Though I didn't want to continue on with my listening sessions of Martha And The Muffins, I worried that if I stopped that I would never go back to them. It's not been an enjoyable series of albums to get through, and I am definitely not a fan at this point.
Canada on the other hand was still all in on them. When Danseparc was released in February of 1983, it somehow managed to peak at number thirty-six, the exact same chart position of their previously released This Is The Ice Age (1981). It even garnered a little attention in the USA, where it peaked on the Billboard 200 at 184. Overall, it was only their second album to chart in the US, with the first being their 1980 debut, Metro Music.
The landscape of Martha And The Muffins shifted considerably between 1981 and 1982. This began with the departure Carl Finkle just prior to the recording sessions for their previous album and was followed after its release by Nick Gane calling it quits. Shortly after the tour for the album, Andy Haas would also say his farewells. To fill the void, the band would bring in Jocelyne Lanois, and Nick Kent.
Now reduced to a four piece, the lineup of Martha Johnson, Mark Gane, Lanoise, and Kent headed to the studio in the spring of 1982 to lay down the tracks that would become 1983's Danseparc. Though it would continue their new wave style of music, the album would also adopt a dance sound.
In addition to changing their overall sound, at the bequest of Gane, the band would start to adopt the new name, M + M. However, not wanting to do so right away, the album would sport both Martha And The Muffins, as well as M + M on the cover. While subsequent albums would simply use M + M, Johnson would state in later interviews that the new name never stuck because their legacy was Martha And The Muffins.
For as much as I was dreading getting into yet another release from them, I have to admit that Danseparc started out pretty solid with Obedience, World Without Borders, and Walking Into Walls. The added layer of dance music really helped to elevate these tracks, which in turn made it a bit disappointing when the songs that followed returned to form of their previous material.
I don't know why, but their new wave dance combination gave off an almost Prince vibe. It's probably what helped me to get into it. However, by the end of it, and with the shift back, I was once again finding myself tuning it out, kind of bored. That was kind of disappointing because the band showed potential.
As I shifted my attention to their next album, 1984's Mystery Walk, I was immediately taken aback. I'm not sure what happened, because there's not much information there to fill in the gaps, but somehow, we went from four members of a band to an album where seventeen people are credited. Meanwhile, members Jocelyne Lanois and Nick Kent are nowhere to be found on it.
It turns out that at the end of the Danseparc tour on August 15, 1983, founding members Martha Johnson and Mark Gane had grown exhausted of the efforts of keeping a band together, and decided they wanted full creative control over the music. This resulted in them disbanding the group. Immediately following this, they began working strictly as M + M. This would come with a pivot in sound to that of electronic and dance. So, hey, maybe there's hope for them after all. I guess I'll find out tomorrow when I jump into M + M's pseudo debut, 1984's Mystery Walk.
Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.
Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.
No comments:
Post a Comment