''Strange Man, Changed Man'' is the debut studio album by English

power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a subgenre of rock music and form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, ...

musician

Bram Tchaikovsky Peter Bramall (born 10 November 1950 in Lincolnshire, England), better known by his stage name Bram Tchaikovsky, is a British vocalist and guitarist. He first came to prominence as a member of UK punk/ pub rock band The Motors, whom he joined ...

, released in 1979 by

Radar Records Radar Records was a UK-based record label formed in late 1977 by Martin Davis (managing director) who had previously worked at United Artists Records, and Andrew Lauder, who had previously been head of A&R at the UK divisions of Liberty Recor ...

Critical reception

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

was critical of ''Strange Man, Changed Man'' in a 1979 review for ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...

'', dismissing the album as a mixture of "old-wave" and new wave clichés and likening Tchaikovsky to "a power pop Crosby, Crosby & Crosby." Retrospectively, Jim Green of ''

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who, Dave Schulps, and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...

'' described the album as "an energetic mixture of

The Byrds The Byrds () were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) being the so ...

Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature the E Street B ...

and, not surprisingly,

The Motors The Motors were a British garage rock Pub rock (United Kingdom), pub rock band formed in London in 1977 by former Ducks Deluxe members Nick Garvey and Andrew McMaster (songwriter), Andy McMaster together with guitarist Rob Hendry (who was repla ...

", writing that in addition to "three fine singles... the rest of the material has also worn remarkably well."

Track listing

#"Strange Man, Changed Man" #"Lonely Dancer" #"Robber" #"Bloodline" #"I'm the One That's Leaving" #"Girl of My Dreams" #"Nobody Knows" #"Lady from the USA" #"

I'm a Believer "I'm a Believer" is a song written by Neil Diamond and recorded by the American band the Monkees in 1966 with the lead vocals by Micky Dolenz. The single, produced by Jeff Barry, hit the number-one spot on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart ...

" #"Sarah Smiles" #"Turn On the Light"

Personnel

*Bram Tchaikovsky – guitar, bass, vocals *Mick Broadbent – bass, guitar, keyboards, vocals *Keith Boyce – drums, percussion *Nick Garvey – backing vocals, bass on "Lady from the USA" *

Mike Oldfield Michael Gordon Oldfield (born 15 May 1953) is an English retired musician, songwriter and producer best known for his debut studio album ''Tubular Bells'' (1973), which became an unexpected critical and commercial success. Though primarily a gu ...

– tubular bells on "Girl of My Dreams"

Charts

References

{{Authority control 1979 debut albums Bram Tchaikovsky albums Radar Records albums