Men At Work Cargo CD

Reissue 1983 W/5 Bonus Tracks.

Men At Work: Colin Hay (vocals, guitar); Ron Strukert (guitar, background vocals); Greg Ham (flute, saxophone, keyboards, background vocals); John Rees (bass, background vocals); Jerry Speiser (drums, background vocals).
Recorded at A.A.V., Melbourne, Australia and Paradise Studios, Sydney, Australia. Includes liner notes by David Wild.
Cargo was bashed out fairly quickly, but its release was delayed because of the success of Men at Work's debut, Business as Usual. Though it was recorded on the road, Cargo is considerably more diverse -- but not necessarily more ambitious -- than its predecessor. Again, the album is anchored by two extraordinary singles. Fortunately, the soaring ballad "Overkill" and the satiric, anti-nuclear "It's a Mistake" aren't rewrites of "Who Can It Be Now?" and "Down Under," demonstrating more depth than anything on the debut. Despite this growth, the remainder of Cargo is weighed down by filler. "Doctor Heckyll and Mr. Jive" might be goofy fun and "High Wire" and "Blue for You" are tight pop songs, but the rest are simply pleasant, occasionally embarrassing ("I Like To," "Settle Down My Boy") new wave pop. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Men At Work's followup to the hugely successful BUSINESS AS USUAL was an album with a lot riding on it, but the Aussies come through admirably, upping the songcraft and the production values simultaneously. There's less of a reggae undertone on CARGO, and the Aussie-centric "Down Under," which provided so much novelty appeal on the debut, has no equivalent here.
Instead, there's a more sophisticated compositional bent that sacrifices nothing in sheer catchiness. The album's centerpiece, "Overkill," is representative of the blend of introspective self-doubt and arresting melodic hooks that makes CARGO an unqualified success. If BUSINESS AS USUAL tickled your pop fancy, you'll find CARGO digs a little deeper.

Rolling Stone (2/20/03, p.65) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Sparkling production....The hits still glow..."