Christgau Consumer Guide
"BANANARAMA" (London) The girl-group version of Tony Swain and Steve Jolley’s black harmony trio Imagination, Bananarama suffer from Swain-Jolley’s characteristically detached mix, which sounds dreamy when these lasses blend their voices in song.
Christgau Consumer Guide
BY
ROBERT CHRISTGAU
"BANANARAMA"
(London)
The girl-group version of Tony Swain and Steve Jolley’s black harmony trio Imagination, Bananarama suffer from Swain-Jolley’s characteristically detached mix, which sounds dreamy when these lasses blend their voices in song. They also suffer from the songs, which despite their solid hooks don’t give you much to grab onto either. B-
EEK-A-MOUSE
"Assassinator"
(RAS)
What kind of artist interprets the legend of Tarzan to the tune of “Wimoweh” immediately after outlining his “Triple Love” life just so he can revel in “en” rhymes (“ten,” “den,” “lend,” “bend,” “them,” “Ardenne,” “Highended,” “Gwen,” “Jen,” “Karen,” “they even make love with my best friend Ken,” and of course the literal nonsense “laden”). A major eccentric who makes most of those who cultivate that image look like self-serving twits, that’s who. Also an eccentric whose first three songs here started with death by gunfire. Address: Box 40804, Washington, D.C. 20016. B +
EEK-A-MOUSE
"Mouseketeer"
(Greensleeves)