Wikipedia

Mouth to Mouth (Mental As Anything album)

Mouth to Mouth is the sixth studio album by Australian pop rock band Mental As Anything, released in July 1987, and the album was produced by Richard Gottehrer. The album peaked at number 14 on the Australian chart.

Mouth to Mouth
Studio album by
Mental As Anything
Released31 July 1987
Recorded1986
StudioRhinoceros Studios, Sydney, Australia
GenrePop, rock
Length42:44
LabelEpic
ProducerRichard Gottehrer
Mental As Anything chronology
Greatest Hits Vol. 1
(1986)		 Mouth to Mouth
(1987)		 Cyclone Raymond
(1989)
Singles from Mouth To Mouth
  1. "Let's Go to Paradise"
    Released: November 1986
  2. "He's Just No Good for You"
    Released: July 1987
  3. "Don't Tell Me Now"
    Released: September 1987
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStar[1]

Recording

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Bassist O'Doherty said, "Gottehrer programmed all the drums and virtually all of the bass. So there was virtually no point in me and [drummer] Bird being there. I remember feeling pretty desolate, thinking 'I fucking hate this'. It wasn't fun anymore. I was programmed out, basically."[2]

Reception

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Jane Gazzo said the album, "epitomised 80s keyboard experimentation. With spacy, ethereal synthesiser treatments and expansive gated drum sounds." She also noted of the title track "some felt marked the band's departure into overindulgence".[2]

Trouser Press said, "There isn't an unlikable moment anywhere on the record, but the Mentals seem in danger of drifting into musical senility unless they find some collective personality and start showing a little more enthusiasm."[3]

Track listing

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Australian release:

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Don't Tell Me Now"Martin Plaza4:02
2."My Door Is Always Open to You"Greedy Smith4:01
3."Put Me Back"Martin Plaza4:31
4."Let's Go to Paradise"Greedy Smith3:19
5."The Mad King"Peter O'Doherty5:16
6."He's Just No Good for You"Greedy Smith3:26
7."Thinking Out Loud"Martin Plaza3:48
8."Stay at Home Girl"Reg Mombassa3:19
9."Mouth to Mouth"Greedy Smith3:48
10."I'm Glad"Peter O'Doherty3:19
11."Ruby Baby"Martin Plaza4:38
12."Wandering Through Heaven"Reg Mombassa4:01

International releases:
The US/Canada version of the album drops "Ruby Baby", and adds the band's cover of "Love Me Tender". Releases in the UK and continental Europe also drop "Ruby Baby", and add "Love Me Tender" and a new version of "If You Leave Me, Can I Come Too?", which is remixed and overdubbed with some new vocals and instrumentation.[4] Production of both these international tracks was by Mark Opitz.

Personnel

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Musicians

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Additional personnel

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Recording details

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Art work

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  • Art direction — Jana Hartig, Ken Smith, Sue Woollard
  • Design — Martin Plaza, Greedy Smith (and cover design)
  • Photography — Paula Clarke (cover photo), Paul Clarke, Hugh Hamilton, Frank Lindner (and sleeve photo), Francine McDougall

Charts

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Chart (1987) Peak
position
Australian (Kent Music Report)[6] 14

Release history

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Region Date Label Format Catalogue
Australia 27 July 1987 CBS Records LP, Cassette 450361 1 450361 4
21 September 1987 CBS Records CD CDCBS 450361 2
United States 1987 Columbia Cassette BFC 40299
Netherlands 1987 Epic CD EPC 460049 2
UK 1987 Epic LP, Vinyl 460049 1

References

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  1. ↑ Mouth to Mouth at AllMusic
  2. 1 2 Jane Gazzo (2024). I Hear Motion. Melbourne Books. p. 49. ISBN 9781922779267.
  3. ↑ Fricke, David; Robbins, Ira. "Mental as Anything". Trouser Press. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
  4. ↑ Taylor, Greg (2 August 1987). "A never-ending launch". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 98. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
  5. ↑ Carney, Shaun (7 August 1987). "Mouth to Mouth". The Age. p. 43. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
  6. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. p. 198. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
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