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Funny How Sweet Co-Co Can Be

I went into this album knowing this wasn't gonna be like what I had heard before, and somehow managed to be disappointed despite these expectations. Sweet's debut full-length is very lackluster to listen to, but would make for great background music at a worn down diner. The album tries to have life but is ultimately dragged down by shallow lyrics or mediocre instrumentation. Surprisingly enough, the songs that were the worst in this regard were the ones not credited to the band members.

Opening the album with "Co-Co" was not a good play. It's the least like the rest of the album, and it just isn't a good song to begin with. A majority of the songs have a summery feel to them, but this doesn't fit in with the feeling the rest of them give off. Starting the album off with a tropical song while the rest of the tracks feel more like the soundtrack to a kitschy romance movie doesn't work.

"Chop Chop" also fails to meet expectations for a similar reason. Why, for the love of god, would you include a song about lumberjacks on an album with love songs? It isn't funny or cute either. This is just an incredibly dull song about chopping wood. The vocals are also very hushed, which is ironic considering this song was sang by Steve Priest, the guy known for wailing on their glam tracks. Nothing wrong with his normal voice but it's jarring hearing him sing so quietly on this one. I do like the distortion on this track and there is a nice groove that picks up around the 2:10 mark. This song is painfully unamusing though.

After that is a cover of "Reflections." Can't say anything about how it compares to the original composition, but I do think this makes up for the lackluster start of the album. The sound reminds me of The Raspberries or an Ogden's Nut Gone Flake Small Faces. It's a cut and dry song. I enjoyed it.

"Honeysuckle Love" is a simple song but works well for what it is. It's a cutesy love song that sounds like something you might hear in the car. I think this is the song that establishes the theme of simplicity done well that's carried throughout the remainder of Funny.

Not much to say with regards to "Santa Monica Sunshine" outside of the more surf rock influenced sound on it. Sounds a bit like a Beach Boys B-side. There's some harmonized vocals on here but they're nowhere near as high as they get on later releases.

"Daydream" is a Lovin' Spoonful cover, and I'm going to admit that I also haven't listened to the original version of this track. Can't say much other than it sounding like another soundtrack song.

After a few good songs, there was bound to be another bland one among them. "Funny Funny" is sickly sweet and I dislike it. I like the instrumentation but god these lyrics are too much for me. I see how this track was able to chart well in the UK but I just don't see the appeal in it. Brian Connolly's voice seems more lackluster here than before.

ok so the next song on this album is about having an affair with a soldiers wife
I could say this more lightly but that's just what "Tom Tom Turnaround" is. It's a song about being cheated on while you're at war. I mean yeah, the dude goes back to his wife at the end, but that doesn't change anything. This is the longest song on the album, clocking in at a little over 4 minutes, and half of it is incredibly boring. Only around the 2:25 mark does it become mildly interesting. The introduction of the organ and the key change in the vocals tries to retain the listener's attention, but I don't feel that it worked too well.

"Jeanie" has a bit of twang to it and is pretty good for what it is. It's got a lot more to it than what came before it, and it's a good indicator for the sudden change in quality that happens towards the very end of this album.

That being said, "Sunny Sleeps Late" is pretty bland lyrically despite the sound it uses. It's not as twangy as "Jeanie" and I'd say it has more of a psychedelic influence.

For no reason, Sweet goes hard on the last track (last two depending on the copy) and I love it. "Spotlight" is pretty on par with the rest of the album with its lyrics, but the sound is very much a proto Sweet Fanny Adams. The high harmonization is starting to show. The driving guitar is there. Connolly sounds more rough here. This song was absolutely worth listening to the rest of the album for. It's an incredibly good teaser for the sound Sweet wanted to explore on future releases.

On certain copies the song "Done Me Wrong All Right" will be included. I've decided to include it in this since it's a prominent bonus track. This song? This song is better than "Spotlight." It's just as hard but the lyrics absolutely fit in with Fanny Adams or Desolation Boulevard. The sound on this track is more like those albums than "Spotlight" in my opinion. It's such a good closer to what was a very mellow and underwhelming album.

Honestly, this may sound like I hate bubblegum pop, but I really don't. Yeah, the lyrics and instrumentation may be more manufactured and less complex than the stuff I typically listen to, but I think there's some merit to the genre. Funny How Sweet Co-Co Can Be just isn't a particularly interesting bubblegum album. I have no idea how the hell "Funny Funny" or "Co-Co" managed to chart because neither are strong songs. Do I see myself enjoying this album more with future listens? Potentially, but I think my opinions of the tracks won't change much outside of my pre-existing thoughts on them being solidified.