Review Revue: Adam Ant - Friend or Foe

If you're my age and MTV was a huge part of your musical awakening, this album (or really its hit single "Goody Two-Shoes") was your first exposure to the artist known as Adam Ant. And you probably thought it was pretty cool. But if you were a college radio DJ at the time, and had been enjoying the somewhat grittier work of his band Adam and the Ants, perhaps you wouldn't know what to make of this slick dude burning up the airwaves. And perhaps you would write rude things on its album cover, which you might even come to regret. Fine. We've all been there.

In my "research" for this here blog post, I discovered that not only is Mr. Ant still quite active musically, but at least a few sources out there report that he has a new album in the works. I swear, more often than not when I look up these bands from 30-plus years ago, they're still touring or putting out new music. Warms the old heart, it does.

Bonus tidbit: Did you ever notice that the name "Adam Ant" is really the word "adamant" split in two? A friend of mine pointed that out a while back and it blew my mind, but perhaps everybody else knew all along. Anyway, some of the KCMU DJs were certainly adamant in their opinions.

"Catchy..."

"I think he's cute! -A fan"

"Foe!"

"Trashmaster!! Crack this with a sharp icepick. -EM"

"Don't write so big EM."

"Yeah, EM, besides, I think it's alright."

"Herman's Hermits for the '80s."

"Please don't insult Peter Noone & co like that Charlie!"

"Friend or Foe isn't too bad." [Not sure if this is in reference to the album as a whole or the title track.]

"I apologize for this." [Arrow pointing to "crack this with a sharp icepick" comment.]

"Also, 'Place in the Country is extremely hot!!"

"OH ADAM!!!"

"How big is it?? My teen idol, 'try this for sighs.'"

"Good Question..." [Written on the cover in marker, I presume in response to the album title.]