General Public: “Hand To Mouth” (1986/2023) Vinyl Review

General Public’s first album, …All The Rage, was played a lot at the time of its release, particularly its hit single “Tenderness.” Two years later, General Public’s second album, Hand To Mouth, did not get the same reception. I don’t recall hearing it, though by that time I was getting more into folk music and was also listening to a lot of 1960s bands, so this record might have escaped my attention for that reason. At any rate, the band broke up soon after its release. Now both …All The Rage and Hand To Mouth have been re-issued on vinyl, giving us another chance to enjoy this band’s music. There were a couple of changes in the band between the release of the first album and Hand To Mouth, this record featuring Mario Minardi on drums (replacing Andy “Stoker” Growcott) and Gianni Minardi on guitar (replacing Kevin White). By the way, I love the way the song titles are written on the back of the record jacket, resembling the titles of old B pictures.

Side 1

The album opens with “Come Again!” and there is no doubt but that this is a pop song. It has a bright sound, and features some nice work on guitar. It was also released as a single. This line is particularly striking and frightening this year: “He’s coming back for a second term.” This song is not about the former criminal occupant of the White House, of course, but we can’t help but applying music to our current situation. That’s followed by “Faults And All.” This pop song has a sweet vibe. Check out these lines: “Yes, times are tough/But there’s something we could learn/Stop treating love/Like a penny saved is a penny earned.” They go on to say, “I love you, faults and all.” It’s a positive thought, but it’s even better to love someone so much that you no longer even consider any of his or her traits to be faults. Still, this is a fun, enjoyable number, one you can dance to, and one of the album’s highlights.

“Forward As One” features some good work on saxophone. That’s Saxa (Lionel Augustus Martin) again on saxophone. He was a member of The Beat, along with Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger (Roger Charlery), and also played saxophone on …All The Rage. His work here is certainly a great part of the appeal of this track. This one also has more of a ska vibe. And that brief instrumental section in the middle makes us think of sirens. This is my personal favorite of the album’s tracks. Check out these lyrics: “Law and order, natural order/Obviously out of order/What’s to come of generations/Give the thought some penetration/On the streets there’s escalation/Conscription soon takes over/Join the army, be a soldier/What’s the fight for, law and order.” Then “Murder” has a cheerful pop sound. “No time for cheap excuses like/‘He can’t help it,’ ‘She can’t help it’/Jump out of the bed and straight into the fire/How are you meant to stand it/Stuck in a world that’s seen much better days/You can reach for love/Scream ‘til you’re red, white and blue in the face.” The first side then concludes with “Cheque In The Mail,” which comes on strong, with an energy that at the very start has a punk edge. It’s not a punk song, but it does have a good bit of attitude. “Look out for the cons, the sharks and fakes,” they sing here, some advice that millions did not take to heart in 2016. “I was looking to be free but that came last/Trying to escape, but not so fast.”

Side 2

The second side opens with “Too Much Or Nothing,” a pop song that certainly sounds like a product of its time. But what I love is how it still has something to say. Quite a bit of 1980s music was like that, delivering a message within the frame of a pop song. “Tell yourself it’s not your fault/Taking the pills with a pinch of salt/Makes no difference, make no bones/It’s hard to think with your mouth full of stones.” That’s followed by “Love Without The Fun.” This one features some good work on saxophone, and has a kind of pep to it, a bounce to its rhythm that makes it a fun track. I dig that bass line. Plus, there is some really good stuff on guitar. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “Sometimes it’s hard to carry on/You’d like to grab your coat/And just try to run/Well, you know you’re not the only one/Who’s had to/Just stand and finish what they had begun.”

“In Conversation” has a different, more somber mood at the start, and there is even something ominous in that pounding of the drum. The track does kick in, and then develops more of a fun pop vibe, though by then we are already in its strange grip. “In conversation, our minds are acting now/Let’s ask those questions again/Why am I angry? Why am I doing this?/I made this happen to me.” And then for a time the rhythm takes over, urging us to dance, to be more in our bodies than our minds. That’s followed by “Never All There.” Ah, in these odd days, when folks are struggling, sometimes it feels better to not be all there. “Which face to wear, too soft to care/Tell you what’s what, I’ll tell you who’s who/He’s never there, never all there/Bent over backwards, broken in two.” The album then concludes with “Cry On Your Own Shoulder,” which is my favorite song title of this release. “Oh, help me to forget/The sting of remembering things/Was that the dreadful siren’s call/Get up and watch the buildings start to fall.”

Record Track List

Side A

1. Come Again!
2. Faults And All
3. Forward As One
4. Murder
5. Cheque In The Post

Side B

1. Too Much Or Nothing
2. Love Without The Fun
3. In Conversation
4. Never All There
5. Cry On Your Own Shoulder

This vinyl re-issue of Hand To Mouth was released on August 4, 2023 through BMG.