The Teardrop Explodes “Kilimanjaro” (1980)

It's amazing to think that one of the great eccentrics of popular music, Julian Cope, originated from what, on an initial listen, appears to be a straightforward post punk, electronic pop band. Delve a little deeper beneath the swathes of synthesised sound however and those original impression begin to subtlety alter. The lyrics carry an esoteric intelligence which belies their frivolous accompaniment and the unusual inclusion of a brass section is a masterstroke. But, as someone far smarter than me once said, "Just because you don't understand it doesn't make it profound". What gives this album it's cutting edge is the combination of all these elements which come together to form a frenetic, catchy, cohesive whole. The Teardrop Explodes were cut from the same cloth as Echo And The Bunnymen but their use of synths gave them a far more radio-friendly edge. I love the dumb chorus for "When I Dream" and the pounding drumbeats on "Bouncing Babies" and the way the keyboards seem to jog along with Cope's voice on "Brave Boys Keep Their Promises". The brevity of the brass on both "Ha Ha I'm Drowning" and "Treason" is both unexpected and uplifting. In fact the whole of Kilimanjaro can be treated as just an uplifting pop album but there's far more going on than that. The problem is that whatever is going on is securely locked inside Cope's mind. Yes there are references to television series The Outer Limits in "Sleeping Gas" and that song also mentions Rafferty, a seventies series staring Patrick McGoohan which was a precursor to Hugh Lawrie's House, but I've no idea why those things are namechecked. Like a line in another song says: "Poppies are in the fields, don't ask me what that means". The thing is, you don't need to know and maybe it's even better not knowing because you never know what to expect with Cope. Kilimanjaro is often overlooked when discussing post-punk music – it deserves better. –Ian