This is the gatefold sleeve double album re-issue of the first solo album by any member of The Police, the slightly odd Klark Kent album by Stewart Copeland that is a collection of his solo singles and the original album, if you buy the cd rather than the vinyl you get a bonus disc featuring all the demos for these records. For this project that was mainly recorded in Leatherhead at Surrey Sound studios between 1978 and 1990 with four songs recorded at Worried Rabbit in Nineveh, Assyria and two at Sacred Grove in California.
Stewart Copelands alter ego Klark Kent plays all the instruments and sings most of the vocals.
So is he really like Superman, well as the A-side opens with It's Gonna Rain Klark assumes the position of shaman and rainmaker on a tempestuous tune, warning you the rains are coming, expect floods, head for higher ground, as Klark plays what sounds like a huge drum kit that he's turned into a rain machine.
Don't Care was originally a single and a good slice of throwaway new wave pop, as Klark lists all the things, he doesn't care about concerning his life, If you don't like this tune he advises you to suck his socks!
Away From Home has Stewart escaping his dads' clutches, moving away from home, anything to stop his dad's spying and enhanced interrogations of his maneuvers, no more forced room cleaning, just plenty of weird new wave pop.
Rich In A Ditch has a well odd time signature, while claiming all sorts of odd things, anything to make sure he is rich enough to not have to work in a ditch, while sounding like Harry Toledo & The Rockets.
Grandelinquent has a dubby drum intro, with weird clavinet style keyboards along with all sorts of other odd things on this instrumental.
The B-side opens with Guerilla with proggy new wave drums, tight taut guitar with Sabotage adjacent vocal intrusions as he freaks out on a kazoo.
Old School is a questioning tale of youthful rebellion, as he tries to be more like Yasser Arafat of all people, very odd indeed.
Excesses details many of his own foibles like too many drums, ciggies and drinks and a host of other first world problems he suffers from, as the guitars get good and scratchy while he lectures his fridge, who said the drugs don't work.
Kinetic Ritual is another instrumental involving a spry guitar part in a Love Tractor style, while avoiding all questions tantric, no matter how much panting is buried deep in the mix.
The C-side opens with Thrills a super speedy new wave pop song for going out chasing Thrills all night long, the vocals work like a clarion call to make you go and chase more Thrills.
Office Girls has typewriter sounds, guitars, drums with vocals lusting after those Office Girls, no matter how much they ignore him, the Office Girls sound like the Dolly Mixtures.
Too Kool To Kalypso that originally came out as a single in 1978 is a weird anti-dance song, as he would rather pose than dance.
Stay Ready has a Wall Of Voodoo Mexican Radio style feel, as Special guest vocalist Derek Holt joins Klark in urging us to Stay Ready to go on the lam, while claiming he should have been a cowboy.
Strange Things Happen like this odd reggae inflected tune about the things that happen on the road that should stay on the road.
The D-side opens with Love Lessons that is full of dodgy desires about way to lose your cherry, over new wave guitars and surprisingly sparse drums as he works out the possibilities with Derek Holt.
Yo Ho Ho is an Xmas Tune for the grinches among you, as he doesn't sound too happy it's Christmas, on a tune that sounds designed to not be a Christmas staple.
Someone Else has tribal drumming, with strange effects, as he discusses friends living double lives, like he's been hanging out with his dad's pals too much, this gets progressively odder.
Office Talk is some women chatting, before the urgent guitars and drums arrive to punctuate the chatter, while sounding like The Wipers in places, making it a suitable way to close a rather strange album.
Find out more at https://klarkkent.lnk.to/KKDPR www.stewartcopeland.net https://www.facebook.com/StewartCopeland
