"I'm not in spandex clothing, yeah. It wouldn't go with my personality."

April 18, 2017 11:32 AM

How many supergroups can you name in 30 seconds without thinking? Let’s see… there’s Bad Company, Blind Faith, Cream, Them Crooked Vultures, Asia, GTR, Streets, The Highwaymen and Crosby, Stills & Nash… just to name a few. One that may slip under the radar—but should be on par with all the others—is Animal Logic. Thirty years ago, this trio, featuring the unique combo of Return to Forever bassist Stanley Clarke and Police drummer Stewart Copeland hit the scene with a sound that wasn’t quite jazz, wasn’t quite new wave (certainly wasn’t hair metal), but was all its own.

“We thought of it as a band, not a project,” [vocalist Deborah] Holland said. “It turned out to be a (small) stepping stone for me, a blip in the careers of Stewart and Stanley. They were and are really great guys.”

Interview with Deborah Holland | The entire first album on Youtube | TV appearance with Nile Rodgers

Copeland and Clarke are still well-known, but Holland's career has languished despite a string of solo albums that showcase her songwriting gifts and phenomenal voice. She has also recorded two albums with The Refugees, a trio consisting of Holland and music veterans Cidny Bullens and Wendy Waldman. Her latest album, Vancouver, chronicles her move from Southern California to British Columbia. "I Wanna Be A Canadian" lists some reasons why.

posted by Johnny Wallflower (21 comments total)

30 years, ow. I saw them live, it was pretty amazing. I think most of the audience wanted to hear Police or Stanley Clarke material though, which was not on tap, except for "Lopsy Lu". There was also a bass/drum feature which was something to see - Clarke was working Copeland hard, switching back and forth between funk and swing feels. I was fine with this, as I was pretty into their first album (the second, not so much....). The guitar player on the tour I saw, Rusty Anderson, ended up getting a gig with another famous bass player, Paul McCartney.
posted by thelonius at 11:48 AM on April 18, 2017

Those who lived in the D.C. area in the 80s may remember the other Animal Logic.
posted by doubtfulpalace at 11:52 AM on April 18, 2017

Loved 'em.

Great songs well played. Beautiful transparent production, too.

Thanks for the reminder.
 
posted by Herodios at 12:18 PM on April 18, 2017 [2 favorites]

These were not the names I was expecting to see when I read "spandex clothing" and supergroups.
posted by Sangermaine at 12:33 PM on April 18, 2017 [5 favorites]

the second album was pretty poppy but still had Clarke and Copeland -- such distinctive sounds; no one sounds like either of them -- and oh man, what a singer in Holland. It was the one of the first gifts I gave to my then-girlfriend, and it must not be too bad -- she (eventually) married me. (she has great taste in music, if questionable taste in guys.)
posted by martin q blank at 12:45 PM on April 18, 2017 [2 favorites]

My college roommate (thank you, Car Sick!) introduced me to their music and I still have some songs -- e.g., "Firing Up The Sunset Gun" -- on mix tapes/CD/playlists.

Great, great tunes and lovely vocals, and it all aged really well: Suck Fairy, begone!
posted by wenestvedt at 1:16 PM on April 18, 2017

Copeland has a lot of great music on his YouTube channel, if you're looking for more.
posted by tommasz at 1:18 PM on April 18, 2017 [1 favorite]

Wow, I'd forgotten about this group. Now, however, I clearly recall the bitter disappointment I felt about their music (apparently I've only heard the second album). It was oh-so-slightly reminiscent of Clarke's and Copeland's various previous works - but only just enough to make me constantly aware that it wasn't near enough like their other work. I listened to it once and couldn't stand to listen to it again because the "betrayal" hurt too much. I know, but that's how I felt at the time.

I'm listening to it again now; while my previous expectations are no longer coloring my experience and I can appreciate the craft, I can't say I'm completely won over. A little bit country, a little bit Police-y, a little funky; but very very 80's and not really my thing. But hey, once in a while ya gotta listen to something that takes you back, y'know? If only to remind me why I actively avoided the majority of pop culture in the 80's...
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:18 PM on April 18, 2017

I never really liked them as, IMO, they never really let Copeland open up enough. His unique sound from, say, The Rhythmatist was his real attraction for me. Of course, I was also a huge fan of J. J. Jeczalik, so there's that too.
posted by Samizdata at 1:19 PM on April 18, 2017

Greg_Ace, I don't like the second album nearly as much as the first. Maybe it lacks the shock of the new, I dunno.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 1:35 PM on April 18, 2017

I'm getting ready to listen to the first one, I'll let you know. ;)
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:39 PM on April 18, 2017

The first album was one of the first CDs I ever bought. I really like Copeland but I found this band completely boring.
posted by davebush at 1:40 PM on April 18, 2017

Hmm...if anything, the first album sounds even more generic to me than the second one. Also more drenched in washes of synth and reverb-y chiming guitar. So...still not my thing.
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:15 PM on April 18, 2017

I remember Animal Logic of Sydney who created Eddie a 2D compositing suite running on SGI computers and was the starting point for Discreet Logic of Flame, Flint and Inferno fame.
posted by bz at 2:48 PM on April 18, 2017

I regret that my poor framing has drawn attention away from what I meant to highlight: Deborah Holland's amazing and overlooked body of work.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 5:13 PM on April 18, 2017 [2 favorites]

Before reading this post all the way through I listened to the first three songs and said, "sounds like Can Con!" And then of course I read the rest and in the end it was.
posted by vespabelle at 6:34 PM on April 18, 2017

I've been running into Stanley Clarke a lot this past week, nosing around my past. I've got a new buddy who is a bass player and so as we talk I think more of bass lines, as I listen to music I -- again, I really do loathe this -- as I listen to music I find myself annoyed in about 244 different ways when the bass is buried in the mix, slathered over by some mope with Lead Guitar Syndrome and (god help us) another mope with Lead Singer Syndrome. It really does bother me, there is plenty of room in a mix to share the song with everyone in the dang band. Somehow I ended up listening to Cream, was reminded of Felix Pappalardi's work on one of their records, and thinking of him got me over to Mississippi Queen by Mountain, and what an absolutely perfect mix that song is, call and return, bass and guitar equal, not one or the other leading but instead call/return, both absolutely imperative to make that song what it is, and the drums beaten all to hell also, the mix shared in that song.

I'm glad I'm running around with this bass player, he's incredibly knowledgeable and a good guy to boot, we spend some time talking music, most particularly talking bass.
posted by dancestoblue at 1:51 AM on April 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

Brings back some very sweet memories. And Deborah is a Philly girl!
posted by james33 at 2:30 AM on April 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

I never really liked them as, IMO, they never really let Copeland open up enough.

He did exactly what he wanted to do; I think he basically produced the record. Banjo overdubs? That's all Copeland. Maybe the kind of pop they did here isn't to everyone's taste, that's fine, but I don't think they were trying to dumb themselves down just to make money; Copeland's pretty well off from his previous band, and Clarke was making money by film and TV soundtrack work.
posted by thelonius at 2:55 AM on April 19, 2017

Oh man, the memories this brings back of a drunken me explaining at length how great this band was to anyone who couldn't get out of range fast enough. Haven't thought of them in years though, I'll have to dig their CD out of where ever I left it.
posted by Zonker at 5:17 AM on April 19, 2017 [2 favorites]

I don't think they were trying to dumb themselves down

I agree with this. Even though I'm not ultimately a big fan of the band, as I said earlier I can appreciate the craft and skill that went into the music.
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:44 AM on April 19, 2017 [1 favorite]