The Momusexual

by Anthony Reynolds

In early 1997 Jack singer Anthony Reynolds recorded the first Jacques album ; 'How to make love' with Momus. He then toured it through England and in Paris supporting the Divine Comedy. This then, is the tale of both...

119 pages, Hardcover

Published September 30, 2021

Reviews

[John Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anthony Reynolds was the leader of the band Jack whose album Pioneer Soundtracks was highly regarded on its release in 1996. The band’s tour to accompany the album was chronicled in Reynold’s first memoir The Promosexuals. Following the tour, Anthony had the opportunity to work and write with a personal hero, Nicholas Currie, the alter-ego of singer-songwriter Momus, on an album which would be recorded under the name Jacques as How to Make Love Vol. 1. This book – The Momosexual – recounts both the recording of that album and the subsequent tour in which Jacques supported The Divine Comedy. From his account, the recording of How to… was a glorious mis-step, rushed and ultimately flawed, but jinxed by the differing expectations of the people taking and the lack of planning. Fuelled by vodka and cocaine, the album never reached the quality that Pioneer Soundtracks had attained. Reynold’s account is blisteringly honest and funny, and a sobering look at “fame” in the time of Britpop, a fame which seems to constantly just elude Jack. The story moves into near farce as the tour with The Divine Comedy takes place, Anthony and his musicians failing to get on with “Little Nell”, as he wonderfully describes Neil Hannon, and the others, leading to fall-outs, backstage bans and ecstasy fuelled love-assaults, a more successful sojourn in Paris and a return to work as Jack, not to forget a disturbing description of Momus’ video collection. Reynolds is a wonderful lyricist, and proves himself again here as an adroit writer, each page dripping in turns of phrase which allow the debauchery, chaos and beauty of life on the road to submerge you.

[Martin Bainbridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

“…we were introduced over a table at every indie-wanker’s favourite hangout: The Phoenix (members only bar) on Charing Cross Road.”

Excellent first-hand (yet slightly detached) account of erstwhile-Jacques (and Jack) frontman Anthony Reynolds and his encounters with three Ns: Neil Hannon and a brace of Nicks (Currie and, briefly, Heyward). Reynolds’ stubborn and self-sabotaging exploits add much colour to anecdotes about recording the album ‘How to make love (volume 1)’ under the production auspices of Momus then subsequently touring the record as support act for The Divine Comedy.

It’s a short but extremely evocative recounting of mid-‘90s London redolent of, say, Martin Amis’ ‘The information’ or Will Self’s ‘The rock of crack as big as The Ritz’.

It’s so ‘90s. It’s so… grubby.

Having lived in London* from 1994 to 2005 (and again from 2010 to 2013), there are plenty of nostalgia buttons being pushed here.

Highly recommended for all Gen X baroque pop or Shibuya-kei enthusiasts (or, if you will, “indie-wankers”) alike.

* Favourite pub? Downstairs at The Phoenix.