Kevin Rowland & Dexys Midnight Runners - Too-Rye-Ay

Back in '82 it was either "Come on Eileen" or "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" that were poisoning the radio, and making youth group dances insufferable. Although if I was to be honest Dexys Midnight Runners were pretty cool, but it wasn't rock. Over the decades I've softened to the point where I will give Culture Club a pass. They ended up being a lot more than a one hit wonder. On the other hand, Dexys were relegated to the one hit pile. But man, what a hit. 

Here I am over forty years later with the album blaring in the background. I wanted to hear the entire album, but I picked it up for one song. When it was released an awful lot of people only bought the single and eschewed the album, apparently as it went gold in a number of markets. Oddly for a song that went #1 in the US the album and the single didn't sell enough to make the RIAA database. That must suck.

"What single?" you ask ... really, you're going to make me say it? I actually said it already right at the top. I just figured it was implied at this point.

Fine. For clarity I'll spell it out.

"Come on Eileen" 

Happy?

It's funny how deeply ingrained the song has become in popular culture. I think my absolute favourite is when in Preacher Jesse, Custer and Tulip are in the car and the song comes on the radio. Tulip says "This is such a bad song." and Custer agrees "Shite" he says emphatically.  Fast forward and an epic car chase ensues the three are singing along at the top of their lungs with the radio. If there was a turning point in which one of the weirdest '80s hits was venerated this was it. Although frankly it had been percolating for decades, this was just my favourite reference.

Too-Rye-Ay is as ambitious as it is somewhat forgettable. Which is sort of throwing the baby out with the bathwater, but it isn't meant to be as harsh as that came across. When you look at the picture of the band wearing bib overalls and looking like a bunch of Gypsies who had just emerged from their caravan for a picture, you'd be forgiven for thinking the band was taking the piss.

While so many '80s bands were embracing technology Kevin Rowland and Dexys Midnight Runners were embracing their roots and incorporating horns, banjos, fiddles and the accordion and creating some really cool music that feels like pop but has more going on than you'd expect.

The album opens with "The Celtic Soul Brothers" and the song has all the hallmarks that set the tone for the album. With the following track "Let's Make This Precious" the horn section makes itself heard. Like the opening track it's a solid track, even if it seems to go in one ear and out the other. This sort of repeats itself as the songs play. They're good, all the ingredients are there ... it's the proportions that are just a wee bit off and they come and go without making much of an impact. It's weird. I've played this through several times now and each time I think this is really good, and wonder how did I miss a track like "Jackie Wilson Said" which is so good, and then when I play it again it feels like I'm listening to it for the first time.

The second side is more of the same, but different. The first side regardless my issues with object permanence obviously set the groundwork for what was to come. Those cool organic bits and pieces and interplay between the instruments started to feel cohesive, and the songs are starting to stick. Which may be due to repetition as much as the songs themselves ... whatever the reason it's the second side the bloomed first. I suppose the journey through the tracks to get to the album's closer "Come on Eileen" was actually a genius move in some respects. The song is really the culmination of everything that had come before. All the bits and pieces were in the right order and in the right amounts and the song is a triumphant conclusion to what was a really good album. If it had come earlier or at the start, the other tracks would have suffered, or been skipped altogether.

I'm getting ahead of myself here ... I'll go back a bit to the opening track on side two: "Plan B" is a fully realized song and one that I really liked. Then it was back to enjoyable and somewhat forgettable compositions "Until I Believe In My Soul" comes on, and the song is in some respects the album's centre as it is a song that ebbs and flows before it gives way to the opening bars of "Come on Eileen" and the band takes the listener on a joyous journey, complete with the slow breakdown and sing-a-long build up that propels the song to it's end. There was a reason this song has lasted. It's so good, and the song has a timeless feel to it given the choice of traditional instruments and arrangement.

The album is totally worth listening to, and frankly if you've only heard the hit, it's worth the time to give this a listen or two ... frankly the more you hear it the better it gets. Sure there are some rather generic tracks in the mix, what album doesn't have some filler? However, when they hit their sweet spot it's something to behold, and more often than not, even if it may seem forgettable, this was a really enjoyable album and one I'm glad to have finally found.