Aztec Camera, January 1988

“Reckless romance”

I think this was the first time I reviewed Aztec Camera but, as you can tell, I’d liked them for a long time. And continued to do so as they (or rather, Roddy Frame and a new line-up) moved from indie favourites to pop stars. Somewhere In My Heart would be a top ten hit later that year.

The gig was on 28th January.

We were all impressed, when Aztec Camera first appeared on Postcard Records, that Roddy was only 16. It’s hard to believe he isn’t 16 any more. (Actually, he was 62 yesterday.) But none of us are!

I think the line about “Scots lads in tight jeans” might be a reference to Wet Wet Wet, who were big at the time.

Sorry about the coffee stains.

AZTEC CAMERA

Royal Court, Liverpool

MELODY MAKER, February 6, 1988

Hail and welcome to Aztec Camera. This feels like a reunion. Though no one’s quite sure what their old friend will be like now. Hands up everyone who thought Aztec Camera had changed. Okay, so Roddy Frame never used to show off his body, only his heart. The heart’s still there anyway. And so are the songs. Aztec Camera might be a different group (again), production you think twice about (again), but really what Aztec Camera are all about are just songs. Whatever the style, the sound, or hipness level, the songs are there eternal.

The group come on, Roddy clean cut and flaunting like a pop star (haven’t we had enough of Scots lads in tight jeans already) and there are cheers when he puts on his guitar. The group has percussion, keyboards, backing singers and all that. And soul. And songs. Which are not the ones you necessarily expect.

They start with “All I Want Is Everything” and give us just about everything themselves. Three before they get to a current song. “From Pillar To Post”, “Mattress Of Wire”, “Deep And Wide And Tall”, even “Jump” and “Bad Education” mixed up so that you don’t notice what belonged when because they all belong now. Roddy looks happy and sounds great and you realise Aztec Camera is just a voice. Everything else is extra.

Roddy introduces “How Men Are”, which you could describe as mature if the whole set hadn’t been equally assured. “Someone said I was intellectually castrated. I think that means I’m not a dick head.” This could be the first right-on song that’s beautiful.

This is no sell-out. Just a set of unified variety. Brash, “Top Of The Pops” funky, direct, and somewhere in the middle there’s just Roddy and a guitar and some old songs and it’s still the same Aztec Camera. The old fans hold their breath and while Roddy sings “Birth Of The True” you can sense the subliminal “Down The Dip”, still the best reckless romance song ever. The only difference between new and old is between pensive and impetuous.

Then the band are back and “Killermont Street” is about Glasgow and could be about Liverpool and could even be 1983. And Roddy looks 16 and we still feel 16 and anyone who has ever been in love deserves this.

Watch Aztec Camera

Here’s Roddy doing How Men Are on TV, around the same time as this gig.