Con-Test features the return of Nash the Slash to FM. Nash's solo career stalled after 1984, so I guess his return makes some sense. Instead of returning to the sound of the early years with Nash, the band forges ahead into really commercial territory.
The video for Just Like You is interesting in that you can hear Phasors on Stun on the car radio before Just like You commences. However, that's as much looking backwards as we get, because this is really a commercial record, and it is no where near as good as the previous FM releases or Nash the Slash's solo records. I would say that there are some OK pop songs om this record, but that's really not what I want from an FM record.
I suppose City of Fear could be regarded as a transitional album, though that is probably something that is easier to say in hindsight. After all, there was a five year gap following the release of this record. Yet, there is an undeniable move towards a more pop sound. It's not too bad, yet I can't help comparing it with the earlier stuff, which is probably not wise. Still, I guess you could say that this record marks the end of the great FM period.
The third outing from FM is a bit of a lesser effort compared with the first two, though still enjoyable. This album contains a fairly faithful cover version of the Yardbirds' Shapes of Things. If you want the real FM experience, find the first two releases. If you like those, you will like this. I don't own any FM recordings on CD, for whatever reason.
This record was released under two different titles, Direct to Disc as well as Head Room. The band has a different lineup from the first record, with Ben Mink replacing Nash the Slash.
Each side contains one long suite. Side A contains Headroom, a piece with five parts: Tyra, Reflections One, Reflections Two, Real Rime, and Scarberia. If you have lived in Toronto, the last segment's title will mean something to you. Side B contains Border Crossing, broken into four segments: The First Movement, The Second Movement, The Third Movement, and The Fourth Movement.
To me, this record sounds a bit more like space rock than prog, but I guess the two genres are ultimately the same.
There have been many direct to disc recordings. The process avoids the use of tape, as the title suggests. Instead, the music is mixed live and recorded directly to a master disc. Because only a limited number of pressings could be made from one master disc, these were always produced in limited quantities. I assume that the 2013 CD edition was mastered from a vinyl copy. I suppose if there are any further vinyl copies, those would likely be mastered from this CD generation, but who knows if that will happen.
Wikipedia notes both the advantages and disadvantages of the direct-to-disc method: "Technically, direct-to-disc recording is believed to result in a more
accurate, less noisy recording through the elimination of up to four
generations of master tapes, overdubs, and mix downs from multi-tracked masters. The method bypasses problems inherent in recording tape: tape hiss, wow and flutter.
From the musicians' point of view, the advantages of direct-to-disc
recording are a greater immediacy and interaction among the players."
And: "Although the spontaneity of performance is preserved, no overdubbing
or editing is possible. It becomes more challenging for the musicians,
engineers and producers, whose performances will be captured "warts and
all." In the event of aborted sides, expensive lacquers are wasted and
cannot be used again. According to Robert Auld of the Audio Engineering Society: "It was a notoriously difficult way to record; the musicians and all concerned had to record a complete LP side without any serious musical or technical mistakes.
Some artists maintain that musical instruments may drift out of tune:
It is not possible to keep instruments in tune for the length of the LP
side." [source]
Someone actually paid $100 for one of these on Discogs. I find that hard to believe.
FM is a Canadian prog rock band, partly notable for including Nash the Slash (until 1977, though he returned a couple of times). The first real concert I ever saw was Prism, another Canadian band. There were two acts supporting the band: The Pumps and FM. I remember the concert very well and I remember smelling marijuana, something I don't think I had ever smelled before then. My cousin even smuggled some home-grown Mary Jane into the venue in his sock, which he, and his friend, enjoyed. I passed on the offer, which was probably a good idea, because both reported that the ganja had no effect whatsoever.
The first record, Black Noise, contains probably the best-known FM track, Phasors on Stun. That's a Start Trek reference for the non-geeks. Phasors on Stun is a fabulous song. Bizarrely, this record was not released immediately. The label hung onto it and released it after the second album, known as Direct to Disc or Head Room. But, I think most people consider this to be the first record from the band. This record is clearly the best thing the band ever did.
Evidently, Sédatifs En Fréquences Et Sillons translates to sedative in frequencies and furrows. This EP contains three tracks, as follows:
"De cercle en cercle, ressasser et se perdre dans l'illusion née de
la production de distractions et multiplier la statique environnante!"
("From Circle to Circle, Rehash and Get Lost in the Illusion Born of
Production and Increase the Static Distractions Surrounding!") – 14:34
One could probably argue that the principle of diminishing marginal returns applies to many artists as they reach album number three, but in this case, I would argue that the third record is a bit better than the second, but it's not as good as the first. The following track is very good and sounds like classic Flock.
If you know a track from this record, it's likely Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You), which is placed in the prime position of prominence, that being track 1 on side 1. Why do some many record companies place the single in this position? It's kind of dumb.
In any case, it's a good track. Overall, I think that the first record from the Flock was much better, with this one being a slight disappointment, but it's still fairly good.
"New wave and synth pop act from Liverpool, remembered more for their teased haircuts than their parade of infectious hits."
- Allmusic
Really? If the history of rock has taught us anything, it's that old people shouldn't ridicule the youth for fashion choices. Whoever wrote this is a true Herbert. "Oh, Herbert, you are stiff!"
The band's biggest and most enduring hit--I Ran--was given the most prominent place on the record, that being the first track on side A. It's a pretty good song:
"I walked along the avenue.
I never thought I'd meet a girl like you;
Meet a girl like you.
With auburn hair and tawny eyes;
The kind of eyes that hypnotize me through;
Hypnotize me through."
Once again, the record label played games with this
release. The US and Canadian pressings are different from the original
UK pressing. Tokyo is missing from the Canadian pressing.
I will agree that this band is a little light, but they wrote some catchy and enjoyable tunes, like Telecommunication, D.N.A., and Modern Love is Automatic. They were a solid 80s band.
"A 6 track EP for the price of 7" single - very limited." Again, I have no idea how many copies make up this pressing.
Flesh for Lulu was a goth band, I guess. They are best known for the single I Go Crazy, which is a pretty solid track. Time and Space is taken from the Plastic Fantastic LP. This release contains four tracks:
Time And Space (LP Version)
Decline And Fall
Bloodshot Moon
Time And Space (Rock Remix)
This songs aren't too bad. Someone once compared the band's sound as a mix of the New York Dolls and the Rolling Stones. I suppose that is a plausible description. The sad news is that Nick Marsh, the lead singer, died of cancer in June of 2015 at the age of 53.
"You came into the party with a long black shawl
and the guys from the front lawn were making jokes about the white swan"
- Stevie Nix, The Hold Steady
In the early days, Fleetwood Mac was a blues band. Some people do not know that, because they seem only to be aware of the Rumours period. These people might be shocked to hear early Fleetwood Mac music.
The band experienced numerous lineup changes, with Stevie joining much later. I must point out that I really dislike Stevie Nicks. On this record, I don't mind her so much, but that song about a bird with one wing stinks, and so does her duet with Tom Petty, which is a shame because I like Tom Petty. When I ripped a copy of Anthology - Through the Years to my computer for my iPod, I deleted that track.
This is an example of an album I heard way too many times. As I might have mentioned, my dad was a big fan of 8 track tapes. My sister gave my dad a copy of Rumours one year, probably for christmas or his birthday, and he took to it like a fish takes to water. On some days during the weekend, he would get up in the morning and put this tape on and just let it play all day, or for hours and hours. Sometimes, he would swap it out for ABBA, which was worse. I wonder what happened to that 8 track?
In some respects, it's odd that I have this record, since I equate it with parental music, and that is usually something we overthrow, generally in our teen years. But, I picked this up for a dollar somewhere. I listened to it recently, and I think one can objectively make the case that it is a minor masterpiece, an almost perfect pop record, despite Stevie Nicks.
It's confession time. I have never listened to this record. I picked it up ages ago, after I adopted CDs and sold my turntable and some records. I filed it away and forgot about it. I should open it and listen to it, but it is sealed. It's not valuable, but it is sealed. I should really listen to it. In the meantime, I headed over to Youtube and discovered that all of the record has been uploaded, so I listened to some tunes there, which is clearly not the same thing as listening to the record. I had to deal with compression and digital sound issues, but at last I got a sense of what it sounded like.
From what I listened to, I would say that this record is not as good as the earlier stuff. Why is that so often the case? It's not terrible, but I would say that this record is optional. Of course, I should really listen to it on a real stereo system before making such sweeping statements.
I'd say that there is a slight change in sound on this record. But, it's still clearly a Flash and the Pan record. It's not bad. I'd say the the first two records are better. I'm sure there are those who simply grew tired of the sound, especially the "singing" voice that sounds like it's coming from a clock radio tuned to an AM station. It worked in the past for me, but the novelty was beginning to wear off by this point.
Lights in the Night, the second LP from Australia's Flash and the Pan, didn't break any new ground, but if you like the first record, you will like this one. This was the first record I owned by these guys. I think I listened to it quite a lot. I think it still holds up today, even after having listened to it so many times.
The first Flash And The Pan record I heard was their second LP, entitled Lights in the Night. The first record has the same odd sound and unusual spoken-word delivery. It's mystifying to me that this record has no monetary value. You can find copies in $1 bins everywhere. Surely, it's better than that. Why is it that Thriller sold in the millions, and the price tag on used copies of that record approaches $20. Don't get me started on resale pricing for Fleetwood Mac's Rumours and Springsteen's Born in the USA.
In other words, if you see a copy of this record for $1, you should pick it up.
Waitin' for my ride
Jesus is floatin' outside
(Shine on, sweet Jesus, on me)
Watchin' the water rise
I'm gettin' lost in the tide
(Cry all your teardrops on me)
While I'm still myself
Your blankets covered me
Covered me while I was still asleep
A vinyl pressing of this record was released in 1990. I have never seen a copy. My first copy was a CD. In 2005, the record was re-released as a double LP with bonus tracks on either red or pink vinyl. I have the pink version. The cover states: "limited edition vinyl only reissue of their space bible Masterwork 1990 LP." It should be Priest-Driven and vinyl-only.
From Wikipedia:
It is a concept album primarily focused on frontman Wayne Coyne's
fascination with religion. It is generally considered among critics to
be one of the Flaming Lips' greatest albums. It is the first Flaming
Lips album to feature Jonathan Donahue (also of Mercury Rev) and drummer, Nathan Roberts. [source]
I, too, am fascinated by religion, by my fascination derives mostly from why people call fall for such obvious stupidity.
This was the fourth record from the Lips. It's a brilliant album. I love the sound, the style, the lyrics. People new to the band might want to start here.
This 5 LP box set comes in two flavours. One is a numbered limited edition on black vinyl. The other is a numbered limited edition on coloured vinyl. I have no idea how many copies were made of each. The coloured version will cost you more, and that's the one I have, even though I usually prefer black vinyl.
The box contains:
Clouds Taste Metallic, which was the seventh full-length release from the band, originally released in 1995. In this box, it's presented on orange vinyl.
Due To High Expectations… The Flaming Lips Are Providing Needles For Your Balloons, which was an EP from 1994. It's issued here on pink vinyl.
The third item is a double LP entitled: Psychiatric Exploration Of The Fetus With Needles (Live In Seattle 1996). It's pressed on maroon vinyl.
Finally, the last LP is called The King Bug Laugh, which is a collection of rarities on green vinyl.
1500 copies contain an autograph from Wayne Coyne. I do not think that there was any way to determine if you had an autographed copy until you opened the package. As it turns out, the enclosed copy of Clouds Taste Metallic in my box does have his autograph!
There is no download card, despite what I have heard. If you are an obsessive, you will already have this or maybe the CD version.
This EP was originally released on CD in 1996, and then re-released on 10" yellow vinyl for the first time for Record Store Day 2015. It contains three tracks:
Brainville
Evil Will Prevail (Live)
Waterbug (Live)
Originally, it was sold for about $17.99 to $19.99. I got it for much less.
I read somewhere that the title -- Oczy Mlody -- is a Polish phrase that translates to "eyes of the young." I studied the Russian language for a few years, so I can affirm that this translation seems correct. I have owned this record for a short time, so the best I can do is to quote NME:
"This is a sparse, barely corporeal hour of synthetic glitch work connecting disjointed song segments – future funk, psychedelic and prog, goblin pop and bits that sound like a very tired Boards Of Canada trying to write a Broadway musical on heavy-duty tranquillisers. As you might expect from track titles like ‘Listening To The Frogs With Demon Eyes’ and ‘One Night While Hunting For Faeries And Witches And Wizards To Kill’, Coyne’s trademark hallucinogenic imagery still thrives, but it’s delivered cold and deadpan, with the air of a rigid, paranoid comedown.
In the bits when Darth Vader isn’t talking about purple-eyed unicorns shitting everywhere (‘There Should Be Unicorns’), the odd proper song drifts by like a neon island in a shifting ice lake. ‘The Castle’ sounds like ‘Yoshimi…’’s refined reprise, glacial ballads ‘Sunrise (Eyes Of The Young)’ and ‘We A Family’ are amorphous echoes of ‘Do You Realize??’ and minimalist electronic epic ‘How’ is what ‘Creep’ might sound like if Radiohead wrote it today. Otherwise, ‘Oczy Mlody’ is the sonic equivalent of a deserted space-ship adrift in the cosmos, with Coyne as the lonely repair-bot dusting the diodes. A psych rock Passengers, then, rather than Barbarella." [source]
I couldn't have written anything even close to that. I'm one of those people who think everything this band does s golden.
This EP was originally released on CD in 1996, and then re-released on 10" orange vinyl for the first time for Record Store Day 2015. It contains three tracks:
This Here Giraffe (Album Version)
Jets Part 2 (My Two Days As An Ambulance Driver Live Peel Session Version)
Life On Mars (Live Peel Session Version) Usealotavolume
Somewhat appropriately, this EP contains a cover version of Life on Mars. I am still processing the untimely and shocking death of David Bowie. I have noticed a backlash arising on Facebook, which really irritates me.
Originally, this sold for about $17.99 to $19.99. I got it for much less.
This EP was originally released on CD in 1996, and then re-released on 10" green vinyl for the first time for Record Store Day 2015. It contains four tracks:
Bad Days (Edited Version) Remix – Dave Fridmann, The Flaming Lips
She Don't Use Jelly (Primitive Demos)
Girl With Hair Like An Explosion (Non LP Track)
Giraffe (Demo Version)
Originally, it was sold for about $17.99 to $19.99. I got it for much less.
This was a Record Store Day release from 2014 that comes with this description:
"Limited edition clear vinyl exclusive
Condensed and remastered
A 50-minute distillation across 10 tracks of the epic 24-hour song recorded in 2011. On vinyl for the first time ever!
This vinyl only available at independent record stores"
I'd like to hear the 24 hour version. That version was for sale, as noted by Wikipedia:
"The song was released in a limited edition of 13 copies, on flash drives
encased in real human skulls, for Halloween 2011. Each skull cost
$5,000. A website was also set up, streaming the song on an endless
loop." [source] That website seems to be down, permanently. The same Wikipedia entry also states that 7500 copies of the LP were released.
As for the music, I think it's really intriguing. From Popmatters:
"Ultimately, 7 Skies H3 is another strangely alluring addition to
the Flaming Lips truly bizarre discography. Arguably less accessible and
enjoyable than The Terror was, 7 Skies H3 still impresses
tremendously. Always pushing the envelope doing things ‘their own way’,
the Flaming Lips actually seem more innovative and fresher compared to
any number of contemporary artists. 7 Skies H3 doesn’t make the
band anywhere near the commercial realm or anything like that, but
they’d be selling out if that were to happen, right" [source]
I paid less than $8 for a brand new sealed copy of this record. Sorry to brag. To me, describing the music of The Flaming Lips is almost impossible. Sometimes, it's best just to listen to the music. Or, if you like, you can read Allmusic's review, which is pretty good. In short, this album is brilliant.
This release came on the heels of the previous The Terror. It's very long for something labelled as an EP.
Apparently, this music was inspired by the movie Ender's Game.
I think I read elsewhere that one track was used in the film, but the rest was rejected. I guess The Flaming Lips are too esoteric for some.
This was released for Record Store Day, Black Friday 2013 in a gatefold sleeve. The sticker on the shrink wrap says:
"LIMITED EDITION VINYL EXCLUSIVE FEATURING PEACE SWORD FROM THE
MOVIE ENDER'S GAME. THIS VINYL ONLY AVAILABLE AT INDEPENDENT RECORD
STORES"
I love all music from this band, and this is entertaining.
I hate Christmas music with a passion. I can sort of tolerate Xmas tunes if I hear the jingly-jangly music during the festive season, but only barely, and not until after my December birthday. Despite being an atheist, I have a clear preference for religious Christmas music, if I were forced to choose. I know, that sounds truly bizarre. Even Bruce Cockburn's Christmas album, chock-full of superstition and fairy tales, is far more palatable than secular curiosities, like Frosty the Snowman. I guess one explanation is that Christmas music is really music for children. Another explanation could be that Christmas music, especially the secular variety, is simply inane.
Having said that, I bought copy of this record on red vinyl (brand new, still in shrink wrap) for $1.99, marked down from $19.99. Only 5000 copies in red vinyl were released. At that price, I could not say no. I love The Flaming Lips, so I had to buy it. This was a 2014 Black Friday Record Store Day release. A limited edition CD came out in 2007.
Imagene Peise is a fiction. She is described as being an Iraqi jazz pianist who recorded this record at the age of eighteen. She is said to have committed suicide in 1978. This record is reported to have been a lost album. None of that is true, but I guess it's entertaining, and so is the record. I would argue that this is the greatest Christmas album ever recorded.
Although initially released on CD in 1997, the four LP box set came out on Record Store Day in 2013. It's described by Allmusic as: 'A combination of the words "Zaire" and "Eureka," Zaireeka is a term coined by Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne symbolizing the fusion of anarchy and genius." [source]
The intention is that all four discs (CDs or records) be played simultaneously, though one doesn't need to play all four. The records can be played in combinations of two or three or four. I think I could manage play four CDs simultaneously, but I do not have four turntables or receivers. I can't even play two records at once, unless I make a tape of one. In other words, this is a truly bizarre thing to have on vinyl. Nevertheless, the individual records are interesting in themselves. Perhaps this calls for a party, wherein I would have to invite four friends to bring turntables and receivers and speakers.
I found this item heavily discounted when a local record store closed a location. I paid just over $10 for a sealed copy. As a fan of the Lips, I could not turn it down. Each record is a different colour: blue, red, orange, and lime green. The enclosed booklet comes with this warning:
"Warning: this is a unique recording. These eight compositions are to be
played using as many as four players, and have synchronized start times.
This recording also contains frequencies not normally heard on
commercial recordings and on rare occasion has caused the listener to
become disoriented. These extremely high and low frequencies can cause a
person to become disoriented, confused or nauseated. DO NOT listen
repeatedly at high volume. Make sure infants are out of listening
range. Zaireeka should not be listened to while driving."
An intrepid fan uploaded a video of all tracks synchronized on Youtube:
My copy is a remastered reissue from 2011. I wish I had an original German pressing, but the last time I checked, it was selling for more than $100. This record was the band's major label debut, having moved from Restless Records to Warner. The band shifted sound a few times, and I guess this is a bridge between the earlier stuff and what came next. I love it.
Telepathic Surgery began life as a concept album; the band initially set out to create a 30-minute sound collage.
The plan was later scrapped; however, the remnants of this original
idea are evident within the album's loose, meandering structure and the
epic "Hell's Angel's Cracker Factory". The album is named after a line
from the Flaming Lips song "Chrome Plated Suicide".
"Chrome Plated Suicide" stands out as one of the group's most accomplished early recordings, possibly due to being based on Guns N' Roses' critically acclaimed "Sweet Child o' Mine".
Sub Pop asked the group to record "Drug Machine in Heaven" for their
'single of the month' series. It was retitled as "Drug Machine" and is
the group's first official single. The 'A-side' was backed with
"Strychnine/What's So Funny (About Peace, Love and Understanding)", a
cover of "Strychnine" by The Sonics and "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" by Brinsley Schwarz, but based on the Elvis Costello and the Attractions cover version.
Similar to many albums of its time, the CD release of Telepathic Surgery had a track listing differing from its LP
release due to the time restraints of a single vinyl LP. Extra tracks
on CD versions were "Fryin' Up" and "Hell's Angel's Cracker Factory",
which are included in between "Miracle on 42nd Street and "U.F.O.
Story". [source]
That sums it up. I really love the sound of early Lips records, even if Allmusic doesn't. This record was repressed in 2005 in blue vinyl and again on black vinyl in 2018. I have the original US pressing, which might be hard to find.
It's very difficult to track down original pressings of early Flaming Lips records, and when I do find one, they are ridiculously expensive. As a result, this record is a 2005 limited edition re-issue on clear vinyl. I'd like an original, but there are other pressing needs. I love this band immensely. I went to their free concert at NXNE in Toronto a few years back and loved it.
For some inexplicable reason, The Fixx decided to re-record Red Skies. I simply do not understand that decision. In any case, this record contains four new studio tracks, including the aforementioned Red Skies. The remainder of the tracks are live songs recorded in Canada (yay) in 1986. The record is OK. It doesn't light any fires but at least it's not boring.
In 1988, The Fixx released Calm Animals without producer Rupert Hine. They struck out on a new direction with a new record label. I haven't heard the record and I recall that the reviews were not positive. They left the RCA after only one record. The Fixx released several records after Calm Animals but I haven't heard anything from any of them.
The reviews of this record were somewhat less enthusiastic than the reviews of the first three records. I have to agree that this record is not quite as good as the previous records. Having said that, there are some gems on this record, like Secret Separation. The guitar hook in that song is genius. I think Rupert Hine did a good job on outing number four for the band.
The Fixx once again brought back Rupert Hine for album number three, with great results. There are a number of solid tracks on this record, including Are We Ourselves?, perhaps the most well-known track. This is a really fine record.
This record, despite being a bootleg, has pretty good sound. It was recorded at My Father's Place in Roslyn, New York. There are six tracks: Cameras In Paris, I Found You, Stand Or Fall, Reach The Beach, Lost Planes, and Red Skies. The packaging is either brilliant or awful. It comes in a stamped manila folder, so the "file under" makes sense, but it really doesn't cause any excitement. In fact, it leads one to believe that what's inside is boring. I have another of these File Under bootlegs from another band, but that is for another year :) I often look at discogs.com to see prices. For this release, there is no sales history, but there are three copies for sale now for $17, $25, and £29.99 each, plus shipping. I think that's a bit high.
The second Fixx record contains what is probably the band's biggest hit, One Thing Leads to Another. This is yet another song that I have heard way too often. I am still tired of it, and so I prefer other Fixx songs better, like Saved by Zero, which I think is fabulous. Rupert Hine was brought back in for Reach the Beach, and I would say that he did an admirable job.
"Red or blue, what's the difference" Stand or Fall - The Fixx
The Fixx is another group well worth investigating, especially for fans of Rupert Hine. But, if you are a Hine fan, you would already know about this London band. The Fixx were (are, I guess) a really great pop band that never quite made it big. I suppose the thing that kept them interesting was the fact that they didn't sell out, at least not right away. The first record -- Shuttered Room -- had two big hits: Stand or Fall and Red Skies at Night. These are both catchy tunes that received a lot of airplay (on the radio stations that I was listening to) way back when.
Stand or Fall is a really strong political tune, and perhaps the band's best song.
Crying parents tell their children
If you survive, don't do as we did
A son exclaims there'll be nothing to do to
Her daughter says she'll be dead with you
While foreign affairs are screwing us rotten
Line morale has hit rock bottom
Dying embers stand forgotten
Talks of peace were being trodden
-----
An empty face reflects extinction
Ugly scars divide the nation
Desecrate the population
There will be no exaltation
I'd say that these are strong lyrics reflecting the cold-war era 80s.
Mean Business is not as good as the debut record from The Firm, but that is so often the case. It's really great to hear Jimmy's guitar, but they probably should have stopped after the first record.
The Firm is proof that a supergroup is not necessarily greater than the sum of its parts. Here we have Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, Paul Rodgers of Free and Bad Company, Chris Slade of Uriah Heap, Manfred Mann, and AC/DC, plus Tony Franklin, the fretless bass player who has worked with a number of artists like Roy Harper. The first self-titled album, despite what the critics said at the time is pretty good, but it is not super. There are some good tracks, though, and the whole thing is quite enjoyable. I remember thinking that it was great to hear Jimmy Page again playing the guitar.
For some truly bizarre reason, they chose to cover You've Lost that Lovin' Feeling. That's a fail. In the H section, we will come to a much better cover of that song.
Unlike the previous Craig Finn record, I was able to find a copy of this LP in a local record shop. Last time, I had to Amazon-it, which isn't the end of the world, but I think I would rather support a local business. I'm enjoying Craig's solo records very much. I appreciate that his solo material does not sound like The Hold Steady. I would like to see a new record from his band, but these solo LPs are really great.
I ordered this record a couple of months back from a major online retailer, and it has not yet been shipped. So, I guess it's not really in the mail. It might be in a warehouse. I guess I will have to update this post when it arrives.
Update:
I received a message from Amazon on December 21st that said: "We're still trying to obtain the following item[s] you ordered..." And then,
"Still want it? We'll keep on trying. You'll still be able to cancel at any time before we ship it. If you want to cancel the item now, please click the link below:"
I decided to wait. Bizarrely, less than two days latter, I received the following message: "Your Amazon.ca order of "Faith In The Future (Vinyl)" has shipped!"
Now, that is weird.
I am happy to report that I like the record very much. Solo Craig does not sound like another Hold Steady record, but of course there are elements that are reminiscent. This is a much subtler and more introspective record.
By the way, I did my best to find a copy in one of my local independent record shops, but I failed. I opted not to order a copy from Pledge, because the price was a bit high. I chose Amazon because I had a coupon, meaning that the record was under $15. That was a steal.
Craig Finn is the lead singer of the best rock band in America. He has released three solo records, Clear Heart Full Eyes, Faith In The Future, and We All Want the Same Things. Finn's solo work is mellow, compared with the Hold Steady. And, that's fine with me, even if there are countryish elements throughout. I wonder if that's because it was recorded in Texas. I'm not even sure I wanted to hear something like the Hold Steady. After all, why do a solo record if it's just going to sound like your main gig?
A change in record labels seems to have ushered in a bit of a change in sound. There are more beats here, and less of a punk sound that described the first record, as you can hear below. The Beat Escape, in places, reminds me of Shriekback. It's a pretty good record and I like the cover design.
The curious thing about this record is the jacket. Both the front and rear covers are perforated so that one can separate the segments and use them as postcards. I have no idea who would want to do that. I guess if you have 12 friends and you ran out of postcards, these would be a good substitute. You will note, however, that this copy is a promo, and so it has a giant white label on the front, thereby undermining the point of the jacket.
In a similar vein, I have a copy of Beck's The Information on CD and it allows owners to use the supplied stickers to create you a custom cover on the almost blank white insert. I did not do that.
And, all of that brings me to the issue of writing on records. My sister always wrote her name followed by "record #___" on the jacket and inner sleeve of all of her records. She did the same for 45RPM 7" singles, adding her name to the sleeve and record label. In the early days, she convinced me to do the same, and I still have a few records with my name scrawled on them. I abandoned that practice when I decided that I didn't want to deface my records any longer.
A person I worked with used to do the same, and he told me that he was in some sort of thrift store, and he saw a pile of records that he used to own with his name on them. I have never seen any of my former records that had my name on them anywhere.
Generally, I refuse to buy a used record if someone has scribbled their name on it. But, I do have a few items with a name written inside the outer sleeve, which is less objectionable. I knew someone who used to affix return address labels to the front cover and to the labels. That is obnoxious. I have clear memories of finding near mint records for excellent prices that I passed on buy simply because some guy put his name on it.
Oddly, this might have helped me back-in-the-day. I lent a few records while living in residence at university and I never got them back. If my name had been on the covers, I might have gotten those back.
Anyway, back to Fingerprintz. I would say that the record has a more polished sound than the first, and I would argue also that this is a bad thing, despite the fact that the music is still great. The most recognizable track from this album is Bulletproof Heart. There is a live clip on youtube, but the uploader has prevented it from being embedded.
This is a 12" UK pressing of Dancing With Myself on green vinyl. The flip-side contains Sean's New Shoes and Sync Unit. It shares the title with that other track of the same name from Generation X (also performed by Billy Idol on his solo debut), but the songs are quite different. I would say that the Gen X song is better.
By the way, I haven't been to a dance club in some time, but there were some people (men and women) who would take to the dance floor by themselves (myself included) back in the day. It's true, though I would never do that now.
I bought a lot of music in 1979, even as a young boy. It was a year of musical awakenings with bands like Pink Floyd, the Clash, etc. My musical tastes ranged from a bit of prog, to pop, to punk, to new wave (or post-punk, if you prefer). Fingerprintz fit nicely into the new wave genre. I think I bought it after hearing the track Wet Job, though there are better tracks on the record.
Despite being new wave, there is a punk aesthetic on the record and the sound is edgier than on subsequent releases. The only weak point is the track Beam Me Up Scotty, which ought to be a great track, based on the title alone, but it turns out to be a major disappointment.
Our friends at Allmusic say:
"Formed by Scottish-born singer/guitarist Jimmie O'Neill in 1978, the 'Printz
slowed down punk's careening guitar rock, adding clever, rhythmic
twists and turns, and offering up deftly written stories about lust,
angst, and urban desolation." [source]
Once again, and inexplicably, I might add, the original UK pressing was entitled The Very Dab and it had a slightly different song selection, leaving out Dancing with Myself, for example but adding some others, like Sean's New Shoes, a really infectious instrumental.
I don't know if this band ever made any videos, but i can't find any on Youtubes. I did find this live clip of Wet Job.
I'm not sure how to describe Film School, other than to say that they sound like indie pop crossed with elements of shoegaze. Parts of this record sound really dreamy, while other parts sound like pure pop. At times it has a slight Pixies feel (like the opening of Waiting) and at other times, I think of Lush. It's not a bad record, but it's a bit too vanilla in some ways.
For some reason, the only vinyl copy of this record was pressed on clear vinyl.
There have been two vinyl pressings of this, the second album from Field Music. The first was in 2007, and the second happened in 2017. I have the latter, which was pressed on yellow vinyl, in a limited edition of ? copies. The notes say: "Released for Record Store Day 2017. Back on LP for the first time since its original pressing in 2007, on limited edition 180g yellow vinyl." I wish they would tell us how many copies were pressed.
There is a limited edition of this record that was pressed on purple (or pumb) vinyl. I have the standard black vinyl release. By the time I had bought it, the company that provided the MP3 downloads was out of business, so I was never able to download the files, despite sending email messages to various parties concerned. They simply ignored me.
I really don't know too much about this band. I don't think you'd be wrong to think that there was an XTC influence here. At times, I am also reminded of the Beatles and even Wolf Parade. It's a curious record, at first not entirely accessible, but it really grew on me and I find the music to be very interesting.
Here we have some Scottish new wave music. It's Scottish and it's new wave, so it's cannot be crap, but there are far better songs by Fiction Factory out there (Feels Like Heaven, for example) and there are far better Scottish new wave bands out there too (Simple Minds, Orange Juice).
This is a UK 12" with two versions of Not the Only One (Extended Mix and the so-called "Mix" Mix) plus a tune called Let Me Be a Part of It.
Update: I have removed this record from my collection.
The blue vinyl version of this record, which I have, was limited to 1000 individually-numbered copies in a package that includes a 20-page booklet. The record contains music from the film, plus some additional selections. Some tracks are original and others are covers, including some interesting 20s style renderings of modern songs. For example, there's a cool jazz version of Back to Black, which is much better that the ridiculous Beyoncé version used in the film. I should point out that I have not seen the film, though I have read the book. Why bother with this film anyway? After all, the Redford version was really good and we do not need a new version. I felt that same way about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
