The Toronto Star
February 11, 1992
Robyn Hitchcock Live Noncommital As Ever
by Lenny Stoute
Down at the El Mocambo last night, it was Hitchcockian -- but definitely not for The Birds. More like The Man Who Knew Too Much (with time out for moments of Sweet and tender).
Hitchcock was the wily veteran who has learned all there is to know about making less more.
Last night's show -- culled mostly from the new material off Perspex Island -- was supposed to introduce a more Pop-sensitive, accessible Hitchcock. Yeah, "So You Think You're In Love" is easier to get a handle on than "My Wife And My Dead Wife". And certainly Hitchcock seems to have abandoned the personna that has clogged his earlier stuff. But in terms of exploiting the obvious hooks of "Children Of The Universe", well, forget it. The new-and-bright Hitchcock remains as deadpan and noncommital as ever: only cracking the face but once during an all-band a capella version of "Uncorrected Personality Traits".
Robyn-Hitchcock-as-Pop-doctor doesn't deliver the goods all that differently from Hitchcock-the-enigmatic-minimalist. His taste in covers remains engaging, as demonstrated by a moving take on "Eight Miles High". But when you get down to shelling the crab, there's not much change in Robyn Hitchcock live.
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