Like most punks, Adam & The Ants wore the mantle of anger and alienation - or, at least, ennui - but their music, more often than not, was stylish twaddle masquerading as serious art. On the other hand, the Ants could be a lot of fun when they tried (or got lucky), and they reeled off an impressive series of noisy, beat-driven singles. Adam Ant (née Stuart Goddard) and his Ants coalesced in 1977 and quickly became one of the biggest names in post-punk England, incorporating exotic rhythms, angular guitars, and dramatic showmanship into what was formerly a minimalist genre. Dirk Wears White Sox (1979) was an ambitious (if pretentious) debut that led to the group teaming up with Malcolm McLaren, the infamous Svengali behind the Sex Pistols. Under McLaren's guidance, the group all but invented the "New Romantic" look and sound, a dubious achievement that would prove to be the Ants' lasting contribution.

The partnership between McLaren and the Ants, however, produced just one album, the wacky Kings Of The Wild Frontier (1980), though the following record, Prince Charming (1981), is much in the same vein. McLaren - ever the scamp - literally stole Adam's Ants, using them to found his next project, Bow Wow Wow. Following the split, Adam Ant formally went solo with his next album, Friend Or Foe (1982), but his music remained the same: chic, tittilating, and ultimately meaningless. Antics In The Forbidden Zone (or the more recent, nearly equivilant Essential Adam Ant) compiles the best of the Adam Ant's new romantic years (1979-1985), containing such frivolous-but-fun dance-floor oddities as "Goody Two Shoes" and "Viva Le Rock." If you were in college when those records were in the clubs, you no doubt pogo-ed yourself silly and had a great time doing it. There's nothing really wrong with that - just don't ask me to respect you in the morning. [top of page]