vinylfanatics.com

**How Dare You! by 10cc**

The breakup hit like a thunderbolt in 1976. Kevin Godley and Lol Creme, two-quarters of 10cc's creative powerhouse, announced they were departing to pursue their experimental musical dreams with the revolutionary Gizmotron—a device that could make guitars sound like orchestras and turn pop music into symphonic landscapes. Left behind were Graham Gouldman and Eric Stewart, two bewildered bandmates wondering how to continue without half their songwriting brain trust. But before this seismic split tore through the fabric of one of Britain's most inventive pop groups, they had one final statement to make together: "How Dare You!"—an album that stands as both a creative peak and a bittersweet farewell to the original 10cc lineup.

Released in August 1976, "How Dare You!" captures 10cc at their most ambitious and cohesive, a band firing on all cylinders even as internal tensions threatened to tear them apart. The album showcases their trademark blend of art rock sophistication, pop sensibility, and studio wizardry that had made them darlings of both critics and radio programmers. Here was a group that could craft a three-minute pop gem with the same precision they applied to multi-layered progressive epics, and "How Dare You!" demonstrates this versatility in spades.

The album's crown jewel is undoubtedly "I'm Mandy Fly Me," a swooning, cinematic masterpiece that reads like a short story set to music. Built around a narrator's obsession with an air hostess, the song unfolds with the narrative complexity of a film noir, complete with lush orchestrations and a melody that burrows deep into your consciousness. It's 10cc's ability to transform seemingly mundane scenarios into epic emotional journeys that sets them apart from their contemporaries. The track became their biggest hit from the album, and rightfully so—it's a perfect encapsulation of their ability to marry pop accessibility with artistic ambition.

"Art for Art's Sake" serves as the album's opening salvo, a knowing wink at the music industry's commercial machinations wrapped in an irresistibly catchy package. The song's layered harmonies and intricate arrangement showcase the band's studio prowess while delivering a message about artistic integrity that feels both sincere and playfully subversive. Meanwhile, "I'm in Love" demonstrates their softer side, a tender ballad that allows Stewart's emotive vocals to shine against a backdrop of delicate instrumentation.

The album's experimental edge emerges most clearly on tracks like "Lazy Ways" and "Don't Hang Up," where the band's progressive rock influences bubble to the surface. These songs hint at the direction Godley and Creme would soon pursue in their post-10cc career, filled with unconventional structures and sonic textures that push beyond traditional pop boundaries. Yet even at their most adventurous, 10cc never loses sight of the hook, ensuring that innovation serves the song rather than overwhelming it.

What makes "How Dare You!" particularly poignant is how it represents the end of an era. The original 10cc had emerged from the ashes of various Manchester bands, with all four members having cut their teeth in the city's fertile music scene of the late 1960s. Their previous albums—"Sheet Music" and "The Original Soundtrack"—had established them as masters of pastiche and parody, capable of channeling everything from doo-wop to reggae while maintaining their distinctive identity. "How Dare You!" builds on this foundation while pointing toward new possibilities that would never be fully explored by the original lineup.

Today, "How Dare You!" stands as a testament to 10cc's unique place in rock history. While they never achieved the massive commercial success of some contemporaries, their influence on art rock and sophisticated pop music remains profound. The album's blend of technical proficiency, melodic invention, and lyrical wit continues to inspire musicians who value craftsmanship over flash. Bands like Steely Dan, Supertramp, and later acts like Radiohead and Vampire Weekend owe debts to 10cc's pioneering approach to studio-crafted pop music.

"How Dare You!" captures a band at a crossroads, creating music of remarkable beauty and complexity even as they prepared to go their separate ways. It's both a culmination and a beginning, a perfect encapsulation of what made 10cc special and a tantalizing glimpse of what might have been. Four