10cc Rubber Bullets

This mammoth three-disc collection from mercurial English rock outfit 10cc covers an awful lot of ground, from their 1970 inception through the group's numerous solo projects in the '80s…

This "Early Years" collection though concentrates on their time with U.K. Records and features every A and B side released by the band between 1972 and 1974. Five hit singles, two near missed and seven rarely heard B sides that all show 10cc at their creative best.

Deriving their name from the metric total of semen ejaculated by the average male, the tongue-in-cheek British art pop band 10cc comprised an all-star roster of Manchester-based musicians: vocalist/guitarist Graham Gouldman was a former member of the Mockingbirds and the author of hits for the Yardbirds, the Hollies, Herman's Hermits and Jeff Beck; singer/guitarist Eric Stewart was an alum of Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders; and vocalists/multi-instrumentalists Kevin Godley and Lol Creme were both highly regarded studio players…

Long overdue CD reissue of the debut self titled album by 10cc which hit the British Top 40 when first released back in 1973. Includes the UK Number 1 hit single ‘Rubber Bullets’ plus the Top 10 ‘Donna’ and ‘The Dean And I’. It was recorded at Strawberry Studios in Stockport, which was part-owned by guitarist and engineer Eric Stewart, and released on Jonathan King's UK Records label.

Recorded in 1975 in Santa Monica, this great performance presents 10cc's original 4-man line up (including Godley & Creme) and is notable as the only live material available from this time period…

The Very Best of 10cc is a comprehensive collection, featuring all of the group's biggest hits and best-known songs – including "Neanderthal Man," "Donna," "Rubber Bullets," "The Dean & I," "I'm Not in Love," and "The Things We Do for Love," as well as Godley & Creme's solo hit "Cry" – making it a definitive retrospective and introduction…

Displaying a command of pop styles and satire, 10cc showed that they are a force to be reckoned with on their first album. Hooks abound, harmonies shine, and instrumentation is dazzling without being overdone. Though charges of "self-consciously clever" could be leveled at the group, their command of witty, Anglo-styled pop is so impressive that even those criticisms must be weighed against the mastery of styles…

10cc's first two albums, recorded under the sponsorship of entrepreneur and one-time pop star Jonathan King, are combined on one disc for this CD reissue. 1973's 10cc shows that from the start, the group had an uncommon command of recording studio technique; the performances are polished, the harmonies superb, and the production flawless and often witty (all the more remarkable from a new band producing themselves, albeit one comprised of music-biz vets). However, the group was still getting up to speed in terms of their songwriting at this point, and while the craft is fine, there isn't a lot of inspiration on hand. Except for the sardonic "Rubber Bullets" and sarcastically sprightly "The Dean and I," the '50s-inspired parodies on side one don't wear well, and most of side two is clever but not terribly distinguished. 1974's Sheet Music was where 10cc truly hit their stride; the album is full of effective barbed humor buffered by the superbly polished production, which leans toward pretension without quite falling into the pool.