Bronski Beat The Age of Consent

Bronski Beat 'The Age of Consent' (London Records, 1984)

This is a stonewall classic. Did you see what I did there?

'The Age of Consent' is an incredible album. It entranced me when I first heard it. It was one of the first tapes I was given by Andy, the dad of Kay's friend Lisa, who worked in the Middle East and would procure me 'Thompson Originals' which were very well packaged bootlegs of the popular albums of the time.

My dad concurred that 'Smalltown Boy' was a great song only he went off it 'When he saw them'. I didn't really know what he meant, I thought they looked pretty cool, they had a Scottish connection and Jimmy Somerville sang like an angel.
I was oblivious to the political message, I seriously didn't know what I was singing about when asking 'Why?' or 'Screaming'. What did it matter anyway when the music pulsed so brilliantly and with such robotic clarity?

As a piece of confrontational art 'The Age of Consent' ranks along with many of the anarcho punk bands I would later become a fan of. The prominent Pink Triangle, listing the European Laws regarding the minimum age for lawful homosexual relationships between men, demanding equality, stating that 'The sweetest thing of all is men loving men loving men loving men' and making videos tackling homophobia was, and sadly still is, quite a statement. Particularly in popular culture when people like George Michael and Elton John were still experiencing their '..closetness and pain'.

Even though a number of songs feature my least favourite 80s musical motif, the saxophone flourish, the electronic brilliance of 'Why?', 'Junk' and the, wait for it, as good as the original, 'I feel Love', all make this album worthy of its status as a classic.

And then you have their undoubted moment of genius. 'Smalltown Boy' is one of my top ten favourite songs of all time, I know every word and every nuance, which can be attested to by anybody unlucky enough to be around me when I am drunk and in the mood for showing off my falsetto - my apologies go out in particular to those who attended the wedding of Mr and Mrs Glasstone.

In case you haven't guessed - this is amazing. And it's another alphabetical mix up!

Peace