The Psychedelic Furs - Here Came The Psychedelic Furs B-Sides & Lost Grooves (1994, Compilation)

Biography:

The Psychedelic Furs, whose name belies their punk-influenced music, were formed in England in 1977 by brothers Richard Butler (vocals) and Tim Butler (bass), along with saxophone player Duncan Kilburn and guitarist Roger Morris. By the time they released their self-titled debut album in 1980, the group had become a sextet, adding guitarist John Ashton and drummer Vince Ely. That album, featuring Butler's hoarse voice (the tone of which suggested John Lydon without the sneer) was a bigger hit in England, where it reached the Top 20, than in the U.S.

Talk Talk Talk (1981) did better, reaching the U.S. Top 100 and producing two British singles chart entries, one of which was "Pretty in Pink," later also a hit in the U.S. when a new version was used as the title song of a film. Forever Now (1982) saw the band reduced to a quartet with the departure of Kilburn and Morris. The rest moved to the U.S., turned to producer Todd Rundgren, and scored a U.S. Top 50 hit with "Love My Way." Ely then left, and the remaining trio of the two Butlers and Ashton made Mirror Moves (1984), the biggest Psychedelic Furs hit yet.

The film Pretty in Pink helped spread their name further before the release of their next album, Midnight to Midnight (1987), which consequently got to number 12 in the U.K. and the Top 30 in the U.S. and included the Top 30 U.S. hit "Heartbreak Beat." Book of Days (1989) marked the return of Vince Ely, but was a considerable commercial disappointment. World Outside (1991) also failed to find an audience. The Psychedelic Furs then folded up shop, and Richard Butler launched a new group, Love Spit Love. The band lasted two albums – 1994's Love Spit Love and 1997's Trysome Eatone – and didn't enjoy the monumental success of Butler's original band. Butler kept on. He began writing songs for a supposed solo effort as the '90s came to a close. Those sessions led to new songs with brother Tim and a subsequent Furs reunion in early 2000.

With both Butlers and John Ashton living in upstate New York, the time was right. They tested the waters and their audience for a joint summer tour with the Go-Go's, and the reception was warm. A year later, the Psychedelic Furs – now featuring Love Spit Love guitarist Richard Fortus and drummer Earl Harvin – headlined their own club gigs across North America and a classic Richard Butler was keen to be back in the right place. Beautiful Chaos, a live album capturing some of the band's greatest hits from the last tour, was issued in November 2001. Their first live album ever, Beautiful Chaos was a gift for the loyalists. It also introduced their first new song in almost ten years, a somber ballad entitled "Alive." – by William Ruhlmann, allmusic.com


Album Review:

Casual fans of the Psychedelic Furs will probably want to pass on B-sides and Lost Grooves for the title is exactly what it is. More serious fans or those who want to start getting into the music of the Furs will appreciate this collection. With rare tracks and remixes from 1982-88, there is not one filler or inferior song in the bunch. All the non-LP B-sides are more than album worthy and the remixes are excellent. Even the 7:20 "Shock" remix is worth one's time. The live version of "No Easy Street" is wonderful.

The real gems are the B-sides which start off this CD. "Aeroplane" (B-side to "Love My Way") is the epitome of the "beautiful chaos" of which Arthur Levy writes in the informative CD booklet. "Birdland" (B-side to "All That Money Wants") is as good as most of the tracks on any Furs album. "New Dream" (from the "Heartbreak Beat" 12") is a nice, lounge-sounding song. My favorite, however, is "Badman" (from the promo "Should God Forget" 12"). "Badman" is a haunting rocker that is one of the best Furs songs I have ever heard. Finally, this CD was put together with much care, with release dates and sources for each track and a nice 7-page article.


Album Details:

Artist: The Psychedelic Furs
Album: Here Came The Psychedelic Furs B-Sides & Lost Grooves
Release Date: Oct 25, 1994
Country: US
Label: Columbia/Legacy
Catalog Number: CK 57889
Format: CD, Compilation
Number of Discs: 1
Time: 74:09
Genre: Rock
Styles: College Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, New Wave, Dance-Rock, Post-Punk
Compilation producer: Bob Irwin
Digitally mastered by: Vic Anesini, Sony Music Studios, New York.


Lineage:

Original CD -> EAC (Test & Copy Image & Create CUE Sheet > Uncompressed / Secure Mode / Offset Corrected / WAV 1411 Kbit/s / 44100 Hz / 16 Bits / 2 Channels) -> FLAC frontend -> FLAC (compression level 6) -> AvaxHome


Tracklist:

01. Aeroplane [Dance Mix] 5:18
(Non LP B-side of "Love My Way" 12", rel. 9/3/82)

02. Another Edge 3:44
(Non LP B-side of "Here Come Cowboys", rel. 7/23/84)

03. Badman 3:30
(From promo only "Should God Forget" 12", rel. 10/4/89)

04. Birdland 3:41
(Non LP B-side of "All That Money Wants", rel. 8/16/88)

05. Goodbye [Dance Mix] 5:45
(Non LP track from "Love My Way" 12", rel. 9/3/82)

06. I Don't Want to Be Your Shadow 3:49
(Non LP B-side of "Love My Way" 7", rel. 10/26/82)

07. Heartbeat [7" Remix Version] 5:11
(B-side of "The Ghost In You" 7", rel. 4/10/84)

08. Mack the Knife 4:15
(Non LP B-side of "Angels Don't Cry" 7", rel. 9/22/87)

09. New Dream 4:55
(Non LP track from "Heartbreak Beat" 12", rel. 1/28/87)

10. Here Come Cowboys [12" Remix-Edit Version] 3:29
(From promo only 12", rel. 7/26/84)

11. Heartbreak Beat [Extended Mix] 8:07
(Extended 12" mix, rel. 1/28/87)

12. Angels Don't Cry [7" Remix Version] 4:12
(7" remix version, rel. 9/22/87)

13. Shock [Shep Pettibone Mix] 7:20
(12" remix version by Shep Pettibone, rel. 6/24/87)

14. President Gas [live] 5:15
(Live version originally recorded for "The King Biscuit Flower Hour" Non LP B-side of "Run And Run" 7", rel. 5/17/83)

15. No Easy Street [live] 5:38
(Maxi-cassette only live version, rel. 8/31/88)


Credits:

Dave Allen: Producer
Vic Anesini: Digital Mastering
Jim De Barros: Artwork
Keith Forsey: Producer
Lisa Haun: Photography
Bob Irwin: Compilation Producer
Chris Kimsey: Producer
Arthur Levy: Liner Notes
Shep Pettibone: Remixing
The Psychedelic Furs: Producer
Todd Rundgren: Producer
Stephen Street: Producer