Sound Advice: CD Reviews - Rough Trade (Avoid Freud)

CD Review:
This is the band's first studio album. It hit the airwaves with the single "High School Confidential" and it started what was a furor as the band were one of the first to put sexual politics on the radio for all to hear in their home country of Canada.

Carol Pope (vocals) and Kevan Staples (guitar, piano) were the core of the band. They formed the band "O" around 1969. The group never made it anywhere so they changed it to Bullwhip Brothers. Playing for the gay and lesbian communities at festivals in and around Toronto, by 1974 Bullwhip Brothers became Rough Trade and by 1976 they became the first band to put out a "direct to disc" release after signing with Umbrella. Rough Trade Live was produced by Jack Richardson of Guess Who fame (he produced American Woman as well as others).

After 4 years Rough Trade was signed to the True North label. Pope and Staples, by that time, had added Terry Watkins (bass) and Bucky Burger (drums). They released Avoid Freud and it went platinum on the strength of the singles "Fashion Victim" and the cut and bleeped out versions of "High School Confidential."

What made this band stand out above the run-of-the-mill musical crap that made the '80s so famous was their lack of shyness. Like Prince's "in your face" sexual lyrics, Rough Trade took sexual politics to a height not known in Canadian music before. Putting lesbianism and S&M culture out front in their lyrics, as well as adding a sense of style in their physical appearances, Rough Trade contributed to a Canadian music scene that needed a healthy kick in the pants.

Highlights on this album include, "High School Confidential" a song about the secret lust of a lesbian girl for the "popular" girl in her high school. "What's the Furor about the Fuhrer" is a controversial song about how we are in a new age of Nazism where the corporations are the ones in charge. "Hostage" is an explicit song about a woman who is forced to give fellatio to a criminal who has taken her hostage.

Rough Trade released 5 more albums and finally disbanded in 1986 not really making any headway outside Canada. But for what it's worth they did make their mark, with Junos in hand, on the history of Canadian music.

Scott D. Brown