After how expectant and boastful Sheet Music sounded, 10cc had a lot more to prove on The Original Soundtrack. They had put a lot of stock into being this force of music to be reckoned with and had, frankly, not risen to the occasion on their first two albums. The Original Soundtrack is their better work, of course, it has I’m Not in Love tucked away. But there are strengths to be found in the instrumentation elsewhere, in the subtler details that the band deployed and developed across this third studio album. It’s no surprise this is the album they’re most keen to trot out on their live shows, endless those tours may be. Glam and progressive rock are what the group relies on here and there’s that Sheet Music attitude found here as well. It’s a self-confidence and high expectation of the listener, rather than the inverse. But it’s developed better here, that sense of importance feels deserved for The Original Soundtrack.
Much of this appeal will be dependent on your enjoyment of Une Nuit A Paris. It’s a bold, eight-minute opener where the instrumental skill and lyrical quality is laid bare. A far better experience than what was showcased on Sheet Music, but beyond the direct comparison, 10cc has a few moments of real, magnificent work. A few brilliant lyrics tucked away into some bold but not, necessarily, strong choices in the variety of characters shuffled through. 10cc are at their best with the straight-shooting vocal delivery but the absence of clarity in their writing is a charm. I’m Not in Love seems like a song that’d have a clever counter to its title, but it doesn’t. It raids through the inconsequential feelings and out of the other end comes one of the greatest songs written on the loss of love around. A masterclass in emotional storytelling, and that too is the quality mark of Une Nuit a Paris, just not as full on or as focused on one emotion.
10cc has the art rock sound nailed and a lot of it stands up today. Much of it, be it the vocal changes on Une Nuit a Paris or the instrumental work on Blackmail, can hold its own against contemporary efforts trying to push this sound further. Few did it better than the first three tracks of The Original Soundtrack. Slick production, bold instrumentals, it’s all there and you couldn’t ask for any more from the group here. A lot of the lyrical choices on Brand New Day are, like I’m Not in Love and Blackmail, looking toward the future, hoping for a second chance at living. Flying Junk rips the band away from that reflective tone and instead hammers out a David Bowie-adjacent glam rock piece which does have the group struggle to pull themselves out of the shadow of their peers.
But 10cc are excellent mood-setters here, they do very well to bring their own little flair to the forefront. That much is crucial, naturally, and few can do it with a consistency that allows the group to stand out that little bit more. 10cc manages it numerous times on The Original Soundtrack. A hearty and honest piece of work which builds on the attitude found on Sheet Music simply by being a convincing exploration of genre tropes. Life is a Minestrone, as upbeat and ridiculous as its message is, is far more exciting than the previous album. Closer The Film of My Love feels like a counter to I’m Not in Love, such is the balance 10cc strikes here. The love may be over but the tapes, the appreciation, that may continue. Who knows. Not even 10cc are certain, yet they make it the core feature of The Original Soundtrack, a marvellous piece of alternative rock.
