Oblivious - Aztec Camera, 1983

 
 

From the mountain tops down to the sunny street
A different drum is playing a different kind of beat
It's like a mystery that never ends
I see you crying and I want to kill your friends

Chorus:
I hear your footsteps in the street
It won't be long before we meet
It's obvious
Just count me in and count me out and
I'll be waiting for the shout
Oblivious

Met Mo and she's okay, said no-one really changed
Got different badges but they wear them just the same
But down by the ballroom I recognized that flaming fountain
in those kindred caring eyes

(Chorus)

I hope it haunts me 'til I'm hopeless
I hope it hits you when you go
And sometimes on the edge of sleeping
It rises up to let me know it's not so deep
I'm not so slow

They're calling all the shots, they'll call and say they phoned
They'll call us lonely when we're really just alone
And like a funny film, it's kinda cute
They've bought the bullets and there's no-one left to shoot

(Chorus x2)

 
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I had nothing more than distant memories of this band, and was somewhat surprised to find out that they were a Scottish band from Glasgow; I guess I imagined them as being from the Southwest. Aztec Camera were largely an 80s band, although they released three albums in the early 90s that I'd never even heard of. But their early music is a nice addition to any retro-eighties collection.

The 1983 album High Land, Hard Rain was one of their most critically acclaimed and commercial successful releases. Oblivious charted number one on the UK Indie charts, for what that's worth. It certainly got airplay here in Toronto on stations like CFNY-FM, "The Edge".

Connections: One of Aztec Camera's producers was Tony Mansfield, who started his career with an earlier band, New Musik.