MR. PARTRIDGE
Take Away/
The Lure Of Salvage
(Virgin V2145)
issued 29-2-80

"What's happening with all this "Eighties" music? In the past three days I've acquired a deluge of thirty or forty records---all different kinds of records, all very incredible in their own way (and usually in small doses). Which musical category outdoes the other? Should I become fascinated by various masterpieces over and over and over again?? "TAKE AWAY" confuses me. Now we have Mr. Partridge, the Andy force of XTC (remember them?), out with a disc that takes description-defiance to the extreme. This "solo" LP is outrageous in the sense that it makes Godley-Creme (remember them?) sound like amateurs, compares to Fripp's "Exposure" like a gull to a fly, thumbs ContortionsWireGangofFourBuzzcocksReside ntsevenPiLallfaveweirdwavewavewaveeave into the dirt, puts ole Eno (remember him?) into his ambient casket, and most of all, transcends even the best of XTC (bless their hearts) by miles. I love (and think I understand) too much musical genius. That must be my problem, because like so many vinyl junkies-cum-artists, I'm waiting. For something. Something to change the world, maybe? I dunno. Beatlemania must have been the last big mistake. Partridge's tongue-in-cheek/dead serious collage of edge rock should be the best techno-pop album ever made (so far, right?). But it won't be. Is it gimmicks? Is it the brain of an extraordinary forerunner? Does even he know?? Smart punks are dangerous. Perhaps I'm not telling you much about the record itself. Created around the restructuring concept of "GO+", the 12" 45 EP which gave you blatantly different mixes of five songs on XTC's album "Go 2", "TAKE AWAY" introduces entirely new compositions recorded on top of basic rhythm tracks of other XTC songs (mostly from their recent commercially-evident "DRUMS AND WIRES" set). For true fans, much fun lies in trying to identify each early song. But this becomes such a chore by the intensity of the newness in Partridge's own sound, that concentration is blurred. "The Lure Of Salvage" suddenly emotes absurdly good output. One wonders about his secret marketing statement as well; "Drums & Wires" disappointed many staunch early fans because of its comparatively mild approach. Yet, that particularly helped reverse their cult obscurity into Real American Public Notice!! (some, anyway). "TAKE AWAY", like a wisely maniacal hypocrite, quickly bites right back at the world which is by now so jaded by quantity, that quality is a redundant word. This LP reaffirmed my belief that all that matters anymore is me. Read that out loud and it's you. Just us.