc lineup was rounded out by guitarist/keyboardist Rick Fenn, drummer/percussionist Paul Burgess, drummer/percussionist Stuart Tosh and keyboardist Duncan Mackay (who later worked with The Alan Parsons Project, Camel and Budgie, among others). MacKay replaced Tony O’Malley, who was a 10cc member only for the live album »Live And Let Live« (1977).
While making »Bloody Tourists«, a sort of quasi-concept album, since most of the lyrics are about the travels of the typical stuck-up, conservative English tourist through unfamiliar lands (Jamaica, Tokyo, Ocho Rios, Paradise…), the revamped 10cc probably never imagined that »Dreadlock Holiday«, the first single off the album, would top the British charts and become one of the highlights of their career. By far the best-known track on the record was inspired by a trip two musicians took to Barbados (the lyrics are actually about Jamaica), where Eric Stewart and The Moody Blues guitarist/vocalist Justin Hayward ran into plenty of unpleasant incidents amid close encounters with the locals.
At its core it’s a laid-back reggae tune at a mellow tempo, but dig a little deeper into the lyrics and the individual arrangements and you realize it’s actually a scathing satire of the typical ‘white man’ who is hopelessly out of his depth in the middle of Jamaica. The whole thing is based on real events, when those two musicians met a thief during their trip around Barbados. The guy, decked out in dreads, demanded a silver necklace from the ‘white man’, and later a drug dealer paid them a visit at the hotel too, so there was no shortage of colorful adventures. The references to cricket, reggae and Jamaica in the lyrics are the tourist’s attempt to convince the locals, by any means necessary, how much he loves their way of life, even though it’s only a show of friendliness. Eric Stewart took the lead vocals here, which let him bring in a bit of autobiographical pathos while neatly adapting his singing style to a typical reggae approach. The memorable chorus, which just won’t get out of your head, made sure »Dreadlock Holiday« became the only hit off »Bloody Tourists«.
From here on the album takes on much more melancholic and somber ambient shades, as you can hear already on »For You And I«, which pokes plenty of fun at all the ups and downs and the over-the-top emotionality of a relationship. Here the group’s proverbial mastery of building moving vocal harmonies and laying down gorgeous acoustic arrangements, constantly fertilized by an inconsolable melancholy, is confirmed once again. The mood and overall tempo of the album pick up a bit on the unexpectedly playful »Take These Chains«, where the relationship between the partners is shown from a far more positive angle. 10cc were always masters of wordplay and original metaphors in their lyrics, so it’s sometimes quite a challenge to tell when they’re making fun of the lyrical subject and when they’re completely serious.
»Shock On The Tube (Don’t Want Love)«, where a melancholic intro suddenly gives way to a spirited section, especially thanks to the ‘saloon’ piano and the sassy vocal harmonies, has a classic example of a 10cc lyric, with the eternal dreamer suddenly swapping reality for fantasy in the first person. The mischievous »Last Night« has another example of autobiographical storytelling, where the narrator/singer, in this case Graham Gouldman, is torn between a long-term relationship and a ‘one-night’ fling, which is yet another sarcastic nod to the increasingly shallow human relationships in modern capitalist society. »Anonymous Alcoholic«, with its bluesy guitar passage and cheeky piano rhythms, has a tongue-in-cheek lyric about a drunk who finds himself in a foreign country and can’t make proper contact with the bartender while everyone laughs at him behind his back. Around the middle, dance rhythms take over, underlining the sudden exoticism of arriving in a faraway place. Caribbean percussion, horn arrangements and the electronic sound of synthesizers push the exotic atmosphere even further.
»Reds In My Bed«, which also came out as a single but didn’t make the charts, even though you can feel a noticeable The Beatles influence in it, is another bitter jab at a dysfunctional relationship, while the romantic chorus with its lovely vocal harmonies is in sharp contrast with the otherwise cynical lyrics. Drummer Stuart Tosh did a superb job on lead vocals here. »Lifeline« also had good commercial potential, another strongly melodic, endearing and slightly melancholic love story, where the band touches on homesickness and the (seemingly) great distance between two lovers in the lyrics. The gorgeous symphonic arrangements and the stately chorus are especially impressive. The ethereal ballad »Tokyo« is the best possible tribute to 10cc’s Japanese fans, an incredibly moving and heartfelt dedication to the Japanese capital, with Stewart’s inconsolably melancholic vocals really shining.
Of everything on »Bloody Tourists«, »Old Mister Time« is the track that, mostly thanks to the lyrics, sounds the most ruthlessly satirical of society, describing the misfortunes of an old vagabond who is the constant butt of the jokes of everyone around him. The interplay of vocal harmonies, stately symphonic flourishes and sharp guitar phrases flows in an exceptionally fluid way, while Stewart gets deep into the role of a grumpy, pathetic old drifter. »From Rochdale To Ocho Rios« tells the story of a rock band and its entourage on a long tour, while the lyrical clowning around at the expense of countless travel mishaps takes on whole new dimensions. It’s got plenty of references too to the cult hippie group The Mamas & the Papas. Fittingly, dance-y ‘calypso’ rhythms and cheerful tunes take over, further boosting the overall feeling of an exotic setting.
»Everything You Wanted To Know About!!!« has a somewhat more irritated vocal approach, since this time the lyrics are a merciless verbal showdown with a partner after the first cracks suddenly show in the relationship. The central arrangement sounds the darkest of anything on the whole album, with 10cc driving home the sudden triumph of estrangement. The 1997 reissue of »Bloody Tourists« includes an extra track called »Nothing Can Move Me«, which fits in stylistically with the rest of the album, even though it’s structured around somewhat bluesier guitar and piano lines. In the mocking lyrics, nothing in the world excites the protagonist like rock’n’roll music, to the point where he neglects his partner too.
The misadventures of the typical clueless, snooty English tourist who winds up somewhere in the Caribbean with an empty head have never sounded as much fun as on »Bloody Tourists«, one of the key albums in the 10cc discography. Plenty of British bands from the golden age of art rock developed their very own way of sarcastically tearing modern society to shreds, but none of them pulled it off in as endearing, subtle and sometimes even touching a way as 10cc did. If you ever got stranded on a desert island and needed just one single 10cc album to cheer you up, the only logical choice is »Bloody Tourists«, led by its unforgettable evergreen »Dreadlock Holiday«, the greatest musical tourist satire of all time.
Lineup
Eric Stewart – lead vocals, guitar, piano, Moog synthesizer, organ
Graham Gouldman – lead vocals, bass guitar, guitar, percussion
Rick Fenn – guitar, organ, Moog synthesizer, vocals
Duncan Mackay – synthesizer, piano, violin, keyboards, electric piano, backing vocals
Paul Burgess – drums and percussion
Stuart Tosh – drums, percussion, lead vocals on “Reds In My Bed”
Production
Graham Gouldman and Eric Stewart
Track list
1. Dreadlock Holiday (4:28)
2. For You & I (5:20)
3. Take These Chains (2:36)
4. Shock On The Tube (Don’t Want Love) (3:38)
5. Last Night (3:10)
6. Anonymous Alcoholic (5:38)
7. Reds In My Bed (4:04)
8. Lifeline (3:26)
9. Tokyo (4:29)
10. Old Mister Time (4:27)
11. From Rochdale To Ocho Rio (3:41)
12. Everything You Wanted To know about!! (Exclamation marks) (4:25)
13. Nothing Can Move Me (Bonus Track)
