Punishment Of Luxury formed around late 1976, initially for the âMad Bongo Theatre Groupâ in Newcastle, England. Amongst the members of the early line-up that performed on John Peelâs show in 1978, were Brian Bond (vocals, keyboards), Neville Luxury (guitar, backing vocals), Malla Caballa (guitar), Jimi Giro (bass) and Jeff Thwaite (drums, percussion). The inspiration behind the moniker of the group came from Italian artist Giovanni Segantiniâs 1891 painting, The Punishment Of Luxury (which was originally known as âThe Punishment Of Lustâ, until it was purchased and retitled in 1893 by the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, England. The reason for the title change was allegedly because folks from this epoch thought that it was âtoo provocativeâ). According to Brian, the group originally âgot together for musicals â One based on Orwellâs '1984', another for a nasty factory owner in Cumbriaâ. In 1978, the first single, Puppet Life, was released through the Small Wonder record label (which more acclaimed groups such as The Cure, Bauhaus and Crass also released material on). Steve Sekrit later replaced Thwaite on drums, while Caballa is also reported to have departed around this time. The newfound incarnation of Punishment Of Luxury released their first album, Laughing Academy, in 1979 through United Artists records.
This quartet plays an eccentric style of music that is like a cross between New Wave and artsy Punk Rock (with bits and chunks of Funk, Progressive and Hard Rock thrown in here and there. I feel somewhat compelled to also say Glam Rock, but that might not be very accurate). Punishment Of Luxury are often compared to the likes of XTC, Wire and Gang Of Four, and while thatâs actually not too far off, I still think that they have their own sound. However, just like most musicians and bands, Punishment Of Luxury do have a wide and rich array of influences which include the likes of Sparks, Devo, Frank Zappa, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Sex Pistols, Robert Fripp, 10CC, Roxy Music, George Formby, Todd Rundgren and Charles Trenet. Science-Fiction and âthe idea of people trying to do something different being laughed atâ are some of the concepts behind Laughing Academy (there also appears to be some themes of the political variety present here). The lyrics are quite humorous and abstract (they can probably be interpreted in a number of different ways), yet they are also serious, logical and intelligent at times. Some might argue that this album hasnât aged exactly well, but it has a slick production of sorts, and the amalgamate of creative songwriting, competent musicianship and comedic yet smart lyrics all make for a winning combination. Despite that, the music could still prove to be somewhat of an âacquired tasteâ, as for some it might be a tad too quirky. For other individuals who tend to be more adventurous with their music, lots of potential sonic euphoria is to be experienced on Laughing Academy.
The first track is a re-recorded version of âPuppet Lifeâ. This version is more polished, and in my opinion, definitely surpasses the original one from 1978 in terms of overall quality. As it commences, one hears a nervous man mildly hyperventilating, referencing someone or something, saying âhere they come. Theyâll never take me away. I wonât go to Room 16â. A stentorian, disembodied voice proceeds and says to him, âYOU WILLâ (a cartoon-ish voice then exclaims, âyouâre already there!â. Disarrayed gibberish follows soon after). Neville Luxury then propels the whole thing forward with his aggressive guitar. While it may appear that the protagonist in the song is suffering from a strong case of paranoia, he actually seems to find himself existing in some type of George Orwell-ian 1984 universe. Both the music and lyrics happen to give me visions of a carnival-esque, dystopian world. The lyrics in particular do make mention of feeling enslaved by a powerful authority (or a metaphorical âBig Brotherâ). Bassist Jimmy Giro once stated in a 2008 interview that âPuppet Lifeâ was about âstate oppression because thatâs how people ruledâ. Even after four decades, I think this song still remains highly relevant (especially in these current times where many humans all over the world donât fully trust their governments, feel that their privacy is being invaded and natural-born rights diminishing with the passage of time).
"Wires stick through my soul, my actions are controlled
Turning me from free man to puppet life
Suspended in puppet life"
âFunk Meâ turns out to be more fun and quirky (definitely much less anxious). Playful melodies introduce the tune along with jangly, Disco-fashioned rhythmic guitar and the pulsating, funky bass of Jimi. Brian and the gang make it more outrageous by making an assorted array of whimsical voices (I'm also fond of that cacophonous, discordant guitar solo that shows up around the 2:02 minute mark). With lyrics like âfunk me âtil Iâm crazy, sex is just a dream, I drink your gaze and dream of dust and creamâ, I am not entirely sure what âFunk Meâ alludes to (perhaps it's poking fun at the Disco subculture of the 1970s?). Punishment Of Luxuryâs fascination with Science-Fiction becomes apparent on âThe Messageâ. Musically, this tune aligns itself more with Punk than Funk. The very anthemic âAll White Jackâ also rocks quite hard with a similar Punk-infused attitude, sporting a set of socially-aware lyrics as well. The keyboards heard during the short interlude in the middle add a slight touch of psychedelia. âObsessionâ may be softer in tone, but it has a darker aura lingering around it, featuring flimsy, pseudo-symphonic synthesizers, which at times can sound a little creepy and others regal. This is the story of an insecure, introverted young man who is desperate for romance. He appears to obsessively admire one particular girl from a distance. Passionate feelings for her exist within his heart and mind, but he is hesitant to let her know of this for fear of being rejected and humiliated. Well, the outcome is quite grim: As daylight dies, he slips outside and proceeds to stalk the girl. He then abducts her, eventually becoming the one responsible for her murder. At the end, the killer frantically claims it was all just an accident, but simultaneously also remains in constant denial, believing that she is only sleeping (frustratingly demanding her to wake up).Â
"It only seems to happen with a corpse or a dream
Dead bodies donât betray you
They never try to scream"
âRadar Bug / Metropolisâ is primarily a New Wave track (with some Disco and Hard Rock weaved into it as well). Its bouncy beats and groovy rhythm are really contagious, in turn making the tune a very danceable one. The way that Brian sings here gives the impression that he may have inhaled a small quantity of helium at some point during the recording session. Punishment Of Luxury draws a nugget of inspiration from Devo in âBritish Baboonâ, another straight-up wacky and funky tune. Brian resorts once more to those zany vocal histrionics here (monkey screeches and wolf howling? Get out!). âBabalonâ tears a page from the Progressive Rock playbook. Starts rather slow with a set of staccato guitar riffs before rocketing off, presenting odd time-signature changes and some other creative arrangements. Great musicianship on everyoneâs part here (especially Neville with his acrobatic guitar antics). The theme appears to be centered around religion and âThe Whore Of Babylonâ revelation.
"I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-coloured beast
Full of names of blasphemy
And written on her forehead was 'Mystery'
Babalon the great
Mother of harlots and abominations of the earth"
âExcess Bleeding Heartâ bursts out with much hyperactive energy, bearing an almost metallic sound. Finally, the title track arrives. Compared to the two previous tracks, âLaughing Academyâ is lighter and more mellow with its poppy vocal harmonies. It's not necessarily the strongest song to finish the album with, but it's kind of a suitable one. Although Punishment Of Luxury was a highly creative, talented and unique group, things just didnât ever really seemed to work out for them, unfortunately. Shortly after Laughing Academy, they released various enjoyable singles including "Secrets", "Brain Bomb" (what I would personally describe as a weird proto-Thrash/Speed Metal cut), "Baby Don't Jump" (which is basically Mike Patton-era Faith No More, only an entire decade before that), "Engine Of Excess" and "Jellyfish" (a wacky, aquatic tune that REALLY reminds me of SpongeBob SquarePants! Ha), all of which can be found again on the Dojo and Lemon reissues of the 1979 album. However, they were ultimately dropped by their record label (United Artists) when it was taken over by EMI (from there, they further drifted into obscurity). There also exists a rumor (which has been circulated on the internet for some time now) that a magazine by the name of Mojo once placed Laughing Academy in a list of âThe 100 Worst Albums Of All-Timeâ. Did they now? Well, if thatâs the case, then that is just amusing. While for most it may not necessarily be the greatest album ever recorded, it sure as heck isn't one of the absolute worst, either. If I were to ever compile a list of my top, personal favorite albums of all-time, you can bet that Laughing Academy would most certainly have a spot on it.