Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman had a lot to prove after original 10cc members Lol Crème and Kevin Godley left the band. During the making of Deceptive Bends, the British press had already taken to calling the group “5cc.” Without Godley and Crème, 10cc lost some of the giddy experimentation that had made its early albums so delightful, but this also brought songcraft to the fore. With Stewart and Gouldman at the helm, 10cc turned into much more of a traditional pop group, while retaining a vivid imagination and an acute appreciation of arrangement. Wings and Queen are the two nearest reference points for songs like “Marriage Bureau Rendezvous,” “You’ve Got a Cold," and the hit single “The Things We Do for Love,” but 10cc was by no means at a lower level than its masterful peers. (Paul and Linda McCartney were avowed 10cc fans, and Paul would later work with Stewart in the '80s.) For all their talent as songwriters, what truly set Stewart and Gouldman apart was their skill as producers. The brilliant bonus track “I’m So Laid Back, I’m Laid Out” epitomizes their ability to make a succulent sonic imprint.