LP reviewed in Sounds, 29th May, 1982
TELEVISION PERSONALITIES ‘Mummy You’re Not Watching Me’ (Whaam Big 1)****
I ONCE met this bloke called Dan, who was an OK geezer, and he loved pop music so much that he wanted to make a record. So he did. It was called ‘Part-time Punks’ and it was brilliant! Then after a couple of years, he decided to make some more pop and he released the dazzling and neglected ‘And Don’t The Kids Just Love It’ LP last year. Now there’s a new LP and Dan is still OK by me.
It’s a gawky, charming collection of great little pop tunes, clever bits and embarrassing bits, superb songs and ones you think you’ve heard before (as well as a couple you never want to hear again!), annoying mistakes, incisive insights, delightful vignettes . . . it’s a bit personal at times, bordering on the twee, it’s like the Swell Maps doing their favourite Paul Weller and Ray Davies songs.
Television Personalities | Mummy You’re Not Watching Me | (Whaam) 1982
Although maybe there aren’t as many stand-out tracks as on ‘And Don’t . . .’, there are still some absolute gems, tough little diamonds lurking undiscovered, just waiting to be polished and made into sparkling hit singles.
The insistent claustrophobia of ‘Scream Silently’ (“or the neighbours will hear” it continues with chilling double-tracked vocals) and tense petulance of ‘Mummy You’re Not Watching Me’ (the song) is finely balanced against the haunting other-worldness of ‘A Day In Heaven’ and ‘David Hockney’s Diaries’ (that Sixties’ trivia fascination again!), while ‘Magnificent Dreams’ is just magnificent, a thrilling delusion of grandeur.
Really, this is all too much. Someone should drag Dan out of his (self-imposed?) isolationary obscurity and put him in the charts, where his revealing eye for detail might run rampant, with the aid of a good producer and a 24-track studio.
After all, ‘Part-time Punks’ was years ago. Let’s go full-time! (Johnny Waller)
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