Alan Rankine RIP (The Associates- An Appreciation)

The Associates are probably the last band I would ever expect to hear in my small Midwestern town. Yet, I became aware of them via two ways. One was from being a huge Smiths fan and the implication that “William, It was Really Nothing” might be inspired by the Associates’ Billy MacKenzie (and he would later reply with a song called “Stephen. You’re Really Something”.) The second being an album review in Spin magazine. These were rough times for me personally (in my mid-20s) and I would read and re-read these magazines This was also during a time where I was routinely hitting up the CD section in local pawn shops and to my shock, found two Associates CDs while doing this. One was 1990s Wild and Lonely- the bands fourth album is essentially a McKenzie solo album with collaborator Alan Rankine out of the band. It’s a bit of a completists only record that production wise, is off its time. But I also found Popera: The Singles Collection (also 1990) a collection of the band’s Greatest Hits I know that there probably is one Associates fan who will read this, so I hope to continue discussing the band without causing offense. There are a lot of similarities between the Associates and one of my favorite bands, Soft Cell. Both are duos. Both are ostensibly synth pop bands with an ear for melody, but more interested in making art over chart success. Because of this last aspect, I would suggest that they fall into a category of “love it or hate it”. It was the 80s and they weren’t the only band so strongly committed to their craft, but so committed they were, that it is hard to think of too many bands that approached them in style and quality - Besides the aforementioned Soft Cell, I would suggest Bronski Beat, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Fad Gadget, Cabaret Voltaire and a select very few others that would come to mind. Popera is what makes the Associates great in one disc. Here are the band’s greatest moments - front loaded with songs from their most acclaimed album “Sulk” along with a career of worthwhile singles and a few well selected covers like “Love Hangover” and “Heart of Glass”. The title of the compilation perfectly capturing the operatic vocals and the synth pop beat. McKenzie committed suicide at the age of 39. Since his death in 1997 (and despite little success in the US), his influence shows in big ways via songs that were dedicated to him post-mortem by musicians like Siouxsie, Bjork and the Cure. Last year, Sulk received the 40 year anniversary boxed set treatment. There’s not much to recommend social media in 2023, but a real positive is that we hear about musicians who have passed, and can celebrate their work. Last month, Alan Rankine died at age 64. After the Associates, he recorded three solo albums, produced the Cocteau Twins and played a role in the early years of Snow Patrol and Belle and Sebastian via the Electric Honey label.