RUBBERLEGS: "Leg Warmers - Reheated": A Review

    "Electropop with a different kind of fizz and a zap to the nerves" and "flexibly danceable electronic rock with an experimental edge" is how the self-styled group Rubberlegs describe their music-- and indeed, the music of these NYC-based musicians is ripe with quirky vocal and technological innovations, infused with a playful and humorous sensibility throughout a majority of the CD. The title alone of the CD, "Leg Warmers-- Reheated", immediately evokes one of the campiest (or tackiest?) fashion statements of the '80's, along with those "Frankie Says Relax" T-shirts. Yes, in case you haven't guessed by the "leg warmers" part or judged from the CD cover art, Rubberlegs' sound definitely has an "'80's" flavor to it... but Rubberlegs' style is more related to the music of OMD, early Depeche Mode, Howard Jones, The Flying Lizards, and New Order (without the suicidal afterthoughts) rather than Whitesnake and Poison. The "Reheated" part is because this "retro"-spective CD is a collection of songs written by the band's original members (Gordon "Peg Rubberleg" Smith, Thomas J. "Bunny Lake" Rolani, and the late Robert Mesrach) mostly from 1983 to 1989, and newly remastered in 2003. "Leg Warmers-- Reheated" is now available for a whole new generation to enjoy, especially those who enjoyed lighthearted, escapist 80's pop music. Yep, this is the same genre of music that everyone danced and sang along to at the time, yet humorless music critics (What do they know anyway?) so mercilessly assaulted as being too "fluffy" and relying too much on electronic FX. But Rubberlegs' music isn't just nostalgia for those of us who grew up with Rubik's Cube, PacMan, Dep for Men Hairspray (remember that?) , and "Square Pegs (No pun intended, Gordon...)". Regardless of '80's flavor, Rubberlegs' music has a timeless quality to it. This can't be more clearly evidenced than by the reception that the band gets as they continue to perform classics like "People Who Talk in Elevators" in 2005. The praise for "Leg Warmers-- Reheated" has largely been due to three catchy, instantly addicitive songs which became electro-pop favorites on MP3, independent radio stations, and at live shows-- whether the audience is gay, straight, male, or female. The songs are "China Too", "People Who Talk in Elevators", and "Hotprint". "China Too" has a sound which can only be described as "electro-oriental pop" (Think of it as a companion track to The Vapors' 1980 "Turning Japanese"), while "People Who Talk in Elevators" will keep you re-playing the track again and again just to hear the outrageously funny spoken word segements interwoven with the beats. "Hotprint", the sexiest song ever written about...typsetting (!), squeezes as many sexual double entendres into a five-minute song as possible ("You make me moist, my ink flows free; I am a tool of typography. You are my type, I'm your brand it seems; We will create dirty magazines... [Insert your disk in my drive; I never said it was floppy!"...]"). The music takes a different turn with "Bound and Gagged", the title of which is a bittersweet exploration of the twists and turns of a long-term relationship. Gordon Smith, the group's main vocalist, serves us a laid-back, pensive delivery on that track which actually exhibits his vocal style and range more than any of the other songs on the CD. Starting with Track 5, "Vain For Fun", the CD takes he music to an even more eccentric and slightly darker level. "Vain For Fun" features an anxious tone and moody vocals by Robert Mesrach, and then we get the track "Lost My Legs", which is sorta disturbing along the same lines that made Yaz' 1982 "I Before E Except After C" so creepy. When our protagonist's vocals finally become clear on that track, the meaning and underlying story of "Lost My Legs" hits us like a bullet. The second half of "Leg Warmers-- Reheated" is composed of a 26 minute segment called "Conduit", which is largely instrumental, and mostly on the experimental side. Even though it's free from lyrics, these wordless segments on the CD dispel any preconceived notions that electronic music with a minimum or absense of of vocals can't evoke emotion. The moods which arise range from trippy and playful ("Puppy-Wave Radio") to more ethereal, dreamy, mysterious, and cryptic sounds. Towards the end of the CD, there are some upbeat touches on the final movements ("Constructors' Rally" and "A Frenzy of Carpentry") which seem to complete a pathway some may describe as (1) Golden Age, (2) Tragedy, and (3) Rebirth. Rubberlegs' own long, fascinating, winding history clearly seemed to follow this pattern as well. (And you can read that history in great detail at www.Rubberlegs.com/BioLong.) Is it art subconsciously mimicking life? Or life mimicking art? Who knows... The real question with this innovative group (now consisting of Gordon Smith, Thomas J. Rolanti, and drummer Anthony Maulella), is "What's next?". Since Rubberlegs succeeded in pushing the boundaries of electro-pop music through the '80's and '90's, why not continue breaking boundaries in 2005? Check out www.Rubberlegs.com.