VIVIAN STANSHALL "MEN OPENING UMBRELLAS AHEAD"

Artist: Vivian Stanshall
Album: Men with Umbrellas Up Ahead
Company: Warner Brothers
Catalog: K560052
Released: 1974
Genre: pop
Grade: *** 3 stars
Condition: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Comments: UK pressing; embossed cover
Quantity available: 1
Price: $50,00

With the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band coming to an end, the early-'70s found Vivian Stanshall engaging in a number of short-lived projects.

 

His first solo project was a one-off single credited to Vivian Stanshall and the Sean Head Showband:

- 1970's 'Labio Dental Fricative' b/w 'Paper Round' (Liberty catalog number LBF15309) Four years later Stanshall released his debut solo album - 1974's "Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead".   Co-produced by Stanshall and John Darnley, the collection featured all original material that he'd struggled to complete over the last two years.  Technically I guess it was a comedy album, but it was comedy with a deeply personal edge which meant parts of it weren't particularly funny - check out 'Yelp, Bellow, Rasp Et Cetera' and 'Bout of Sobriety'.  Musically the album was surprisingly diverse including stabs at the blues ('Truck Track'), Traffic styled, African-influenced jazz-rock ('Prong'), and '50s styled rock ('Bout of Sobriety').   Stanshall certainly owed a significant debt of gratitude to the all-star cast of friends including Ric Grech, Neil Innes, and Steve Winwood and most of Traffic.   Lyrically it was equally wild, showcasing diatribes against the music business ('Afoju Ti Ole Riran '), his own mental demons ('Strange Tongues'), and other shortcomings ('Redeye').   Commercially the album and the single were total disasters. Wikipedia cites 5,000 copies were sold.  Needless to say, Warner Brothers didn't even bother with an American release and quickly deleted the set from its catalog, making it a rare and rather collectable item.   "Men with Umbrellas Up Ahead" track listing: (side 1) 1.) Afoju Ti Ole Riran   (Vivian Stanshall -Gaspar Lawal) - 7:53 The first time I heard 'Afoju Ti Ole Riran" I wondered if I'd slapped on a late-inning Traffic album by mistake, or maybe a King Sunny Ade collection ...   About 90 second in Stanshall's rasp of a voice (imagine Darth Vader singing),  finally entered and things began to make a bit of sense.  Well maybe not "sense", but at least you knew this was a Vivian Stanshall album.  The title apparently translated as 'dead eyes' and made it clear Stanshall didn't hold most humans in high esteem.  At least give him credit for condemning most of mankind with a catchy African beat.   rating: **** stars 2.) Truck Track   (Vivian Stanshall) - 3:57 Hum, who would have thought Stanshall would be capable of pulling off a slinky blues number?   Certainly not me.  The fact it seems to be a tribute to life on the road, and in particular roadies (as apposed to groupies), was even more impressive ...   rating: *** stars 3.) Yelp, Bellow, Rasp Et Cetera  (Vivian Stanshall) - 4:46 Hum, captain Beefheart-esque ?   One of rock's most disturbing coughs ...   Frankly I have no idea what the bluesy, primal scream-ish 'Yelp, Bellow, Rasp Et Cetera ' was about.  I suspect Stanshall may not have even known.   rating: ** stars 4.) Prong (instrumental)  (Vivian Stanshall) - 1:02 With an African-flavored jazz-rock vibe, 'Prong' sounded like it had been borrowed from a Traffic studio jam.   rating: *** stars 5.) Redeye  (Vivian Stanshall) - 5:20 The most conventional rock song (take that with a grain of salt), 'Redeye' may have also been the most self--critical piece he ever wrote.   Judging by the lyrics, Stanshall didn't seem to like himself, or most of his rock and roll compatriots, very much.  Shame he didn't name names.   rating: **** stars   (side 2) 1.) How the Zebra Got His Stripes  (Vivian Stanshall) - Even though it was set to a breezy, lilting Caribbean melody, if there was ever a song with zero chance of radio play, then it had to be 'How the Zebra Got His Stripes'.  To quote a small part of the lyric:  "Playing with me pink banana, jugglin’ with me lovely bunch,  Secreted in me striped pajamas, streuth: I’m comin’ on tough.  Bad ting to tell he manana,  him just refuse to lie dong,  Gotta strap him to me leg to go shopping,  trouser-snake he’s so strong." No matter how big a Stanshall fan they may have been, there was simply no way any station manager was going to play this one on the radio.   Funny ode to man's best friend.   rating: **** stars 2.) Dwarf Succulents  (Vivian Stanshall) - 2:14 Set to a slinky blues vibe, the post-coital give and take between Stanshall and was mildly funny - probably more so if you were a woman.   rating: *** stars 3.) Bout of Sobriety  (Vivian Stanshall) - 2:47 'Bout of Sobriety' was set to a '50s-styled rocker with a lyric that was both mildly funny and quite unsettling given Stanshall's own problems with alcohol.  "With a little red wine beneath my belt, I breathe breath that can melt the paint off doors. A tongue to strip the polish off a parquet floor.... smooth. Wake up in the morning with a concertina cough, my coke-encrusted lungs ..."  Actually, one of Stanshall's funniest lines came at the end of the song - "I wish I could be different & original like everybody else!"   rating: *** stars 4.) Prong & Toots Go Steady (instrumental(  (Vivian Stanshall) - 1:57 Kind of a meandering jazz-rock-world-music instrumental that really didn't go anywhere.  Well, the band sounded great.  Might have had something to do with the fact half of Traffic seemingly played on the track.   rating: *** stars 5.) Strange Tongues  (Vivian Stanshall) - 6:41 Thanks to backing from Traffic and friends (though Ric Grech's grating violin wasn't a real help), 'Strange Tongues' offered up one of the  album's more rock-oriented structures.  Lyrically it was a bit disturbing, provided a little insight into Stanshall's odd mental state - "Fear follows in the wake of sleepless days, foul yellow fright As thick as mayonnaise."  rating: *** stars     Curiously, around the same time the album was released, Stanshall issued a non-LP 45 for Warner Brothers:     - 1974's 'Lakonga' b/w 'Baba Tunde'  (catalog number K 16424) In 2010 the English Harkit label reissued the set on CD.  The reissue included the 'A" and 'B' sides of the Warner Brothers 45 as bonus tracks.  The reissue was done without the knowledge or cooperation of Stanshall's heirs.  In fact the company  apparently blatantly refused to pay royalties to Stanshall's heirs.   In contrast, the 2012 reissue on Poppydisc/Revola was done with the cooperation of the Stanshall family so it's the one to buy.