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Rating: You might not have lost sleep over it, and I can understand that. But in the last two decades, everyone has reunited. Duran (the historical core, because technically they never broke up), Spandau, Tears For Fears, Europe, Take That, East 17 (a dozen times), Johnny Hates Jazz, Let Loose, A-Ha, 911. Litfiba, if you will. Come on, seriously.
Time mends relationships, heals. Bands reunite, they don't just break up, as Carboni jokes. And what about the Bros? Matt and Luke Goss broke up the core at Christmas 1991. Creators of the Brosmania phenomenon that, in 1988, I'll concede, rather recklessly, was compared to the turmoil generated by the Beatles, the twins were screwed over by a binding contract from 3 Style Ltd, headed by Tom Watkins, who retained monstrous commissions on revenues (not on profits, mind you...) milking the cow until it was skin and bones, then shrugging and turning the other way (beware, because unpaid, he will do something similar with East 17).
Luke, in his autobiography "I Owe You Nothing" (1993), which takes its name from one of their first hits, says: "There is nothing worse than being famous and broke. Between 1990 and 1992, I didn't even have money to put gas in the car. I had to sell everything. I'll take the concepts of 'profit' and 'income' to my grave."
I'm writing this review to celebrate the long-awaited reunion. Upon announcement, the first date at the O2 Wembley Arena sold out in 7 seconds. Matt rebuilt a career in Las Vegas, where for a decade he has been performing at the Caesar Palace in the Gossy Room, complete with an orchestra. He always had a voice, a hybrid between Michael Jackson and George Michael. Here, he was able to showcase it. That a niche of regulars calls him a new Frank Sinatra, well, that might infuriate you. Luke, after a short-lived rock project, reinvented himself and partially made it as an actor in Hollywood. Blade 2, Death Race, and so on.
The brothers started strumming from adolescence, in an extended family (their father left their mother when they were 5 years old) where they acted like all the kids at that age do in the outskirts of London. They hired Craig Logan, a bassist, who left them after a year from success out of exhaustion, exasperated, and to bow out with dignity, he took them to court to continue using the "Bros" brand.
Matt: "The biggest check of my life, I signed, cut, and gave to Craig. He left the group before the bubble burst."
The bubble burst in 1990, with the boys insolvent and various Visa, Mastercard, and company on the warpath. Again, Matt: "We finished settling the 'Bros' business in 2004." For the record, the band never declared bankruptcy but honored the debts by spreading them out over time and proposing compromises through the law firm handling the case.
Push, the album, was recorded in 1987. Matt lent his voice to it. Luke and Craig, in the studio, watched. The producer, Nicky Graham, worked with synthesizers and asked the drummer and bassist to step aside. A pity, because live the two proved they knew their stuff, especially the first.
Push churned out catchy and impactful pop tracks, clean ones, which generated two tours, one at home (The Big Push Tour) and one around the world (The Global Push). The VHS with the promo videos of the respective singles ("I Owe You Nothing," "When Will I Be Famous?", "Drop The Boy," "Cat Among The Pigeons / Silent Night," "I Quit") dethroned "Thriller" from being the best-selling VHS of all time. Brosmania spread relentlessly everywhere and culminated with the event named Brosin2summer, a concert at the Wembley Arena in front of 90,000 delirious fans that preceded the release of the second album. It was the swan song. The concert put them in the red, the tour in America was a total failure, and when the twins returned home, the echo had faded.
They went on for a couple more years, a decent fan following was guaranteed. But the press turned against them: scoundrels, wasters, irreverent, arrogant, immature, idiots, talentless, and much more.
Push, to date, has sold just under ten million copies. It is not just a studio product: live performances were convincing, the boys knew their way around. Even in terms of approach to instruments. Pleasant, post-adolescent pop: they were 19/20 years old at the height of their careers.
2017: the Bros are back. Only the Goss twins. In 2008 there was a rather substantial offer, but Matt and Luke were no longer speaking to each other. Craig is out, today he is a tough manager (Tina Turner, Pink, Danni Minogue). He specified: "I never wanted to be famous. I didn't want to be famous." In response, the Goss have let it be known that the Bros proper were always them, are them, and will always and only be them. But if the guy, well, wanted to show up for a beer, why not?
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
02 Drop the Boy (04:08)
Shoo-doo-doo dom doo dom dey
Doo-da-da oh
I get down to dry my hair with a little touch of gel
I read all the newspapers but my mother still reads my mail
Oho
Oooh, yeah
I won't wish my life away so tell me if you can
Who decides when I'm grown up and turned into a man
Drop the boy, drop the boy (Oooh, oh)
I'm the man, yes, I am (I'm the man)
But they still call me boy (So just drop it, oooh)
Drop the boy, drop the boy (Oooh, oh)
I'm the man, yes, I am (I'm the man)
And I'll be jumping for joy
When they drop the boy, oooh
When they drop the boy, doo-da-dey
I'm tired of the boy thing, I've got other things to do
I'd like to be in politics, can't take another visit to the zoo
Oooh, oooh, yeah
No more bikes or plastic models and braces on my teeth
I'd like to drive a Dino and to live out of my reach
Drop the boy, drop the boy (Oooh, oh)
I'm the man, yes, I am (I'm the man)
But they still call me boy (So just drop it, oooh)
Drop the boy, drop the boy (Oooh, oh)
I'm the man, yes, I am (I'm the man)
And I'll be jumping for joy (I'll be jumping for joy)
Oooh
When they drop the boy
Oooh
Drop the boy, drop the boy (Oooh, oh)
I'm the man, yes, I am (I'm the man)
But they still call me boy (So just drop it, drop it)
Drop the boy, drop the boy
I'm the man, yes, I am (I'm the man)
And I'll be jumping for joy (I'll be jumping for joy)
Drop the boy, drop the boy (Drop the boy, drop the boy)
I'm the man, yes, I am (I said drop the boy)
But they still call me boy
Drop the boy, drop the boy
I'm the man, yes, I am (I'm the man)
But they still call me boy
Drop the boy, drop the boy
06 I Owe You Nothing (03:40)
I'll watch you crumble like a very old wall
I'll see you stranded
you took me for a fool.
I'll have my revenge
cause I owe you nothing
nothing at all.
I owe you nothing
nothing at all
I owe you nothing
nothing
nothing at all
nothing
nothing at all.
I'll watch you suffer with no feelings
no feelings at all
and you'll see you desperate
you won't hear my call.
And he who laughs last owes you sweet nothing
nothing at all.
I owe you nothing
nothing at all
I owe you nothing
nothing
nothing at all.
I was yours and you were mine
but you ran around and told me lies
you got big
big
big
big trouble.
I owe you nothing
I owe you nothing
I owe you nothing
I owe you nothing
I owe you nothing
I owe you nothing
...
07 I Quit (03:33)
Most of my friends were strangers when I met them
Familitary breeds contempt.
Well
I'm better alone that in company
So get out and stay out of my life.
I'm at the point
I'm at the point where I quit.
I've had enough
I've had it right up to here now
I'm taking a break
well
I quit
yeah
I said I quit
yeah!
With this view and that new opinion when I see them
I don't need another pain in the neck.
Well
nobody listens to losers
So when you're surrounded by fools
Who needs another
who needs another clever dick.
I've had enough
I've had it right up to here now
I'm takin a break
I quit.
I've had it right up to here now
I'm taking a break
I quit
I quit.
I quit
yeah
I've had enough
...
10 Cat Among the Pigeons (04:06)
Screaming in silence
fast on her feet
nervously feeling fear on the street.
No moving traffic
only the odd wing in the air
a shaft of light
a strand of hair
no time
no time to despair.
There's a cat among the pigeons
there's a pain in her chest
while the cat's among the pigeons there'll be no rest.
Gasping for breath in the cold of the night
patiently waiting for love at first sight.
Yes is the answer
but as the wind takes her hair
a piston thrust
a moment shared
no time
no time to despair.
There's a cat among the pigeons
there's a pain in her chest
while the cat's among the pigeons he'll take the best.
And the world keeps turning
and the boy keeps learning
who will be the one to put the cat among the pigeons now ?
There's a cat among the pigeons
there's a pain in her chest
while the cat's among the pigeons there'll be no rest.
There's a cat among the pigeons
there's a pain in her chest
while the cat's among the pigeons he'll take the best.
There's a cat among the pigeons !
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