Genre: new wave
Rating: 3 stars ***
Title: Frogs Sprouts Clogs and Krauts
Company: Arista
Catalog: AB 4235
Year: 1979
Country/State: UK
Grade (cover/record): VG / VG
Comments: Canadian pressing; small cut out hole bottom right corner
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 5062
Price: $9.00
Given the rave reviews 1977's "Max" generated, you would have expected The Rumour to repeat the formula. They didn't. 1979's oddly titled "Frogs Sprouts Clogs and Krauts" found them largely abandoning their pub rock roots in favor of a skittish keyboard and synthesizer propelled new-wave flavored collection. Tracks like 'New Age', a cover of Graham Parker's 'Frozen Years' and 'Euro' weren't bad, but simply couldn't compete with the isolated more commercial efforts like 'Emotional Traffic' and the reggae-flavored 'All Fall Down'. In spite of some of the now dated effects (blame it on Bob Andrews synthesizers), the album's quirky appeal started to become clear after a couple of spins. There were plenty of decent songs here, but it took awhile for stuff like their cover of Rick Danko's 'Tired of Waiting' and 'One Good Night' to reveal those charms. Probably the weakest of their three studio sets, but still work a spin, especially if you can find it cheap. (Anyone have a clue on the cover - was it meant as some sort of anti-European Common Market commentary?) Arista also tapped the best song on the album (and the one that sounded like a Nick Lowe knock off) as an instantly obscure single: 'Emotional Traffic' b/w 'Hard Enough To Show' (Arista catalog number AS-0451)
"Frogs
Sprouts Clogs and Krauts" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Emotional Traffic (Bob Andrews - Mayberry)
2.) We Believe in You/New Age (Bob Andrews - P. Mayberry) - 5:06
3.) Frozen Years (Graham Parker)
4.) Tired of Waiting (Jim Atkinson - Rick Danko)
5.) Euro (Brinsley Schwarz)
(side
2)
1.) One Good Night (Bob
Andrews - Martin Belmont)
2.) Loving You (Martin Belmont)
3.) All Fall Down (Bob Andrews)
4.) Leaders (Martin Belmont - Nick Lowe)
5.) I Can't Help Myself (Bob Andrews) -