Divinyls

DiVinyls

Virgin Records, 1991

http://myspace.com/officialdivinyls

REVIEW BY: Eric E5S16

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 02/11/1998

Back in the very early days of rock and roll, songs dealing with sexuality were absolutely unheard of on the radio. Well, in the 80s and 90s, sex hasn't had any problems reaching the airwaves, whether it be on radio and/or television. As it sneaks in the media, people pretty much have to take it as it is, whether they like it or not. Learning the affairs of people such as Bill Clinton, Marv Albert and Clarence Thomas (to name a few), sex is just like everday news.

Actually, songs dealing with sex had traveled from time to time during the early days of rock and beyond, but it received national obscenity ratings. (Remember Jerry Lee Lewis' "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On?" And, of course, people said Elvis Presley was too sexually attracting. Then there's Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" and "The Lemon Song," as everyone was figuring out what the lyrics in what they really meant.)

Australia's DiVinyls attracted some attention with their sex-related hit song, "I Touch Myself." Of course, with a title such as that, it made a few heads turn.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

Their self-titled album, released in late 1990, features this song, and the album as a whole is your standard late 1980s pop. Not your typical "dance pop" like say, Duran Duran, it's pop with a harder rock edge. (This album was not their official debut; they had released albums since 1982.)

"Make Out Alright" starts out the album, and it's pretty catchy. The words Make Out relate to working things out, not what you would think, as in sex!

Speaking of which, the next track is the hit "I Touch Myself." Yes, it does attract your sexual attention, and it is just as exciting, musicwise, as its title. The words say it all: "When I think about you, I touch myself."

After hearing the first two songs, and enjoying them, the rest of the album seems to lack. "Lay Your Body Down" is fair, however "Love School" has some potential.

Then all of a sudden, "Bless My Soul (It's Rock-n-Roll)" grabs you by the gut, as it rocks; it's probably the hardest rocking song on the album, in the style of The Pretenders.

The album slows down again with the mostly accoustical guitar tune, "If Love Was A Gun." (It picks up with the entire band towards the end.) It has a U2 "One" effect; but again, it's fair, and it's not as exciting as the previous tunes that stand out on the album. In fact, I started losing interest in it towards the end. The acoustical guitar sounded fine, maybe it should of stayed throughout the entire song.

"Need A Lover," like "Love School," has potential. "Follow Through" sounds like a slowed-down version of "Joyride" by Roxette, yet it's not a bad tune.

"Cafe Interlude" sounds like what you would hear in a movie soundtrack like "The Godfather." In fact, it's less than a minute in length.

"Bullet" is another tune that is real good. It could be used in a movie soundtrack for a car chase scene, or something as exciting as that. The guitar is great in between the verses; it reminds me of a Duran Duran tune, that I just can't think of its title at the moment. It's more of a pop-sounding tune, than any other song on this album.

"I'm On Your Side" is another mostly accoustical guitar tune. This song, like "If Love Was A Gun," is compared to the newer female artists of today, like Jewel, Joan Osborne, and Sarah McLaughlin. This song is a good one, it's much better than the "Gun" tune, and it's a good ending song for the album.

DiVinyls has the sounds of pop and rock. I think this album could be enjoyed more if listened to more than once. Some albums are like that, it takes a while to get used to. It's not a bad album; it does have its moments.

Rating: C

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