Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine – 30 Something (1991)
Seemingly the darlings of the music press in those pre-Britpop 1990s, this is Carter USM's second album, but the first one I ever listened to, as I remember, borrowed from the library and taped.
A two piece outfit, their sound owes much to the improved musical technology of the 1980s and were probably the UK's leading punk/dance/techno/sampling band of the era.
Opening with a sample from Red Dwarf (Chris Barrie as Rimmer, bemoaning the slip into portliness during one's late 20s) and into a chant of 'you fat bastard', supposedly aimed at the band at a gig, opener Surfing USM is a grand intrumental opening, incorporating Bowie's 'wham, bam, thank you ma'am' from Suffragette City, and it's followed by bouncy, likeable songs punctuated by samples of Michael Caine as Alfie, many such as Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere (what is the difference between anyplace and anywhere?) and the more melancholy A Prince In A Pauper's Grave. There's a nod to the Clash's Koka Kola in the intro to Shopper's Paradise, while the caustic fun continues through Billy's Smart Circus and beyond, with Bloodsport For All, possibly being my favourite of the second half, which seems to fade away with two much more low key and forgettable songs to conclude.
Sounding dated, yet somehow reassuring with its 1980s synths making no attempt to mimic the instruments they replace, there's much to enjoy on this, probsbly my favourite Carter album.
3* - probably the high point of Carter USM's brief spell in the limelight
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