40. Men At Work--Cargo

 #40: Men At Work--Cargo (1983)

Top-Notch Tracks: "Overkill," (HJ200 #96), "High Wire," "It's a Mistake," "Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive," "I Like To"

Album Depth: "Settle Down My Boy," "Blue For You," "Upstairs In My House," "No Restrictions"

Weak Link: "No Signs of Yesterday"

Stand-Out Lyrics: "It really isn't too much fun, sittin' 'round waiting for the night to come. It's almost time to put on my suit of cool. I may be an idiot, but indeed I am no fool."--"High Wire"

"Alone between the sheets only brings exasperation. It's time to walk the streets. Smell the desperation."--"Overkill"

"Whistle your favorite tune. We'll send a card and flower."--"It's a Mistake"

"Tell us, general, is it party time?"--"It's a Mistake"

"He loves the world, except for all the people."--"Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive"

"Blood on the pillow of my bed, explains the pain that's in my head."--"High Wire"

"Settle down and eat your peas and gravy, my boy."--"Settle Down My Boy"

"I like to pull the plug in the tub; sit and watch the water flow down the drain."--"I Like To"

"Goats Ghosts appear and fade away."--"Overkill"

Men At Work: Cargo

Album Cover: 8 out of 10. I'm not really sure what all is going on with this cover, but I do know that it is distinctive and fun.

Comments: Men At Work was a force of nature. They came out of nowhere with a great debut album and a couple of huge hits. Then they dropped a second album, with more hits and great songs. It looked like they were going to churn out albums and hits with ease for years to come. And then....

I initially thought I could blame my lack of interest in Men At Work's third album, "Two Hearts," on my two-year pop culture sabbatical, but it turns out it was released in April of 1985, a few months before I shut the music off. I don't recall hearing anything from the album or even knowing of its existence. Maybe that's because in April of that year I left the big city life of Provo for my last few months of living in Arimo. (It is a quiet little town, after all.) It would be several years before I finally purchased a copy of "Two Hearts," picking up a cassette from a bargain bin somewhere, but by that time I was already making the move from cassettes to compact discs, so I didn't pay much attention to my purchase. Over the years, I've probably only listened to the album two or three times, each time with it feeling like I was doing some kind of homework assignment. Never has anything from "Two Hearts" caught my attention.

Why am I talking about "Two Hearts?" Because the first two albums from Men At Work were so damn good! "Business As Usual" is a fantastic album, and there was no sophomore slump with "Cargo." "Overkill" is one of the best sing-along songs--until it isn't. (That key change for the last verse is why Colin Hay is a professional singer and I am not.) (Well, there are probably other reasons, too.) Hay's rendition of the song in an episode of Scrubs is undoubtedly one of the best uses of a song and singer in the history of scripted television. 

How great were Men At Work at their peak? So great that they could get away with rhyming "power" and "towel" in "It's a Mistake." (Ronald Reagan protest songs seem so quaint now, don't they?) 

"Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive" strives a little too hard to be clever, but it doesn't go over the edge. "High Wire" is an underrated gem. It's my second favorite song from the album, and the line "I may be an idiot, but indeed I am no fool" is one I have been known to quote on occasion. And then there's the quiet little love ballad, "I Like To." (Just kidding. If you can listen to "I Like To" without bouncing off of the walls, you should probably check to see if you have a pulse.) 

Colin Hay was like a crazy-eyed Sting, rising up from down under. But, disharmony amongst the group led to one uninspired album, which was enough to bring an end to the band. It happens to a lot of bands. But, after those first two albums, I didn't think it would happen to Men At Work. (Hey, at least no one from the band threatened to kill one of their bandmates.) (Oh, wait.) 

I guess it's like the saying goes: Goats Ghosts appear and fade away.

Up next: Notre Dame for the win!