Description
Social Decay is the sophomore album by the British rock band The Predators, released on Ears & Eyes Records in 1983. The album was recorded July 1983 by Mick Robson at Ric-Rac Studios in Leeds, England; with John Pantry producing. (Social Decay was followed by a cassette-only album entitled Offensive, independently released in 1987.)
The Predators features Kevin Smith on vocals, Brian Westhead on keyboards and vocals, Kelvin Allwood on guitar, Andy Rayner on bass and vocals, and Fran Johnson on drums and percussion. Additional synthesizers on tracks A2 and B4 provided by Chris Norton.
Their second album on Pilgrim Records was ‘Social Decay’. Released with a striking cover with a human hand reaching out in Michaelangelo fashion to a skeleton hand, the album was banned by some Christian book shops because it was deemed a bit spooky. Kev explains, “This is just a picture of something that we’re trying to reflect in the album. You have to listen to the album to know what the picture’s about. I went into Scripture Union as it was called then and they’d banned the album! I had a bit of a row with the lady and she said, ‘It’s not my fault! We’ve been told from above it’s got to be banned!’ But I just think it increased people’s interest in the band and you need a bit of controversy, not in a nasty way but in a way that makes people have a second look at this and not just write things off. I think as Christians sometimes we’re very quick to write things off without checking it out first and seeing what it’s really about, getting behind the cover, not judging things just by what we see or hear at face value.” [Excerpt from the article “The Predators: The groundbreaking British band of the ’80s”, written by Mike Rimmer and published on crossrhythms.co.uk, Wednesday 25th February 2009]
After their ’82 debut, these pioneering rock evangelists returned to the studio in 1983 to make a follow up with John Pantry and a young Chris Norton handling the production. The results are the band’s usual blend of new wave rock and pop and a desire to touch on subjects that other bands didn’t touch at the time! The impact of video nasties or the mess of divorce are both treated here and at the other extreme, «Man In My Room» is a song about the Holy Spirit. The opening cut «Jack» was always a stage favourite although it was only recently that I discovered that singer Kev Smith hated the song. «Stand Up» and «Never Say Die» are both anthemic rabble rousing songs to stir the Church. Listening 25 years later, the ’80s production does sound a little dated and clunky here and there. However two things that shine through are the songwriting of drummer Fran Johnson and the crisp guitar playing of Kelvin Allwood. Johnson has a way with creating haunting and emotive songs like «2 Out Of 7» and «Man In My Room». The Predators were always a great live band and of the three albums they left behind, this is probably the best. If you haven’t got the (increasingly scarce) vinyl, start searching. [Mike Rimmer, Cross Rhythms, March 2009]
The Predators were an early pioneering new wave / pop / punk band in the Christian scene from England. By some people’s standards today, this would not be considered punk. I get that, but historically new wave bands like this were considered punk (what do you think the “new wave” was a new wave of anyways?). Or you could just look at it as alternative rock if you really wanted, because the pop sensibilities here definitely pull it in that direction. You really get a nice mix of faster, heavier numbers and slower, popier tunes here. This was their second full-length album (after their self-titled debut in 1982), which they followed up with a few more singles before their third full length Offensive in 1987. [Christian Tape Underground, September 7, 2019]
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “Jack” – 3:16
A2. “Free World” – 3:18
A3. “Man In My Room” – 4:15
A4. “Stand Up And Be Counted” – 3:50
A5. “Lost At Sea” – 3:54
Side Two
B1. “2 Out Of 7” – 3:55
B2. “One More Time” – 3:17
B3. “Wipe The Tears” – 4:27
B4. “Nasty Video” – 3:04
B5. “Never Say Die” – 3:25
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and 12-inch vinyl LP by Ears & Eyes Records. Available at: http://www.thedeakin.net/predators/
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