Creatures of Leisure


Creatures of Leisure is the fourth studio album released by Mental As Anything. It was released in March 1983, produced by Bruce Brown and Russell Dunlop, and peaked at #8 on the Australian Album charts. The first single, "Close Again", written by Peter O'Doherty was released in November 1982. Two further singles, the Smith and Mombassa collaboration, "Spirit Got Lost", was released in March 1983, accompanied by an imaginative animated video clip, and Pete O'Doherty's "Brain Brain", which was released in September 1983.
Their final 1983 single, a cover of Roy Orbison's "Working for the Man", produced by Mark Moffatt and Ricky Fataar, was not included on the original Australian release of the album. Internationally, Creatures of Leisure was altered to drop two Australia-only tracks, and replacing them with both sides of the "Working for the Man" single.

Reception

said it was, "The Mentals' best album to date, it is a must have for pure pop fans, new wave fans, rock & roll fans, and Aussie rock fans" and noted similarities with Rockpile and Squeeze.
Rip It Up disagreed, saying, "Album number four and the cracks are beginning to show, just a little. Not that this is a bad record. It's just that it gets the slightest bit dull and workmanlike. I'm afraid the title of the first track sums it up: 'Spirit Got Lost'.

Track listing

Australian edition

International Edition

The version of Creatures of Leisure released in North America dropped the tracks "Space to Let" and "Country in the Concrete", and added "Working for the Man" and "Seems Alright to Me". Additionally, "Nothing's Going Right Today" appeared in remixed form.
"Business & Pleasure", which was a completely unlisted track on the Australian release, was listed on the sleeve and on the label of the international edition, although it was not listed on the lyric sheet.

Release history

Chart positions

Personnel

Musicians