Smart art-glam suggestions?

b-b-but Be Bop Deluxe?

Oh, how about those two Eno-associated Robert Calvert albums! Those are arty and rocking.

Don't know the Calvert allbums, thanks.

Not so into Queen, and on that tip, don't even bother suggesting Sparks, because i got all their records! (OK, at least 2/3ds of them)

I have A Wizard A True Star as well as Something/Anything. That's definately in the ballpark as well. Keep 'em coming...I once called A Wizard the ultimate meth album. How many songs does he fit on a side? in 5 minutes?

Scott, d'you mean their first and second albums, perhaps?

Did anyone mention the Sadistic Mika Band yet?

Savage Rose vs. Sadistic Mika Band vs. Curved Air vs. Nectar vs. Be-Bop Deluxe vs. Hackamore Brick

Early Split Enz is kinda glam-prog, just try and forget that they morphed into Crowded House (not that I really mind them, it's not exactly art-glam though).

Italian friend of mine has said he'll be making copies of their stuff for me. I always knew them strictly through Dave Vanian's abortive tour of duty with them after the Damned's first collapse.

everyone needs some rockets albums too. they rule. if you like electroboogiespacediscorock from france that is. and they were glam cuz they dressed like silver spacemen and they were arty cuz they were french. the first album is classic.

I have a Split Enz record that I like, got it on a nostalgic fit, they had 2 videos that were all over MTV in the early days, one was One Step Ahead or whatever. The song I like off the album I have is "History, Never Repeats"

Slightly off-topic, I just limewired Stereolab's version of Eno's St. Elmo's fire, don't know where or when that's from, but it's pretty cool...

Even more off-topic, anyone else think Stereolab's Speedy Car is a bit of a Soft Machine cop? Maybe it's just the horns...

Dan, check out the following Bauhaus tracks: "Dark Entries", "Lagartija Nick" and "Telegram Sam" (yes, a T.Rex cover). They were quite capable of full out rocking, from time to time.

I wouldn't go nearly that far. One of the idiosyncracies of the Doctors of Madness story was a TV special that ran on them in the States. It was an orphaned affair, presented as a kind of documentary, and it preceded any domestic album release. It was diverting but didn't light any buzz on the band.

The first domestic release I saw and bought was a double album. It had moments but wasn't particularly better than any middle-tier arty Brit hard rock act of the time.

Something to look out for in the bargain bins was the David Werner solo. It was very glammy.

And Cockney Rebel's "The Psychomodo" really fit the art glam bill, too.

Also see Audience's "House on the Hill."

Can't believe you're not feeling Debris'. Put it on again after listening to Roxy's debut.

Second "Psychomodo".

Oh, then check out the early Enz of Mental Notes and Second Thoughts when Phil Judd was the main writer. There's a strong prog and glam influence in the earlier works you would appreciate. The music is very arty, but most of the songs are fairly short and rock quite a bit. Neil Finn learned how to write from his exposure to Judd in the early days, but never did it as well. "History Never Repeats" partly steals from Judd's "Bergen Aan Zee"--an unreleased demo that the Enz would sometimes perform live in the late 70s.

Alistair Riddel's Space Waltz might be worth checking out as well. Riddel was New Zealand's answer to Bowie, T. Rex, etc. The sole Space Waltz album features keyboardist Eddie Rayner and orginal drummer Emlyn Crowther from the Split Enz. I've only heard "Out in the Street," which is quite good. I am dying to hear the rest.

dan you should check out sparks.

Dan, have you heard Marizane? They're the best Ziggy-era Bowie rip off I've ever heard. They have their own mythology and everything, and their record is gorgeous. Tony Visconti produced a few of the songs. They're from the Valley, but they sure don't sound it.

There are two great glam-sounding tracks on John Kongos' album "Kongos" that you might like: He's Gonna Step on You Again and (ugh, I can't remember the name, but it's first song/first side). The rest of the record sounds very different, though.

Covered by some chancers two decades later...I forget their name.

Also, check out Pink's "My Vietnam" - AMAZING!!!

It sure as heck is Ben St. Jacques from West Orange, NJ. Your name came up in conversation with some other West Orange-ites, recently. So I googled your name and found this thread. I figured if it was you, then you would respond, which you did. How's it going?

Ben

xpost, but did you READ the thread?

sparks.

just teasing, yes definately and I'd say much of the new wave material fits this as well, I could(and may...) devote a thread to big synth smart arty new wave, just to toss out some stuff:

Angst era Sparks, Cowboys International, Devo, Europeans(c'mon, who's got that single, I can't be the only one who likes it) The Cars, Magazine, more Ultravox, Alice Coopers' Clones etc

!!!!!!!!!!!

Scott, tell me more about the rockets?
(it's sounds like a combination of all my favorite musics into one!)

I'm glad to see Audience was mentioned here. Was about to revive to ask about them. Haven't heard them but they came up when researching Howard Werth. Seems Audience was a 70s UK art-rock band who's lead singer moved to LA to potentially take Jim Morrison's spot in the Doors (Elektra label-mates). He didn't but he stuck around LA for a bit and was involved in the Dangerhouse scene, including producing X before Ray Manzerek, and releasing 1 single on Dangerhouse, the pretty awesome Obsolete, which fits this thread very well. It's a bit punk/new wave but with a heavy t-rex/ziggy glam vibe. Anybody actually heard Audience?

Yes. I have the first two Audience records. They're best known for House On the Hill. Audience are arty and British. They also did twee well. Audience isn't a hard rock band, floating somewhere between Cockney Rebel and Jobriath. Very much a mood band, the mood being neurasthenic undernourished Brit. Did a Bertolt Brecht-Kurt Weill-like interpretation of "I Put a Spell On You." You should like reeds. At one point Werth used to say Led Zeppelin ripped the melody for Stairway to Heaven off them, having heard it in concert or off something from the first album. I have the first album and don't hear it. Interesting story, though.

Pretty Things: Silk Torpedo

http://www.prettythings.net/images/album7.jpg

I'm reviving this thread!

To mention Henry Badowski.

And say yeah to Cockney Rebel.

Rawk.

This never came up in this thread but I always loved Glass Candy and thought their poppy dance punk was plenty arty and glammy (though in retrospect probably more glam than art).

Here's an (unedited) review I wrote for Alternative Press back in the day:

GLASS CANDY
Love Love Love

Debbie Harry, meet Ziggy Stardust. Ziggy, Debbie.

The drummer plays like Moe Tucker on steroids and speed, the guitarist wears a Bowie- (or Runaways- or Sweet-approved) shag and abuses his guitar like a noise-rock Ace Frehley, and singer Ida No (geddit?) spastically and gamely channels both X-Ray Spex and Blondie, with the soul of a performance artist and, admittedly, a voice to match. But that’s okay; some of the best front-people in rock history never did manage to sing, and her stream-of-consciousness rants work because of her marvelously effective squealing shriek rather than in spite of it, atop arty no-wave devoid of pretentious usually associated with such shenanigans. (Troubleman Unlimited; www.troublemanunlimited.com)

Some live videos that capture their rawness quite nicely:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2XYg7fIDPc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RL-yFNppCvk

I don't know what they're up to these days but they are allewgedly still around?

they’ve been making great moody soft focus “synth pop” for about 15 years now

I don’t think your username would like it

Cockney Rebel's. Timeless Flight is a great midpoint between Bowie and early Steely Dan

yeah Glass Candy changed a lot esp. after I helped introduce them to italo-disco.

saw thread title and thought of Doctors of Madness, Be Bop Deluxe and Deaf School all of which are already mentioned.

Zolar X maybe?

I love Glass Candy, haven't paid attention to if they'd done much recently though

Hmm... Sounds like I got off the Glass Candy train around the right time.

Bumping this very old thread of mine for two reason.

1. Anthony Moore's Out coming from Drag City:
https://www.dragcity.com/products/out

2. Realizing Skids deserve mention here, esp after the first album. Arty in a certain way, pompous for sure, but not bluesy/cock-rocky, just big.

Also realizing I hadn't become a full Simple Minds convert prior to starting this thread, and should say better than Skids they scratch a big part of this itch.

New York glam band from 1974. A couple of them ended up in David Johansen's post-New York Dolls band.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8E-yjExXak

If no-one's mentioned Mott The Hoople I guess it's cos so much of their CV doesn't fit... but Honaloochie Boogie?
And I don't know much about The Tubes, but the three tracks I do know seem relevant (White Punks On Dope single).

That Space Amazon song rules, thanks!

wish the intro just repeated over and over gain, don't love it otherwise.

smart art glam adjacent, more raw art punk perhaps but new to me, missed this reissue and can't find it on bandcamp sadly.

https://lightintheattic.net/releases/2230-dumb-records-1977-1979

name sounds familiar, but should be more familiar to me ... considering ... let me know if you find it! I'd be shocked if no one I know has a copy.

there are samples on that page and sound interesting. I just want to pay for a download is that too much to ask?

surely The Sensational Alex Harvey Band qualify here ?
they were arty and rather glam from time to time

see that Neil Merryweather, touted by Scott up top, died earlier this year, https://rdfranciswriter.medium.com/neil-merryweather-rocks-rock-n-roll-space-ranger-dies-1837feff65f4. what an insane c.v.: the Mynah Birds with Rick James, recording the demo of Piano Man with Billy Joel, turning down CSN&Y, Mama Lion, Lita Ford, and numerous bands of his own (if that obit and his crazy wikipedia entry can be trusted).

Someone called?

https://www.mixcloud.com/charliestoic/star-glam-prog-stompers-from-across-the-cosmos/

well, in theory that seems like a good idea, but in execution, not really what I'm going for at all.

Someone mentioned Sailor 17 years ago; I've only heard their second album, Trouble, and it's an unusual artefact. It sounds like Roxy Music if Ferry had committed fully to storytelling lyrics and the 40s pastiche that he just flirted with (his most Sailor-like song is maybe "Tokyo Joe" from In Your Mind).
Trouble is pretty slight, but it's admirable how closely it fills its narrow niche: nostalgic glam romanticism meets Hope-and-Crosby exoticism. It uses a lot of synth for 1975, but somehow sounds retro instead of futuristic. I also note their UK hit single "A Glass of Champagne" sounds like XTC doing for the mid-70s what Dukes of Stratosphear did for the late 60s.

Have really been enjoying this Fáshiön music reissue (Birmingham, 1979)--was hipped to it by Tracy Wilson via her Turntable Report newsletter (RIYL Roxy, XTC, Costello & The Attractions)
https://lukeskyscraperjames.bandcamp.com/album/pr-duct-perfect

Been meaning to check that out. Have some of the old vinyl. Also seen some people talking about how this is the good stuff and forget the later “Fashion” stuff, but that stuff is not without its charms or fans.

Hearing this for the first time do to friend posting it on Facebook. Hawkwind stripped down a bit for the new wave/punk years and fitting this description.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOCe7GGW3bQ

That was the first Hawkwind album I heard, back in the 80s. It's a big rebound from the previous album Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music, which is completely limp.

“city of lagoon” rules tho

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svSV_G65CF4

Seeing now that that hawk wind song was one of the first responses.

I need to do a deep-dive on this thread.

the next hawkwind album (PXR5 from 1980) kicks off with this great john-foxx-fronting-the-stooges banger:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLRzKBShYjw
Hawkwind - Death Trap

...which might not be what you're looking for, but it is fucking great

PXR5 is a good album!

Be Bop Deluxe have been mentioned but Bill Nelson's Red Noise - Sound-On-Sound might fit here? I love that album.

Great thread. Dave Brock's solo lp 'Earthed to the Ground' from 1984:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EvGc61PUlo

I wish this track went on for a whole side:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT2ZkUS4gio

and scott metioned the hawklords album at the start of the thread but this song in particular is well worth checking:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuSE9vFlyMQ
Hawklords - 25 Years

that whole album is worth checking out

I was at a gig last Friday, never heard the headline band before and I said to my friend, I liked the last song when it went all Hawkwind at the end. he just looked at me blankly. not sure if that was because he didn't know who Hawkwind were or if they actually didn't sound like Hawkwind at the end at all

oh! very relevant to this thread, Deaf School are playing in Brighton on Friday

sorry actually next Friday

dont really know much about deaf school other than the fact that clive langer was in them

no idea who's in them now, but their first 2 albums are both good and in this area

I love Langer, esp his ep and love Deaf School, kind of musical theater Roxy Music with a cast of characters. Was talking somewhere about this whole genre on one of the DIY poll threads. The Yachts. Sailor. Metro. Some good bands and songs but kinda fell through the cracks and wiped away by punk and new wave, though some members reinvented themselves there of course.

very tangentially related self-promo...was on The Lot radio a few weeks back with nothing but late 70s/early 80s 7"s and while it's mostly post-punk/punk type stuff there's some arty power pop and stuff that crosses over with this thread in there as well. Worth a listen in any case. https://soundcloud.com/thelotradio/superimpositions-special-guest-dan-selzer-the-lot-radio-10-24-2022

Boy does "25 Years" sound like an early Ultravox! ripoff. But then John Foxx was deeply influenced by Hawkwind so chicken-egg-etc.