For Those Who Think Young

Rough Trade - For Those Who Think Young

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CD Details

Artist: Rough Trade
Edition: Vinyl
Published: 1982-01-01
Music Label: Boardwalk
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For Those Who Think Young

Music reviews of For Those Who Think Young

Music Review: This Is Truly "The Best" of Rough Trade
Rating: 5 Stars

If I had to choose one Rough Trade CD to save from a burning house or take on a desert isle, it would be a tough choice between "Avoid Freud" and this one, but ultimately, "For Those Who Think Young" would be the winner.

Released in the fall of 1981 on True North records, the Canadian band from Toronto topped themselves with this release, their most slick and polished album. Instead of the rock/new wave hybrid sound of their previous effort, this album has the group merging dance music and new wave for a very urban sound that meshes perfectly with their lyrics about sexual and social politics.

Rough Trade sounded best using synthesizers sparingly with guitar, piano and drums. On future releases like "Shaking the Foundations" and "Weapons" the synths overpowered everything else and gave them too much of a Freestyle flavor, but here everything blends perfectly, the instruments and Carole's sarcastic, sneering vocals. The joy of Carole Pope's voice is how it can be frequently jarring, as if she stuck her finger in an electrical outlet while vocalizing.

The lead-off single, "All Touch" with it's slightly sinister, pulsing, throbbing intro, hit the Canadian charts in October 1981, and climbed to #5 the first week of December, making it Rough Trade's second Top 5 hit that year, behind "High School Confidential".

"All Touch" had no objectional lyrics that needed to be censored on AM radio like their previous hit, but it's been rumoured the tale refers to a forceful sexual act. Knowing Carole Pope's songwriting, I wouldn't dismiss that theory too quickly. Regardless, with its unique drum beats, and Carole's charismatic vocals screaming lyrics like "Voice going on, like a razor blade on glass", the song is impossible not to like. It is perhaps my favorite Rough Trade song of all-time, and at the very least, my favorite of all their singles.

Following it is "Attitude", which begins with a funky '70s disco-type intro. At first I detected an obvious Nile Rogers "Chic" influence in this song due to the scratchy guitar work, but it also apparently influenced Bobby "O" Orlando's later work with the Flirts, etc., especially during the ear-catching percussion interlude.

Things slow down a bit on the title track. "For Those Who Think Young" is the most mainstream sounding song on the album. If it weren't for Carole and Kevin's typically provocative lyrics, this song would bear much in common with other early '80s Adult Contemporary hits like "The Biggest Part of Me" by Ambrosia, or Lee Ritenour's "Is It You?".

"Bodies in Collision" comes crashing out of the gate full-speed and doesn't let up until Carole lets out a guttural scream to close the song as only she can. The powerhouse drumming that opens this one is reminiscent of Sniff 'N the Tears' "Driver's Seat". This track is excellent.

"Bodies" is a scorcher, but things get even better on "Prisoner of My Skin". At first the piano gives us the impression it's just going to be a retread of the fabulous "Lie Back, Let Me Do Everything" (from "Avoid Freud") but this one quickly takes on its own identity with its hypnotic bass, driving beat and chant-like lyrical stylings. One of the most atmospheric songs on the album, it reminds me of people cruising each other in a sleazy pickup bar, circa 1981.

"The Sacred and the Profane" has intriguing lyrics, but is probably the least interesting track musically speaking.

A slow, gradual fade-in brings us to "Baptism of Fire", which maintains a pleasantly lethargic pace while Carole delivers the lyrics in her unique exaggerted theatricality and over-enunciation, making you remember the words long after she's sung them. And who can resist a torch song with a line like "I was choking on cheap cuisine, with this trade who turns tricks in latrines"?.

"Fakin' It" gets things on the fast track again and though it consists of a basic chorus and very little else, the sum of it is much greater than the parts, and the drumming is amazing.

The album closer is a tune called "Blood Lust", which was released as the second single in January 1982. Perhaps the title was a turn-off to record buyers and radio jockeys, because the song only peaked at #27 a few weeks later, then disappeared. To be honest, the only thing I ever remembered about it for years afterward was its unappealing title. However, "Blood Lust" is much better than I recall, possessing a double-time rhythm and bassline shared with Devo's "Whip It".

If I had been of age in 1981, this would have been the album I played as I was preparing to go out clubbing, dancing, or partying into the wee hours of Sunday morning.

If you already own and love "Avoid Freud", this one is a MUST-HAVE. It's THE best collection of music Carole Pope and Kevan Staples ever produced. The CD insert contains complete lyrics as well as photos of Carole, Kevan and the band members. FIVE STARS.