POPPIN TUESDAYS: Pop Goes the World - Men Without Hats

You probably at some point heard a rather, nearly pointless, synthpop track discussing a safety dance. This is the band known as Men Without Hats. Which is a funny name to begin with. As with many major one hit wonders or flashes in the pan, some of their other releases go relatively...unnoticed? Underappreciated? Well there are a lot of 80s wonders that deserve a second look. Many of them aided in the development of the popular stylings of today, especially with the resurgence of 80s style riffs and even interpolations. 

The album begins with a short introduction that is very electronic. Almost makes you think of a movie opening. It leads into a synthesized voice that sounds like Alvin and the Chipmunks.

This same voice introduces the band as doing the song in "Pop Goes the World", and it makes me think of how occasionally today artists have to make sure you know who is doing the song by singing their name in the song. The song feels a bit reminiscent of a child's nursery rhyme put to a beat made by The Cure. I think the child voices are a little distracting from the track but it isn't bad.

"On Tuesday" makes me think we entered the rainforest. Not necessarily a bad thing. They seem to add some "world"ish music elements to their work. Makes it interesting and stand out from others like Depeche Mode.

We get a small interlude of "Bright Side of the Sun" which is actually quite a sweet sentimental piece. A shame it is only 40 seconds long.

"O Sole Mio" is a very interesting track lyrically in concept but also I think the musical concept builds. Thus far it is the most stand out song to me.

I feel the last song actually built well into this more ballad like song, "Lose My Way". It seemed the last song he was lost in the glitz and glamour and now song two he realizes he lost his way with California too much on his brain. 

I think this song is actually getting better as it goes. I think they are paving their own way a little more, maybe why the album didn't grab as many hits. "The Real World" has really nice production that matches the drama of the track. 

"Moonbeam" brings back the child voices and the more upbeat production. I find the styling of this song a bit irritating. I much preferred the previous development.

"In the Name of Angels" takes us back to Johnny and Jenny, but also back to O Sole Mio. I like how it comes back to the stories. You can lose your head, your mind, your brain, and still be blind with eyes. Ah the age old concept of love being blind.

La Valese D Eugenie hits us with another interlude, a rather sad sounding piano instrumental with some synths mixed in.

Well "Jenny Wore Black" seems to capture the end of her and Johnny. That is a bit of a sad twist, but I suppose In the Name of Angels actually led up to this.

"Walk on Water" seems to refer almost to their fame. Being viewed as the next big thing, hey you can sing! But somehow it is never enough. Isn't that how it is always is? 

"The End of the World" closes the album, wondering if in this vast world if the end would bring them back together. A rather sentimental and not bitter closing piece to the story. 

LYRICS: 6/10 - There's nothing spectacular here in the lyric department. It does not make it bad though. They did after all choose to sing about the birds and the bees.

MUSIC: 7/10 - I think instrumentally they made some unique and cool choices that make them stand apart from other artists making similar synthpop music at the time. I think sometimes it was doing too much and took away from the rest of the work.

OVERALL: 6/10 - If you want a unique body of work for the period with lyricism that is not totally confusing and some men singing about love, grab the album!