It's probably fair to say that until 1987 the most exciting thing to happen to the town of Camberley in Surrey was a rabies scare in 1969 or the adventures of highwaymen in the area almost two centuries before. That was until the arrival of Matt and Luke Goss, who put the sleepy town on the map for a short time in the late eighties. The Time was their second album and followed an extraordinary rise to fame after the release of the single When Will I Be Famous?, and the debut album Push.
Ripped jeans and screaming girls followed for two years as the boyband dominated the pop press. But like Icarus, and many boy bands before and after, they flew too high too early and the success was not sustainable. One album later Bros were no more as they called it a day in 1992. It is intriguing then to listen back and be reminded of the excitement that surrounded the band. Fashion and image wise they led the way for a time but musically Bros were never innovators and The Time has that late-eighties tinny production which taints so much of the pop from that era.
Singles Too Much and Chocolate Box evidence that most obviously, but the likes of Space, with its funky beat and guitar washes holds up well, as does the fantastically fun Club Fool, with its excessive guitar solo. This reissue contains five extra bonus tracks, including extended versions of Too Much, Sister (dedicated to their sister Carolyn who was killed in a car accident) and Madly In Love. A few years later and Matt and Luke Goss would disappear to the quieter world of the West End or eventually Las Vegas. Like many of the pop phenomenons over the years, Bros sound very much of their time. But for many in their early teens in 1989, this reissue will bring back wonderful memories.
Check out the exclusive Music-News.com interview with Matt Goss below.
