{"id":7119,"date":"2025-07-03T17:41:48","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T16:41:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shindig-magazine.com\/?p=7119"},"modified":"2025-07-03T17:41:48","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T16:41:48","slug":"shindig-issue-165-the-soft-boys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shindig-magazine.com\/?p=7119","title":{"rendered":"Shindig! Issue #165 \u2013 The Soft Boys"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Commercially ignored and out of step with the times, THE SOFT BOYS\u2019 second album, 1980\u2019s <i>Underwater Moonlight<\/i>, has since taken its rightful place as a hugely influential neo-psychedelic milestone.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>JONATHAN THORNTON dives into this birth of a masterpiece with Robyn Hitchcock and Kimberley Rew<\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>The Soft Boys found themselves short of cash, a situation that was to influence how <i>Underwater Moonlight <\/i>would be recorded. \u201cWe just had less money,\u201d says Hitchcock, \u201cso we worked much more cheaply.\u201d This would prove a blessing in disguise. The band relocated from the 16-track studio in Cambridge to the Alaska and James Morgan studios in London. \u201cThe ones done in London were on four- and eight-track,\u201d explains Hitchcock, \u201cwhich meant that (producer and engineer) Pat Collier had to bounce the songs down. It was more like the way The Beatles and Stones would have recorded back in the \u201960s, which quite suited what we were doing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Soft Boys - Only The Stones Remain. Rare footage!\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZD_a8lntjWI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Certainly, <em>Underwater Moonlight<\/em> is a fantastic sounding record, the guitars of opener \u2018I Wanna Destroy You\u2019 bursting out of the speakers with a raw energy that for the first time suggested The Soft Boys could merge those \u201960s influences with the aggression and immediacy of punk. Its lyrics see Hitchcock taking issue with punk\u2019s directionless anger. \u201cIt\u2019s a protest song against human nature,\u201d he says. \u201cSadly, it\u2019s as applicable today as it was then.\u201d \u2018I\u2019ve Got The Hots For You\u2019 mixes surreal and uncomfortable explorations of sexuality with swinging Beefheart guitar riffs, whilst the sublime jangle-pop of \u2018Queen Of Eyes\u2019 harks back to The Byrds and anticipates the next 30 years of indie music.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/widget.qobuz.com\/album\/sxc6iiryrfdsc?zone=GB-en\" width=\"378\" height=\"390\">Your browser does not support iframes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Rew attributes the band\u2019s growing confidence to their development as musicians, particularly Hitchcock\u2019s songwriting. \u201cRobyn, as you know, was a bit of a genius \u2013 extremely creative, very focused, a very inspiring person.\u201d Another factor was the addition of Seligman, whom he describes as \u201cvery much a feel-oriented player\u201d. \u201cHe had this kind of relaxed, floating, swinging groove, which we didn\u2019t have before he joined.\u201d Rew himself also had evolved as a musician, gaining the confidence to use his guitar effectively but sparingly. \u201cI kind of realised I didn\u2019t have to keep playing at five trillion notes per hour all the time, in case anyone thought I couldn\u2019t play! So on \u2018Insanely Jealous\u2019, I sort of don\u2019t come in for the first two minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While the album contained the most assured and powerful songs Hitchcock had written to date, Hitchcock himself is quick to acknowledge the importance of The Soft Boys as a group in giving the album its unique sound. \u201cThey\u2019re my songs, but I can\u2019t take credit for the way it sounds. There\u2019s a sort of optimism, or a mania, or a bounce to the music that doesn\u2019t come from me. It comes from Matthew, Morris and Kim playing my songs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><i>Underwater Moonlight <\/i>was released by Armageddon Records in June 1980.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>Take out a trial with <a href=\"http:\/\/www.qobuz.com\">Qobuz<\/a> today to enjoy their vast catalogue, our monthly bespoke playlists, and this very album.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>To read the full Soft Boys article you can order\u00a0<\/em>Shindig!\u00a0<em>#165 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.silverbackpublishing.rocks\/product\/shindig165\/\">here<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<span class=\"synved-social-container synved-social-container-share\"><a class=\"synved-social-button synved-social-button-share synved-social-size-24 synved-social-resolution-single synved-social-provider-facebook nolightbox\" data-provider=\"facebook\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" title=\"Share on Facebook\" 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