Looking back, the 80s had some of the quirkiest bands and the oddest of musical experiments. While some of them are laughable and easily dismissed as profit-seeking, a handful of the bands did a lot to expand the scope of rock itself. Men at Work's first album was one of these. Fusing the processed, clean guitars and reggae influences of the Police with Colin Hay's distinct, sometimes nervous vocals and a catchy sound, Business as Usual is surprisingly more than a nostalgia trip. The singles ("Who Can It Be Now?" and "Down Under") may sound a bit dated, but a good deal of the album tracks hold up better than expected because the sound stands out every bit as much as the gimmicks that made them popular. Aside from the minor hits "Overkill" and "It's a Mistake," with their dignified war protests, Cargo comes off as a poor imitation of the first album. The edges heard in the sax riffs and guitar textures of the first album are rounded off here. The reissues serve as a pretty good reminder of both what was good and bad about the experimental side of early 80s popular music.
Business as Usual (reissue): \nCargo (reissue):
