Tune of the Week: Adam Ant

Adam Ant is a true individual. Very few musicians have even attempted to bring together as many disparate elements as he. In terms of music, he and collaborator Marco Pirroni fused tribal drumming, Latin horn, spaghetti western guitars and whistiling alongside new wave methods of production. The visual presentation of this musical synthesis was pirate clothing and Native American facepaint. On top of this was Adam’s unabashed boasting alongside a healthy dose of sex. After achieving success with this unique concoction came the requisite celebrity backlash in the press. Subsequent songs would reflect Ant’s thoughts on his status in the mainstream, often results in lyrics obsessed with his relationship with mass media and the music industry. Here is a perfect example of such a tune. The production really saves this from being a total ego-driven bore. The guitar and vocal layering are a technical marvel that elevates what could be a tedious bitchfest from someone talented and lucky enough to catch the public’s eye and imagination. Recorded in 1982, the second verse’s lyrics seem to prophesize the coming AIDS epidemic. Once again, Adam Ant seemed perhaps to be well ahead of his time.