Lloyd Cole first made a name for himself in 1984 with the Commotions, the British band he founded in Scotland before relocating to New York City four years later. Since, he has released records both as a solo artist and with the Negatives. Now based in western Massachusetts, Cole recently formed the Small Ensemble. The trio is joined by the likes of Fred Maher, Joan Wasser and Kendall Meade for new album Broken Record (Tapete), Cole’s first “rock” LP in almost a decade. Cole will also be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our new Q&A with him. Says Cole as an introduction/disclaimer for his guest-editing posts, “I am 50 years old. More than twice the age I was when I began making music. I have developed opinions, certainly, and these opinions have evolved, but I can only speak for myself. I am still astonished by music. I am still perplexed by it. I am still moved by it. I am still revulsed by it. And I am more and more confused by how others make use of music in their lives. Music seems to be everywhere. Here are some of my thoughts on it.”
Cole: 1976 was a great year to be 15 years old. Punk rock told me that I could play guitar. I got a Jedson (looks like Gibson) bass, formed a band and learned to play a bunch of tunes by the Clash and other bands better forgotten. (Good news: Most are actually forgotten! The only ones I recall that I wish I didn’t are the Dickies.)
1977 was great, too. 1978, less so. Maybe it was Talking Heads 77, which pointed us towards funk music, maybe it was because reggae had proved such a disappointment, I don’t know, but a bunch of us started listening to James Brown, Funkadelic (One Nation Under A Groove had just come out), Isaac Hayes and the whole Stax thing, and then, once our punky prejudices were gone, we couldn’t fail to notice that about the biggest Disco™ band in the world were damned funky, too. Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards were apparently trying to form a punk band when they started Chic. I can see that. From “Le Freak” to “Good Times” to “At Last I Am Free,” Chic had hit after hit with stripped-down rock/funk grooves with smooth, strong melodic vocals, coolly delivered. Rodgers’ rhythm/riff guitar style is unique and still instantly recognizable. The lyrics were always one step beyond pop cliches; it was clear they were having fun with it. They went from strength to strength, even producing Diana Ross and David Bowie (Rodgers did this alone), but it is the Sister Sledge album We Are Family which is their masterpiece. “He’s The Greatest Dancer,” the title cut and the exquisite “Thinking Of You” make this The Greatest Disco Album. OK, Saturday Night Fever gives it run for its money, but I admit I couldn’t get past those medallions until many years later. Some punky prejudices took longer to shake off.
Videos after the jump.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqupk71a-O0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEDsHs1k9oo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijuUPJeaeXQ
