I'm like a boy among men, I'd like a permanent friend...

There are a lot of one-hit wonders in the 80’s imported from Britain that accompany real enjoyable albums. I thought the Blow Monkeys’ Animal Magic was going to be another one of them. I was wrong.

The Monkeys, Australian actually by way of England, had a modest top-20 hit with “Digging Your Scene”, which actually ended up being more successful here than in the UK. Animal Magic starts out with this cut, and it remains a classic new-wave/pop concoction, with a meatier center than most. Instead of the piffle abundant in most pop songs of the era (I’m thinking “Too Shy”, “The Safety Dance”), “Digging Your Scene” is a personification of AIDS, which at the time was just beginning to do the ravage it has grown to do. Clever lyrics like

I just got your message baby, so sad to see you fade away
What in the world is this feeling, to catch a breath and leave me reeling,
It’ll get you in the end, it’s God’s revenge…

are artfully subtle and tragic which is hidden behind the gleeful arrangement and chorus “tell me why I’m digging your scene, you know I’ll die, baby”. I may be wrong, but when I hear it I think of the story of the alleged Patient Zero, Gaetan Dugas. Unfortunately, from there it gets muddled. “Animal Magic” is a muddled experiment that sounds like a 60s pop song then devolves into some art-rock soup. The remainder is either forgettable (“Don’t Be Scared Of Me”, “Aeroplane City Love Song”) or over-strange (second single “Wicked Ways”, “Burn The Rich”) all kind of sounding like Culture Club out-takes. The couple of swallowable numbers (“I Nearly Died Laughing” and “Forbidden Fruit”) are competent by-numbers post-wave numbers, and it’s your choice whether it’s worth the search.

Grade: D+
Best Cuts: “Digging Your Scene”
Weakest Links: “Burn The Rich”, “Aeroplane City Lovesong”

Animal Magic hit #35 pop albums in the US and #21 UK albums.
"Digging Your Scene" hit #14 pop, #7 dance club play, and #12 in the UK.
"Wicked Ways" made #60 in the UK.

and some videos for you...first the classic "Digging Your Scene"...

next the hidden gem "Forbidden Fruit"....



finally, the derivative "Don't Be Scared Of Me"