The Joy of More Hogwash

Album Review

It's not every veteran British musician who goes from sitting in with the Rolling Stones and playing with pop legends (Boy George, George Michael, Robert Palmer) to becoming a post-punk humorist, but Gordon does it with spunk, wit, and some keen vocal harmonies and edgy guitar grooving. The onetime bassist for the eccentric pop bands Sparks and Jet (later, Radio Stars) offers playful commentary on finances among foreign leaders ("Oh No, What Shall We Do? Daddy Lost His Head in a Coup"), a blithe view of an impossible utopia ("Land of Nod"), and the difficulties of coming to terms with modern technology (the way too infectious "Plug and Play"). The only drawback is that the heavy production can sometimes obscure the spirited lyrics surrounding such ideas as "Her Daddy Was a Dalek, Her Mummy Was a Non-Stick Frying Pan." Many of the tracks have a playful and dreamy '60s vibe to them, a concept typified by the inclusion of a raucous arrangement of the Beatles' "Every Little Thing." Gordon also includes a new wavey version of "Love Power," the idealistic audition piece from the Mel Brooks film The Producers. Gordon is clearly a serious musician, but he's all but begging you not to take him (or life) too seriously here.