Polyrock – Changing Hearts (1981) Review | Music for People with Protractors
Kronomyth 2.0: The moire things change.
An enduring fascination for Brian Eno’s “Third Uncle” rolled together with elements of Television, Talking Heads, Devo and Sparks. That continues to describe the music of Polyrock’s sophomore effort, Changing Hearts. If that sounds a bit limited, well, yes it is. So limited that the band presents no less than four instrumentals, as if it underscore the fact that, no, there isn’t much left to say. Which isn’t to suggest that the band’s second album is worse than their first—the two are very similar—but what felt fresh on their first album now sounds like an idiosyncratic loop they can’t escape. Highlights this time include Changing Hearts, Love Song, Cries and Whispers, Slow Dogs and Hallways. There’s also a cover of The Beatles’ Rain at the end with some interesting keyboards. Whether or not you need to own this album depends on your reaction to the first. If you enjoyed Polyrock then you’ll enjoy Changing Hearts too. Talking Heads, however, reinvented themselves with every album. Polyrock repeats themselves on Changing Hearts. Then again, the music of Philip Glass was more rigid than Brian Eno, so maybe it’s part of Polyrock’s master plan to refine a single style. Wall of Voodoo suffered from the same single-minded vision and you could even lob the same complaint at Devo as they developed/devolved. Unfortunately, the band only managed to squeeze out one more EP before calling it quits, leaving behind a brief body of work that still turns heads today.
The Product
A1. Changing Hearts (2:55)
A2. Love Song (4:46)
A3. Quiet Spot (1:26)
A4. Cries and Whispers (3:31)
A5. Mean Cow (2:29)
A6. In Full Circle (3:43)
B1. Like Papers on a Rack (3:29)
B2. The New U.S. (3:54)
B3. Slow Dogs (3:46)
B4. Hallways (2:24)
B5. Rain (John Lennon/Paul McCartney) (4:00)
All songs written by Billy & Tommy Robertson unless noted.
The Players
Lenny Aaron, Curt Cosentino, Catherine Oblasney, Billy Robertson, Tommy Robertson, Joey W. Yannece with Philip Glass (additional keyboards), Jill Jaffe (violin), Maxine Newman (cello). Produced by Philip Glass, Kurt Munkacsi; engineered by Kurt Munkacsi, Mike Getlin, Joaquin J. Lopes, Dominick Maita (RPM).
The Pictures
Cover design by Billy Robertson.
The Plastic
Released on elpee in 1981 in the US (RCA, AFL1-4043) and France (RCA, PL1-4043).
- Re-issued on compact disc in 2007 in the US (Wounded Bird, WOU 4043).
