Business as Usual

Given the ubiquity of singles such as “Down Under” and “Who Can It Be Now?”, it’s difficult to believe that Men At Work’s debut album was rejected twice by the band’s US record label, CBS, because they didn’t think it contained any hits. They were, of course, wrong. While “Down Under” has become something of a default Australian national anthem—introducing the world to the word “chunder”, a slang term for vomit—in reality it’s less a celebration of the country than a comment on the perils of plundering its natural wealth for short-term gain. Indeed, for what is ostensibly a pop album there are some surprisingly dark themes, with “Who Can It Be Now?” riffing on seclusion and paranoia; the Devo-esque “Helpless Automaton” on fears about technology; “I Can See It In Your Eyes” addresses the death of a relationship; and “Be Good Johnny” is about a young boy who feels misunderstood by the adults in his life. Such topics are welcome counterpoints to the music, which dances with ska on “Catch a Star”, New Wave (“Helpless Automaton”), prog (“Touching the Untouchables”) and clever, nuanced pop songwriting throughout.