Product Code Database
Sweet Deceiver is the sixth studio album by Kevin Ayers and his last for Island Records. It is one of Ayers' more rock-oriented productions, with the first side featuring the progressive material, while the second was more mainstream. Guitarist Ollie Halsall was now a key foil for Ayers and his playing on the opening track "Observations" is a clear demonstration of his dexterity. Elton John also joined the sessions, contributing some outstanding piano work to several tracks, including "Circular Letter" and "Toujours Le Voyage".
Ayers, however, was still a maverick musician and the packaging of the LP was alarmingly at odds with its contents which were some of his more poignant recordings. It was little wonder therefore, that critics like the NMEs Nick Kent (a long-time supporter), dismayed by Ayers' new image, wrote virulent attacks on the LP. Ayers has subsequently stated in interviews that he was "deeply upset" by Kent's reaction to the album, although he failed to notice how delicately the scales of credibility were balanced within the 70s avant-garde music scene. Kent commented ( NME, Dec 7, 1974) that when he first heard the song "Sweet Deceiver" at a Glasgow Apollo concert, "it rhymed 'rain' with 'pain' to questionable effect."
However, it is Ayers himself who offers the most accurate critique of the situation in "Guru Banana" where he pointedly satirises his own pop promotion; "Who's the one with the grin on his face / Says he's gonna save the human race / He laughs a lot as he climbs to fame / Now what's his name? / Guru Banana! / That's me and I'll show you the light / I've got the answers and they're all right / 'cause I'm divine and you can be the same / Now what's my name? / Guru Banana!"
|
|
