“The Psychedelic Furs” by The Psychedelic Furs - album review

features in: Album Chart of 1980Album Chart of the Decade: 1980s

TJR says

With Roxy Music having chosen to take a Punk bypass, The Psychedelic Furs plugged the gap in the market for those craving a more sophisticated sneer, coming complete with new wave beats that were more mid-tempo and augmented with saxophone. Sealing the deal was a superb raspy vocalist in Richard Butler, sounding almost permanently sarcastic and quite like no one else. Further setting themselves apart, they would unabashedly pretend to declare undying love for Frank Sinatra and The Supremes – what sort of anti-hip behaviour was this? By the time of their debut LP in February ’80 they were: Richard Butler (23, vocals); John Ashton (22, guitar); Tim Butler (21, bass); Vince Ely (drums); Roger Morris (guitar) and Duncan Kilburn (sax). “India” and “Sister Europe” serve as a strong one-two to start, the former upbeat, dense and relentless, the latter – their second single – equally intense in a more menacing, downbeat fashion.

The high watermarks all appear on side two, with “We Love You” (the classic debut single from ’79), “Blacks / Radio” (two of their earliest, rawest songs from ’77 which they always segued together) and “Flowers” (digging on the VU’s White Light/White Heat). I don’t usually pay too much attention to their lyrics (usually because they’re difficult to decipher under the wall of noise) but “Flowers” certainly has some gory appeal: “his body is upon the wall, his teeth are sharp and white, we cut his feet with razorblades, and out of him comes foul white light.” And so ends a cracking debut, credit to all players and producer Steve Lillywhite for this affecting “wall of sound” or, as Richard puts it, “everybody doing something different within the same number.” Top marks for individualism.

The Jukebox Rebel
05–Aug–2007

Tracklist
A1 [06:21] 8.8.png The Psychedelic Furs - India (Richard Butler, Tim Butler, Duncan Kilburn, Roger Morris, John Ashton, Vince Ely) New Wave
A2 [05:38] 8.2.png The Psychedelic Furs - Sister Europe (Richard Butler, Tim Butler, Duncan Kilburn, Roger Morris, John Ashton, Vince Ely) New Wave
A3 [05:28] 6.4.png The Psychedelic Furs - Imitation Of Christ (Richard Butler, Tim Butler, Duncan Kilburn, Roger Morris, John Ashton, Vince Ely) Indie
A4 [02:40] 7.6.png The Psychedelic Furs - Fall (Richard Butler, Tim Butler, Duncan Kilburn, Roger Morris, John Ashton, Vince Ely) New Wave
A5 [02:37] 6.8.png The Psychedelic Furs - Pulse (Richard Butler, Tim Butler, Duncan Kilburn, Roger Morris, John Ashton, Vince Ely) New Wave
B1 [03:26] 9.2.png The Psychedelic Furs - We Love You (Richard Butler, Tim Butler, Duncan Kilburn, Roger Morris, John Ashton, Vince Ely) New Wave
B2 [04:19] 7.9.png The Psychedelic Furs - Wedding Song (Richard Butler, Tim Butler, Duncan Kilburn, Roger Morris, John Ashton, Vince Ely) New Wave
B3 [06:56] 8.9.png The Psychedelic Furs - Blacks / Radio (Richard Butler, Tim Butler, Duncan Kilburn, Roger Morris, John Ashton, Vince Ely) New Wave
B4 [04:10] 9.4.png The Psychedelic Furs - Flowers (Richard Butler, Tim Butler, Duncan Kilburn, Roger Morris, John Ashton, Vince Ely) New Wave

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