This 1980 eponymous debut album by the Psychedelic Furs has to be one my favourite albums. I bought it soon after it first came out having heard the band on John Peel's radio show which was compulsory listening for any self respecting music listener at my school. I bought it on a weekend visit to the Virgin Megastore on Oxford Street and two other albums at the same time. There were Shakin' Street by Shakin' Street and Stations of the Crass by the Crass. They were all very good albums but the Furs album had a timeless beauty to it which was apparent from first listening. I haven't listened to either of the other bands for years.
This album is impeccable from start to finish. There is not a bad track or even a bad moment on it. The sound is reminiscent of the Sex Pistols. Richard Butler's lyrics and vocal style have an angry but bored confrontational manner. Lines such as "I'm an American, ha ha ha" or "make a line of useless women, make a line of useless men" could have been Sex Pistols lyrics. The quality of musicianship though is far superior to the Sex Pistols as are much of the rest of the lyrics. The Velvet Underground are also a big influence as are Roxy Music who are the only other band I can think of to use the saxophone as prominently as the Psychedelic Furs.
The album opens with a very soft two minute intro which has you wondering whether you have the volume at the right level before crashing into the first track, India. Richard Butler delivers a stream of decadent incoherent lines against a pounding background. This is followed by two of the most beautiful atmospheric ballads of that time, Sister Europe and Imitation of Christ. The album then drives on with a collection magnificent tracks which I won't drool over individually here. The hypnotic swirl of the music on all of these are matched perfectly by Richard Butlers truly inspired lyrics and passionate hoarse delivery. All of the musicians involved give top performances.
By the time I bought the CD of this album in the 90's it had been made even better by the inclusion of extra tracks including the outstanding Susan's Strange and Soap Commercial. The most recent version which I listen to on Spotify is now a double album including different versions of the original tracks.
I also often listen to the follow up to this album Talk Talk Talk but much as I like it I have to say that it does not hold a candle to the first album. Through the rest of the 80s the Furs seemed to go down hill pretty fast as they chased and found success in America. I saw them in concert on the tour for their third album Forever Now. Although the album is worth a listen every now and then the gig was dreadful. I have rarely seen a band so obviously rushing through the set list so they can finish up and clock off. This was particularly disappointing as I had heard that they could be fantastic live. After the fourth album Mirror Moves. I stopped buying their albums. My cousin bought the next one Midnight to Midnight. I listened to it at his house once. It was so bad that it made me think less of him for owning it. None of that however could dim my love for the first album. I still listen to it at least once a month or so.
Here is a link to the album on Spotify
