fine young cannibals: underrated

hell no

I'm not saying this though. heard it earlier and thought it sounded a bit... anaemic. But under no circumstances am I a proponent of "at least six layers of production".

Normally.

Nonsense. Everyone was at it. Paul Weller, Coldcut (and their productions for Yazz), ABC, Madonna etc. etc. Not saying the results were always great but pop artists were all trying to put house ideas into their music.

Both guitarist and bass player danced that way....but to be fair, they were doin' the same thing during their tenure in the Beat too.

I am aware of that (I already mentioned it). That's what got me though..that the twat kept doing it even though it was a brand new era (at the time 1988-89 seemed a world away from 1982).

"Never has music's past, present, and future been more exceptionally combined"

Guitar-sample early beatbox galore!

heh..that's precisely why I hated it.

"Too bad for you, David!"

OK I misunderstood you. I thought you were talking about the adoption of acid house styles (909 beats and acid synths) in pop. I didn't realise you meant something so specific. But the million selling thing has nothing to do with it (or at least nothing to do with your original claim..that they were ahead of their time).

I don't think the album is underrated though. All the music guides I have give it high marks. The '92 RS album guide gives it four and a half stars and the MusicHound guide might have even given it five.

I won't deny the song's catchiness. I like the song far more than "Good Thing" which makes me get all Alex In NYC all over the place... on the other hand, the acid house track on The Raw And The Cooked slays "She Drives Me Crazy".

I'm afraid to ask what that's supposed to mean.

Don't be afraid. it was meant as a compliment. More specifically, a directed vortex of well-phrased verbal rage.

they had one of the best motown pastiches ever. the rhythm section--i.e. the same rhythm section as the (english) beat--was fucking great. the vocalist gets points for not sounding like anyone else, ever.

Memorably described in Smash Hits magazine at the time as resembling "a headless chicken being electrocuted underwater".

I still love, love, love the Buzzcocks and Elvis covers. "Don't Look Back" sparkles like it's the kid sister of the Beat's "Best Friend."

went top ten pop too so I have to assume it was around the same time.

But come to think of it, I think "Stand" was MTV's #5 or #6 video of 1989, so top ten status shouldn't be that surprising.

(I bought "Stand" on 45! I thought I was so cool and alternative for being an REM fan!)

(2) I presume the Mike/Mechanics single was crap, but I don't remember it.

(3) Who were Sheriff?

(4) I think NKOTB are better in memory than if I actually had to hear them again. I used to make fun of a girl named Caitlin who liked horses and NKOTB. Sorry, Caitlin.

(5) "When the Children Cry" is a kitsch classic. My college roommate grew up down the street from White Lion's lead guitarist.

(6) OMG Karyn White!

(7) Is it time to revisit J0hn Darnie11e's Rick Astley story?

(8) "Deon Estus"?

(9) Ann Wilson and Robin Zander WTF?!

Amateurist: Sheriff's "When I'm With You" is a hairy power ballad, originally released in 1985 but rereleased in '89. Come to Miami and you'll hear Mike's mechanical "Living Years" in every bakery and beauty parlor.

Shouldn't John Darnielle have written a song about his Rick Astley experience by now?

Fantastic song. Benefits muchly from ripping the drum pattern (and to a large extent, the video) from New Order's "True Faith".

I mean, if you're gonna do one style throughout your career, that's a pretty good one, with people as abstract art images moving in time to the music and whatnot. The "True Faith" video is easily one of my favorites of ever.

Next time I catch either on VH1 Classic, I'll be sure to pay more attention.

"Yabba-dabba-DEE/yabba-dabba-DOO/ha-ha-HEE/ha-ha-HO..."

They did that 2 Men With a Drum Machine and a Trumpet house single which was rather good iirc, if anyone can to do a ysi I'd be happy.

That chart really touches something. Jeez, I haven't heard that Rod Stewart song in ages. Paula Abdul will always have a place in my heart (if maybe not on my stereo).

I actually still kind of don't mind some songs from White Lion's Pride, although "When the Children Cry" isn't a favourite. Vito Bratta (the one who was probably Amateurist's roommate's neighbour) was possibly one of the more capable lead guitarists in that 'genre', I think. Search: "Hungry", "Wait".

$V£N! completely OTM.

(I had to scrounge up both UK and US versions of the 12" to get as much as I can out that side project.)

DING DING DING DING DING!

Yeah, it was a very much mid to late 80s corporate term... it unfortunately got de-flatlined for a bit when Nirvana became popular but went back to the grave just as quickly... the nails in the coffin were Steve of 90210's positive comment about the Flaming Lips' "She Don't Use Jelly" on that episode.

revive!

"don't let it get you down" is such a jam! i second barry bruner's advice upthread. shoulda been a single.

I still love the first album. timeless classic.

any views on the 'raw and the remix' versions?

I love this thread.

Timely revive...good Dolly Parton cover version here.

Revive again.

I heard "Good Thing" on my way to Citarella yesterday, and it made the clouds part. Great stuff.

did they do anything better than that?

I like "the Flame" as well. And "Tell Me What". And "Johnny Come Home" is flawless.

WEIRD. I've been listening to "Blue," "Johnny Come Home," and the glorious "Don't Look Back" all week, "Don't Look Back" is a 12-string cousin to the Beat's "Best Friend."

'blue' is amazing

The Raw & The Cooked was being advertised, on pink & grey posters, on bus stops in February 1989. It is for the memory of those days, and the prominence they had then in British life, that I have what fondness I have for the band. And 'She Drives Me Crazy', surely a #1 45 back then, will do as the musical emblem.

As I said upthread, it's still remarkable that they scored two #1 hits and adlbum stateside.

They are rated quite highly on amg

Now I can groove to FYC when the mood strikes and all, d then there's this: Then, and I actually really respect Jo-Ann Greene as a critic, but there are bold, unqualified proclamations, anof course, there's "She Drives Me Crazy," which features the most unique, and instantly identifiable, beat/riff combination of the decade.

Whoa - that post got all sorts of fucked up. I'll try again

They are quite highly rated on amg

Now I can groove to FYC when the mood strikes and all, and I actually really respect Jo-Ann Greene as a critic, but there are bold, unqualified proclamations, and then there's this: Then, of course, there's "She Drives Me Crazy," which features the most unique, and instantly identifiable, beat/riff combination of the decade.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfdIAbHzxmg

lol awesome dancing

god, "Don't Look Back"

"I'm Not The Man I Used To Be" is absolutely killer.

Can't argue with that.

good thread, good band

one of the first tapes i ever owned

checked.
i do have the finest on my hard disc (so i can drop various tracks onto my wifes mp3 player as she loves'em). so, thats today sorted.
i actually got the 2 cd edition of the finest that came with an extra disc of time stampled remixes.
one track i seem to recall featuring the cookie crew !?!
classics : the flame, good thing, blue, don't look back, i'm not the man i used to be, funny how love is (the echo'd trumpet opening is very sweet), etc.

It's a tragedy that this song has more or less fallen into obscurity when it should've been, like, the biggest single of that year and on the radio for years to come:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THD_vY2-AXA

Also:

i wonder if i will always be obsessed with pop music from 1987-1992

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, April 6, 2004 2:53 PM (8 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Cosigning as hard as I can. The only era that's any competition for '70s AM gold in my heart.

I remember making my dad listen to The Raw and The Cooked when we were driving somewhere and that's when he explained to me what falsetto was. Good album, but also educational.

And the videos were super instructive on the Kubrick stare. Educational band all 'round.

god, "Don't Look Back"

― The Screaming Lobster of Challops (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, February 10, 2009

It peaked at #11 in the States but it's better than "Good Thing." Not many bands stapling 12-string Beat guitar and sequencers in 1989's top 40.

So I just went ahead and made this happen:

Forgotten late-'80s/early-'90s pop singles

god, "Don't Look Back"

― The Screaming Lobster of Challops (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, February 10, 2009

― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, May 7, 2012 1:20 PM (2 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I wonder why this band hasn't gone on reunion tour like so many other acts of the era. They were really popular! People would show up! Maybe they all put their earnings in index funds and are comfortably retired and don't need the money, who knows.

Yeah, it looks like they're all still alive and pretty much toiling in obscurity. Surely they couldn't hate each other that much.

Here's a Guardian interview with Roland Gift in 2020. Sounds like he just pulled the plug.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/dec/03/fine-young-cannibal-roland-gift-i-went-back-to-where-being-pretty-didnt-matter

I kind of wished FYC would tour as an opener for the (English) Beat, similar to how Camper Van Beethoven would usually open for Cracker on their recent tours. (FWIW, I'm a bigger fan of the Beat than FYC, but I like them both. Also a big fan of CVB but not so much with Cracker.)

Seem to recall that there was a big fallout between Cox and Steele - according to Roland Gift, the first time the two of them had spoken to each other in ages was at Saxa's funeral in 2017.