Men at Work - Two Hearts (1985)

Men at Work were a hugely successful new wave/pop band that formed in 1979. They started life as an Australian bar band and by 1981 had become the highest paid unsigned pub act in their country. Their first album, 1982's Business as Usual, included the worldwide hits "Who Can It Be Now?" and "Down Under." The followup, 1983's Cargo, continued their global success with the hits "Overkill" and "It's a Mistake." Following an extended break in 1984, the band started to fall apart. By the time they recorded their third and final release, drummer Jerry Speiser and bass player Johnathan Rees were already gone, replaced by session players. This left three core members, Scottish-born singer Colin Hay, keyboard/sax player and occasional vocalist Greg Ham and guitarist Ron Strykert. It's possible that Strykert may have left during the recording sessions, as he doesn't appear at all on two of the ten tracks. Two Hearts spawned the minor hit "Everything I Need."

Check out the music videos for "Everything I Need", "Maria" and "Hard Luck Story":







Men at Work broke up shortly thereafter. Colin Hay and Greg Ham reformed the band for a reunion tour in 1996, with a live CD from the tour, Brazil, issued in 1998.

I was a huge MaW fan in my early teens. I listened to those first two albums countless times. I hadn't listened to their music in many years when I saw them play in New Haven, CT during their reunion tour. Amazingly, I still remembered all of their lyrics after all that time. What a great show. When Two Hearts first came out, it didn't hit me the same way as their first two. It was different than what I was expecting. It was different than what anybody was expecting. The trademark quirky wit of their first two albums gave way to a seriousness and maturity that must have resulted from their overwhelming international success. Two Hearts is evidence of a more meaningful and intense Men at Work. It's a shame we didn't get to hear more.

Men at Work - Two Hearts (1985)
1. Man with Two Hearts (3:53)
2. Giving Up (3:24)
3. Everything I Need (3:33)
4. Sail to You (3:23)
5. Children on Parade (3:35)
6. Maria (4:32)
7. Stay at Home (3:06)
8. Hard Luck Story (3:40)
9. Snakes and Ladders (3:15)
10. Still Life (3:46)

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