TAROCK MUSIC

This is a Reds alert!

The Reds.  The name itself should tell you all you need to know.  Emotion.  Intensity.  A hint of danger.  This is a band that exists very near the edge, and one that is not afraid of venturing over.  And if they go, they plan to take you right along with them.

It’s a daring musical ideal, much in the same spirit of adventure that characterized the Doors and the Stooges, but it’s one to which keyboardist Bruce Cohen and guitarist/vocalist Rick Shaffer display a refreshing degree of commitment.  The two Philadelphians are torch-bearers, upholding the tradition of experimentation that gripped Jim Morrison and Iggy Pop, and they are determined to continue that tradition and enlarge upon their American roots.  Cohen and Shaffer are proud of their musical heritage, and they’re not going to be overrun by the new British invasion; in fact, they offer their band as an American alternative to the many British bands which presently inundate the North American airwaves.

‘It’s not that we resent the success of English bands,’ says Cohen. ‘It’s just that we wish audiences here were more open to trying other types of music.  It seems that any English band is automatically thought of as ‘good,’ just because they have some sort of foreign mystique surrounding them.’

It is impossible to escape the influences of The Doors and Iggy Pop on The Reds (Cohen cites the former as the more influential of the two), if only because the band does a cover of the classic Break On Through and has taken the title of its latest work, Shake Appeal from Iggy’s 1972 Raw Power album.  However, the influence of groups such as The Cure and Joy Division is equally inescapable, as Cohen readily admits.  The difference, he says, lies in the feeling behind the music.  Where Joy Division had been characterized by an almost unmitigated sense of depression, Cohen chuckles at critics who say The Reds’ music is depressing, negative and pessimistic.

‘It’s more that we recognize that there is suppressed anger and depression within people,’ he replies.  ‘Only they’re afraid to admit it; they put on a front of forced behavior to cover how they really feel.  We admit that anger and depression exist, and try to provide an outlet for it.  There are enough happy pop tunes around – we offer something different.’

They certainly do.  Shake Appeal (produced by long time Reds fan Mike Thorne, of Wire fame) is a collection of five cuts, each of a very different character but with an underlying consistency which is at times almost subliminal.  Behind every track is a haunting, mysterious keyboard fuzz, engineered by Cohen; ‘I try to create a textured background that allows Rick to experiment, both vocally and with his guitar,’ he says.  Shaffer takes full advantage of this, as one can hear on Till The End, on top of Cohen’s masterful keyboards, he provides and anguished vocal line, and one of the most memorable guitar riffs produced in years.

Equally impressive is the rather apocalyptic Beat Away, which combines percussion and synthesizers very reminiscent of the early Human League (long before the preposterous Don’t You Want Me) with a guitar track as harrowing as anything on Public Image’s Metal Box release.  Laughing, which opens the album, is a horse of a different colour, but that indefinable connecting element is still there, hidden somewhere beneath the driving, insistent percussion and Shaffer’s unforgiving guitar work.  Each of these cuts, even the rather weaker Don’t Say It, seems to act on the subconscious; like with so much of The Doors’ music, there is a tendency to become unconsciously subjugated by it.  It’s an unnerving experience, but The Reds never said it was going to be easy.

The response to this music has been quite varied.  Their first four albums (The Reds, Stronger Silence, Fatal Slide and an A&M EP) received much critical acclaim, and Shake Appeal shows no signs of deviating from that trend.  Commercial radio stations have been, on the whole, less enthusiastic, but Cohen is pleased with the reaction from university radio stations.  ‘FM radio tends to be a bit close-minded,’ he says, ‘but college students are usually really adventurous in their musical tastes.’  On the concert tour, however, The Reds have gathered an enthusiastic following, opening for such diverse acts as The Police, Joe Jackson, and The Psychedelic Furs.  On each tour, they are given a better reception, but Cohen is careful not to press the issue. ‘We don’t want to force-feed our music to an audience, become a one hit wonder, then burn out,’ he says. ‘We’d rather build a following slowly so we can have some lasting influence.’  Right now, they’re working on building a following in Canada.

‘We’ve always had really good crowds in Canada,’ states Cohen, ‘so we decided to come up here to do our video and use a completely Canadian crew to get a difference perspective.  ‘That video, due to begin production in October, will likely be Waiting For You, another very successful, brooding and moody piece from Shake Appeal.  Rather surprisingly, Cohen sees a good future for the video trend; according to him, it can survive and progress if various bands don’t destroy it by resorting to ‘formula video,’ instead of conveying the mood of their songs.  Also in the works is a November-December mini-tour of Eastern Canada, followed by a nationwide tour beginning in early 1985.

In listening to their music, it’s hard to imagine them being changed by success.  Bruce Cohen and Rick Shaffer are men with a message, and you could do worse than to listen to them.  It’s not an easy message to accept, but don’t expect The Reds to sugar-coat it or explain it to you in words of one syllable.  You have to take their music as it comes because, as Cohen says, ‘We are The Reds.  This is what we do and this is what we will continue to do.  We’re very committed to what we’re doing, and we believe we can achieve what we want without compromising our beliefs.’  It’s a very honest statement, and one that comes almost as a challenge.  Honesty is a commodity that is disturbingly scarce in today’s music and, for that alone, the band should be applauded.  But don’t take my word for it.  Buy Shake Appeal or, better still, see The Reds live.  They want your attention and you should give it to them, because they have a lot more to offer than just good music.

∎ Jock Vance, Contributing Writer, Silhouette Magazine, Montreal, Canada, 1984

SPOTLIGHT — Red Appeal

One band that has consistently produced intelligent, stimulating music is The Reds.  Their new mini-album Shake Appeal, is no exception to this rule.  Shake Appeal is produced by Mike Thorne who is famous for his work with such bands as Wire, Soft Cell, Nina Hagen and, most recently, the very successful Bronski Beat.  Thorne’s production highlights the keyboards of Bruce Cohen, and provides an ambiance that was absent on The Reds earlier albums, Fatal Slide, and their self-titled debut album.

The Reds have trimmed their lineup by two, and now have just the two core members, Bruce Cohen and Rick Shaffer.  Cohen explains, “Two people leaves us open to a lot more things to do and experiment with.”  The Reds have been consistent in the delivery of their music, avoiding the trends and pioneering their own path.  “We will always rock!,” insists Cohen, “I mean I don’t want to get caught in the trap of saying, this is the trend for this month — let’s be like that.  That doesn’t get you anywhere.  That stuff lasts like a big dance-club hit and you’re heroes for six weeks, then that’s it.”

The long history of the band proves that they can endure, and will continue to do so in the future.  It is obvious that The Reds music is geared towards the dark side of life, similar to New Order and Joy Division, but Cohen becomes irate when the band’s lyrics are called depressing and dark.  He says forcefully, “I don’t think they (the lyrics) are really depressing.  I think we’re just being honest with ourselves, being honest with other people; we’re not going to sing songs about the loves in our lives, we sing songs about people’s inner conflicts among themselves, rather than in a relationship with another person.  Or, like politics, it’s about the inner suppression of anger or sadness.”

Doesn’t this abstinence from politics make one interpretation of their name redundant?  Politics are just an extension of people, and by singing about inner conflict, The Reds cover all the politics they care to.

With their new mini-album The Reds are testing the waters with their new record company, Seymour Stein’s label, Sire.  Shake Appeal is the precursor for an album due to arrive early next year.  The Reds plan to slowly motivate their loyal following by word of mouth, and extensive touring.  Commercial success will hopefully follow, but the most important thing for this band is to satisfy their current fans.  If they can do this, they will have achieved an important goal.  Cohen says, “If you do it any other way you’ll go crazy, and we’ve been crazy and we don’t want to go through it again.”

• Nick Karim, Vox Magazine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 1984

The Reds have to be considered one of the most cruelly overlooked bands in American rock.  After a strong debut LP and EP on A&M, follow-up albums recorded and produced independently by the band, then licensed to Canada’s Stony Plain label, never reached the audience they deserved, especially the superb Fatal Slide.

Now The Reds have signed to Sire, with a five-cut mini-LP, Shake Appeal, in which to display their wares, and that is just not enough for a band of this caliber.  Obvious influences here are The Doors and Iggy Pop, while Beat Away recalls the brooding power of Joy Division.  Rick Shaffer’s resonant guitar compliments his booming vocals, while Bruce Cohen’s keyboards are boosted up in the mix by British producer, Mike Thorne (Wire, Soft Cell, Nina Hagen, Bronski Beat).

Perhaps The Reds real problem is a name guaranteed to attract hostility in these right wing days, but they should be given more chances to shake some action.  (In actuality their name came from when they were in the studio and the the needle on the VU meter swept into the red which means whatever is being recorded is pushed beyond the normal limits.)

∎ Kerry Doole, Music Express, Toronto, Canada, 1984

(Founded in 1976, Music Express is one of Canada’s most successful music publications of all time.  The last print issue was in 1996, and is now online.)

A rough and ready garage band with a cult following and previous releases on A&M and Stony Plain/RCA.  The Reds are now a two-piece with Rick Shaffer on guitar / vocals, and Bruce Cohen on keyboards, and for this album, British guest drummer, Mike Spain.

Better still, the band has enlisted the UK’s Mike Thorne’s production services for Shake Appeal a five-cut mini-album, and now they have a commercial shot.  It’s tense and powerful stuff — alternative radio stations will find Laughing and ‘Till The End candidates for airplay.

The Record, Canada, 1984

(The Record was a Canadian music industry magazine that featured record charts, trade news and opinions.  It’s last print issue was in August 1999, and it’s final online issue was in March 2001.)