Psychedelic Furs
The Psychedelic Furs, debut album, 1980. This was before ‘Pretty in Pink’ and relative pop stardom. Punk pop with a large dollop of early Goth and psychedelia, obvs. A band who grew up listening to the Velvet Underground and all that good stuff. Richard Butler on vocals with a nasty sneer. Big drums, big bass, big guitars, smoothed out with keyboards.
‘India’ comes in with two minutes of minor-key keyboard chords before drums and bass kick in and four minutes of riffage. Good start. ‘Sister Europe’ big slow echo drenched bass and drums with dirty sax on a moody groove. ‘Imitation of Christ’ jangly guitar and sax blast with a great chorus. ‘Fall’ almost Stax horns if it weren’t for the chopped guitar and Glitter band drum stomp. ‘Pulse’ pounding bass driven with solid riff and Velvets drums and Butler’s whine. ‘We Love You’ is pure Velvets, nicking the riff to ‘Waiting For the Man’, with a long list of things Butler loves. ‘Wedding Song’ funky drummer, almost, keyboard wash and Arabic sax. And Butler’s whine making this deeply unromantic. ‘Blacks/Radio’ another riff with sax and noise and general relentless Riffage. ‘Flowers’ another banger.
So, a riff fest dipped in something unsavoury. Fun!
Psychedelic Furs
The Psychedelic Furs, debut album, 1980. This was before ‘Pretty in Pink’ and relative pop stardom. Punk pop with a large dollop of early Goth and psychedelia, obvs. A band who grew up listening to the Velvet Underground and all that good stuff. Richard Butler on vocals with a nasty sneer. Big drums, big bass, big guitars, smoothed out with keyboards.
‘India’ comes in with two minutes of minor-key keyboard chords before drums and bass kick in and four minutes of riffage. Good start. ‘Sister Europe’ big slow echo drenched bass and drums with dirty sax on a moody groove. ‘Imitation of Christ’ jangly guitar and sax blast with a great chorus. ‘Fall’ almost Stax horns if it weren’t for the chopped guitar and Glitter band drum stomp. ‘Pulse’ pounding bass driven with solid riff and Velvets drums and Butler’s whine. ‘We Love You’ is pure Velvets, nicking the riff to ‘Waiting For the Man’, with a long list of things Butler loves. ‘Wedding Song’ funky drummer, almost, keyboard wash and Arabic sax. And Butler’s whine making this deeply unromantic. ‘Blacks/Radio’ another riff with sax and noise and general relentless Riffage. ‘Flowers’ another banger.
So, a riff fest dipped in something unsavoury. Fun!