The rudiments
of history should be familiar to all. Fresh from the breakup of the
Mindbenders, guitarist Eric Stewart and songwriter Graham Gouldman
opened their own Strawberry Studios in Stockport, England. Joined by Lol
Creme and Kevin Godley, but temporarily shedding Gouldman, who promptly
relocated to New York, the gang were experimenting with drum sounds
when a passing record company executive spotted a hit amongst the
hitting - "Neanderthal
Man," the most distinctive smash of 1970, was born, and by year's end
the trio was working on an entire album. The fact that only one other
track, the tribal joke "Um Wah Um Woh," even glanced in the direction of
"Neanderthal Man" lets you know just how seriously Hotlegs were taking
their fame. Few people would care about Hotlegs today had the trio (plus
the returning Gouldman) not subsequently reinvented themselves as 10cc,
and it is reassuring to note that much of that band's instant charm and
excitement is already present amid Thinks: School Stinks. The 12-minute
"Suite F.A." actively fore- and overshadows Godley-Creme's next attempt
at elongating their artform, The Original Soundtrack's similarly
protracted "Une Nuit a Paris," while the aforementioned "Um Wah" packs a
wildly panning guitar solo to die for. Similarly, the angelic ballads
which Godley long continued prone to (the lovely "Fly Away," "Take Me
Back"); the seering guitar leads which were Stewart's specialty; and the
utterly skewed lyrical twists which Creme so relished are all present
and correct. Unfortunately, few Hotlegs fans wanted angelic ballads,
seering guitar leads, and lyrical twists, and Thinks ultimately became
better regarded for its sleeve than its contents -- the school desk
stuffed with an unsavory smorgasbord of cigarette butts, broken cookies,
titillating pin-ups, a sneaker, odd socks, and an occupied gas mask
would later be borrowed by Alice Cooper for School's Out, two years
later. Hotlegs' masterpiece would be left to molder for another 24
years, until it finally reappeared on CD with adequate sound and an
utterly truncated sleeve. Line-up / Musicians Lol Creme/vocals,guitar Kevin Godley/drums,vocals Eric Stewart/vocals,guitar Discography(Album) Thinks: School Stinks 1971
1.Neanderthal Man 2.How Many Times 3.Desperate Dan 4.Take Me Back 5.Um Wah, Um Woh 6.Suite F.A.: On My Way / Indescision / The Return 7.Fly Away 8 Run Baby Run 9.All God's Children
