Although three decades ago he was Britain’s biggest pop star, Adam Ant hasn’t put out an album in 17 years—an unproductive streak that comes to an end with a comeback album this week.
The inevitable “whatever happened to…” questions produce a more interesting than usual answer in Ant’s case: Several times, he’s been admitted to a psychiatric hospital—either of his own accord or by being “sectioned,” as they call involuntary commitment in England. “I’m a bit of a nutcase,” he told the Quietus this month.
His comeback album has an almost Fiona Apple-esque title: Adam Ant is the Blueblack Hussar in Marrying the Gunner’s Daughter, which frankly sounds like the kind of thing that someone might come up with during a manic episode. It’s a combination of naval/nautical slang phrases that, in their way, hark back to the new-wave days when Ant dressed up in glam-rock pirate regalia on the covers of albums like Kings of the Wild Frontier, the top-selling British record of 1981. Nowadays he tends to look like a more aged, but no less dapper, Johnny Depp.
Ant believes he’s doing a public service by openly discussing his mental illness as part of the new album’s publicity campaign. “They call it bipolar disorder—that’s the modern term,” he told the Telegraph. “It only means up and down; it used to be manic depression, black dog, whatever. It’s a subject surrounded by a lot of ignorance and taboo. Where I come from, there’s the poorhouse–and worse than that is the madhouse. You should never feel ashamed of it, but you do. A lot of the time you can’t take these problems even to close family because you fear that you’ll alienate them. So anyone in the public eye that comes forward and discusses it, I think it helps.”
Reviews in the UK press for Blueblack Hussar… have been mixed. The Independent gave it four out of five stars, opining that the album is “sprawling, overdue and not for everyone, but at least it's not a play-it-safe comeback with the hot producer of the day. And for that, the Hussar should be saluted.” A less pleased Contactmusic.com wrote that “17 tracks really is too long, particularly when those tracks are largely an uncoordinated mish mash of lo-fi punk throwback, drippy acoustic balladry, Casio keyboard industrial music interpretations and spaghetti western guitars.”
In a three-star review, the Guardian said, “The 17 tracks offer a rickety but entertaining mix of the best elements of his imperial period: tribal glam stomps, razor-slashed T Rex guitars, two-drummer Glitter beats, knowing homages to cult icons (Vince Taylor and Vivienne Westwood) and sex... While nothing quite reaches the dizzy heights of 'Antmusic,’ ‘Shrink’–a perhaps autobiographical romp about a man who needs medication to feel normal–is as riotous as he's sounded in three decades.”
In 1995, he released what looked for a long time like it might be his final album, Wonderful, whose title song peaked at an unremarkable No. 32 in his home country but did make it to No. 7 on the modern-rock chart in America.
He published an autobiography, Stand & Deliver, in 2006. Several spates of touring in Europe (and, briefly, America) in recent years resulted in mostly positive notices. And there is a forthcoming documentary, made by Jamie Reynolds of the Klaxons, which Ant describes as “quite raw and brutal... It culminates with me playing with Rod Stewart in Hyde Park in front of 100,000 people."
I'm a pop song junkie, and I owe it all to 1983 -- the year I
started buying music. Hard to believe 30 years have passed. 1983 was a
rare year where many of the finest singles actually ended up at #1:
"Billie Jean," "Every Breath You Take," "Total Eclipse Of The Heart,"
"Come On Eileen," "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)," "Let's Dance,"
"Down Under," "Africa," "Flashdance," "Maniac," "Baby Come To Me,"
"Maneater" -- tuneful, innovative productions that still sound fresher
than most of 2013's pop playlists.
With MTV's 24/7 music video
onslaught, 1983 was also a year when previous decade's acts had to
assimilate or become quickly irrelevant. Thankfully many of them (The
Kinks, Bowie, Stevie Nicks, Billy Joel, Yes, Donna Summer, Robert Plant
to name a few) reached fresh musical heights in the face of the new wave
invasion.
Highlighted by a colorful sea of debuts, here are 20
noteworthy acts (in no order) that made their first stateside mark in
1983...
Eurythmics
Though Culture Club took '83s Best New Artist Grammy, Annie Lennox and
Dave Stewart should've walked home (in matching suits) with the award.
"Love Is A Stranger" (#23, November) was the dark electro-dessert that
followed the main course of "Sweet Dreams," which fueled Eurythmics
around the world and the seven seas. This video was initially banned for
Lennox's then-shocking androgyny.
"Love Is a Stranger"
Culture Club
In the short span of three and a half years, Boy George and his band
shook the music world -- and placed 10 singles in the U.S. Top 40
including "Time" (#2) which The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ranked as
one of the 500 most influential singles in the rock era.
"Time (Clock of the Heart)"
Cyndi Lauper
At the end of '83, Lauper's instant splash on MTV grew into a pop culture tsunami as her debut LP, She's So Unusual,
sold 16 million copies worldwide. Shot on Manhattan's lower east side,
"Girls" features cameos by her mother, brother, attorney, manager,
wrestler Captain Lou Albano, and secretaries pulled from her label's
offices.
"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"
Madonna
"Unlike the others I'll do anything. I'm not the same. I have no shame.
I'm on fire." With these words, Madonna set her stage. The edgy,
punk-infused "Burning Up" (#3 U.S. dance) was the second single from her
self titled debut, which (at only eight songs deep) still holds up as
one of her best albums.
"Burning Up"
The Smiths
Recording four terrific proper albums before splitting in 1987, The
Smiths, with their literate, melodic singles, and lead singer
Morrissey's penchant for the dramatic, paved the way for the
guitar-driven sound that dominated British rock in the 1990s.
"This Charming Man"
INXS
1983 saw the Australian group's first U.S. tour, and chart hits, "The
One Thing" (#30) and "Don't Change" (#80) from their breakthrough LP, Shabook Shoobah
"The One Thing"
Metallica
Certainly not pop, but still a debut well worth mentioning, Metallica's blazing Kill Em All peaked at #120, selling a modest 300,000, but as the band's popularity grew, so has Kill Em All's sales, which now total over three million copies in the U.S.
"Whiplash"
Nena
An apocalyptic tale wrapped in German lyrics building to a breakdance
beat -- Nena's one glorious hit remains a unique pop treasure. Debuting
in '83s final weeks, Nena proved new wave wasn't all British. Danke
schoen!
"99 Luftballons"
Naked Eyes
The U.K. duo of Naked Eyes placed four synth-driven hits in the U.S. Top
40 including "Promises Promises" (#11) and a percussive reinvention of
the Bacharach/David chestnut "Always Something There To Remind Me" (#8)
before vanishing by mid-decade.
"Promises Promises"
Tears For Fears
Tears For Fears' debut, The Hurting, was a musical ode to the
misery-drenched family histories of band members, Roland Orzabal and
Curt Smith set to pulsing rhythms and stirring melodies.
"Pale Shelter"
Art Of Noise
An avant garde sound-collage ensemble of British composers whose
innovative methods of sampling and electronic experimentation created
musical tapestries both industrial and weirdly romantic. 1983's sensuous
epic, "Moments In Love" became an unlikely hit on R&B, pop and jazz
radio.
Thomas Dolby
Imaginative and cinematic, synthesizer wizard Thomas Dolby's debut, The Golden Age of Wireless
-- a concept record about science, radio and modern technology --
prompted Musician Magazine to call it "The best damned synth-pop record
ever, period."
"One Of Our Submarines"
The The
Britain's Matt Johnson essentially is The The. His legacy is a string of beautiful and biting rock albums, beginning with '83's Soul Mining and its underground pop hits, "This Is The Day" and "Uncertain Smile."
"Uncertain Smile"
Big Country
One of '83's most promising new rock acts, Scotland's Big Country
featured bagpipe-like guitars, and Stuart Adamson's passionate vocals.
Their Celtic-inspired anthems were a bold departure in the pop landscape
at the time.
"Fields Of Fire"
R.E.M.
Only four years before they were filling stadiums, REM was stretching
the boundaries of rock with their atmospheric, understated full length
debut, Murmur, which Rolling Stone ranked as the best album of '83.
"Catapult"
David Bowie's new single, Where Are We Now? his first release in a decade.
The veteran music star broke years of silence and speculation to release the single and announce the album via the internet. He is surprising everyone who thought he had retired from the public, turning down a performance at the Olympic ceremonies.
A new album called The Next Day is set to be released by the singer in March.
Here is a listing of the most requested bands and songs during 2012 made to "Living In The '80s" made by KZSC listeners.
FIRST PLACE:
The Cure
The Proclaimers "I'm On My Way"
Cyndi Lauper
Michael Jackson
Billy Idol
The Smiths/Morrissey
SECOND PLACE:
Soft Cell
THIRD PLACE:
Adam & The Ants
The B-52's
The Clash
Thomas Dolby "Windpower"
The Fixx "One Thing Leads To Another"
Journey
The Waitresses "Christmas Wrapping"
HONORABLE MENTION:
David Bowie
DEVO
New Order
Gene Loves Jezebel
Beastie Boys "Brass Monkey"
Prince
Fine Young Cannibals
Elvis Costello
Grateful Dead
Hall & Oates
Psychedelic Furs
X
Tears For Fears
Blondie
INXS
Rick James
Cocteau Twins
