Misplaced Ideals Explained

Misplaced Ideals
Type:studio
Artist:Sad Café
Cover:Sad Café Misplaced Ideals UK original.jpg
Caption:Original vinyl cover
by Storm Thorgerson/Hipgnosis
Released:April 1978
Studio:
Genre:Pop rock
Length:42:06
Label:RCA
Producer:John Punter
Prev Title:Fanx Ta-Ra
Prev Year:1977
Next Title:Misplaced Ideals
Next Year:1978

Misplaced Ideals is the second studio album by English rock band Sad Café, released in April 1978 by RCA Records. Despite no singles being released from the album and its lack of commercial success, it peaked at number 50 on the UK Albums Chart.[1] [2] The album wasn't released in North America, where instead it was decided that a compilation album, also titled Misplaced Ideals, of the band's first two albums be released.

Reception

Reviewing the album for Record Mirror, Mary Ann Ellis gave the album 3 out of 5 and wrote "Sad Cafe are going to need all the help they can get selling this record which is probably why they've employed shock tactics on the cover... guaranteed to stop record shop browsers in their racks. 'Misplaced Ideals' is just another recruit to that, growing army of average albums. Not bad, not good. Competent but unexciting eliciting neither orgasms nor groans. Just another variation (or is it?) on the same well worn (out) theme. There are some good (standard) rocky numbers which are spoilt by being overlong and afflicted with tedious sax and guitar solos. Self-indulgence rules (and ruins) here. Sad Cafe fall into a kind of no band'sland as far as audience appeal goes. They're too sophisticated for the heavy brigade and their style is still not distinctive enough to earn them much of a cult following. And their songs at the moment have little commercial appeal."[3]

Cover art

The original album cover featured a photograph of a man pulling off a rubber face mask, only to reveal another face underneath. The striking image was created for RCA by Storm Thorgerson.[4] The photograph of a distorted rubber face being pulled apart proved controversial, and RCA decided to re-release the album for the European market with a different cover, a picture of a family of sunbathers walking on a beach. The North American release featured an illustration of a woman holding a cocktail, and in Japan, the album was released with a black cover showing only the eye of the face mask.

Personnel

Sad Café

Additional personnel

North American album

Misplaced Ideals
Type:compilation
Artist:Sad Café
Cover:Sad Café Misplaced Ideals US.jpg
Released:November 1978
Genre:Pop rock
Length:44:20
Label:A&M
Producer:John Punter
Prev Title:Misplaced Ideals
Prev Year:1978
Next Title:Facades
Next Year:1979

Notes and References

  1. Web site: World of Genesis - Paul Young - A Brief History 1947-2000. www.worldofgenesis.com. 2020-04-21.
  2. Web site: misplaced ideals full Official Chart History Official Charts Company. www.officialcharts.com. en. 2020-04-21.
  3. Albums. Record Mirror. 29 April 1978. 12. 11 February 2021.
  4. Book: Heritage Music & Entertainment Auction #7006. Heritage Capital Corporation. 978-1-59967-369-1. 135. en. 30 January 2021.