This album – and the next one – were runaway commercial hits, and for a while Men at Work were practically on the same level as such big-time names as Van Halen and Genesis. Furthermore, in many countries – especially the U.S. – the commercial impact of Business as Usual was not really felt until late 1982, which meant that when the second record Cargo was released in early 1983, it was like a double whammy on a lot of levels. Men at Work were by no means geniuses, just a halfway decent pop group with a nice streak of adventure running through them, and in the New Wave 80’s, their little retro setup set them apart from the slick synth-obsessed pack. I still say, after all of these years, “Who Can It Be Now” is one of the better paranoia pop tunes ever to grace the air waves. The group harmonies at the end are a bit of a downer, but the beginning of the tune is like no other – the lonely drum kick, followed by Greg Ham’s killer sax riff, and then Colin Hay’s “who can it be knocking at my door” followed by that oh-so-timely snare 2-3-4 – one could say that was Men at Work’s real debut, never to be topped again. Then again, an even bigger hit for these guys was “Down Under” – a track which seemed to go out of its’ way to point out the Aussie in the crowd, no matter where you were in the world. Never mind that underneath the goofy window dressing lurked something different altogether – the sound has a dusky feel to it, with Ham’s flute leading the way, and for some reason I always got the nagging feeling these Aussies had a screw loose…or two or three…and were not ones to tangle with when sufficiently aroused. The other notable thing here is there are plenty of songs which could have been candidates as radio hits, and actually, some of these were minor ones in their own right. First and foremost, there is the wacky “Be Good, Johnny” – which ended up in reality show immorality, as the theme song for the show “Supernanny” – but here it is simply the biggest bounce house of cheeky, unadulterated fun. Johnny is the dreamer, the spoiled little bad boy who goes against authority because he feels like it, and the music chosen as its’ accompaniment feels perfectly matched up – kind of vague New Wave, but still in that organic Men at Work ball park. “Helpless Automation” is another good one, with lead vocals from Ham. Split Enz had to be the inspiration for this track, but that guitar line from Hay after the verses really gives this one maximum flavor. The reggae-heavy “Touching the Untouchables” has to be the most progressive piece on the album, and certainly proof that MAW had talent to burn. I dig how this track slowly yet expertly unfolds its’ many layers to the listener. Not to be missed. “People Just Love to Play with Words” is a pop song with a really simple sentiment. A song about people would lie all the time in relationships – sure, we have heard this all before, but then how come the manner the group presents it in sounds so fresh-faced and innocent? “Underground” was the final single released from the album. I do not think it is as good as the previous singles listed, but once again, the sax lines from Greg Ham are what make the difference. The album ends on quite the chill note, with “Catch a Star” followed by “Down by the Sea”. I feel like the group could have done more with this space, but I was not in their shoes. Overall, these guys really had a good thing going here, and I don’t think they get enough credit for what they accomplished with this debut record, even though these days it feels like such a distant memory. After this, it was most definitely diminishing returns for the work put in.
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