Overview
“2nd Honeymoon” is the debut album by Deaf School, an English art rock/new wave band formed in Liverpool in 1974.
Background of the Production
Deaf School were formed by students and staff at Liverpool College of Art. The major members were Enrico Cadillac Jnr/real name Steve Allen (vocals), Bette Bright (vocals), Cliff Hanger/real name Clive Langer (guitar, piano), Max Ripple/real name John Wood (keyboards, accordion), Steve “Average” Lindsey (bass, piano, vocals), Timothy Whittaker (drums), Ian Ritchie (saxophone), Eric Shark/real name Thomas John Davis (vocals), and Paul Pilnick (guitar, accordion, bass, banjo).
After winning the “Melody Maker” rock and folk contest, they signed to Warner Bros. Records, and released the album in 1976.
Commentary
The album is an art-rock masterpiece in the vaudeville style, which was descended from the British pop tradition after the Kinks, and incorporated the elements of pub rock, glam rock like Roxy Music, and new wave under the influence of Tin Pan Alley sound and stage music such as Broadway musical and Weimar cabaret, especially Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, and Kurt Weill.
Though they released three albums on Warner Bros. Records in 1976–1978, they couldn’t have commercial success at that time because their style and direction were outside the mainstream of the late 1970s UK popular music scene caught in a wave of punk. However, Deaf School is one of the important proto-punk bands in that their music had a vast influence on many British musicians.
English rock journalist and author Paul Du Noyer said: “In the whole history of Liverpool music two bands matter most, one is The Beatles and the other is Deaf School”.
“What a Way to End It All” / “Nearly Moonlit Night Motel” was released as a single in 1976.
In the US, “2nd Honeymoon” was released by Warner Bros. Records as a double album (2LP) with the second album “Don’t Stop The World” in 1977.
The digitally remastered CD including six bonus tracks was released by the Lemon Recordings label of Cherry Red Records in 2009.
