REVIEW: Psychedelic Furs, Should God Forget - A Retrospective
(Columbia/Legacy Records)
- Joann D. Ball
Should God Forget: A Retrospective (Columbia/Legacy Records) is the long-awaited comprehensive collection of the "beautiful chaos" created by the Psychedelic Furs between 1979 and 1991. More than previous collections All of This and Nothing (1988) and Here Came the Psychedelic Furs: B-Sides and Lost Grooves (1994), this new 2-cd compilation captures the essence and brilliance of the Psychedelic Furs. Anyone listening to this 32-track audio history will surely fall under the magical spell of Richard Butler's raspy vocals and the emotional moodiness of the band's signature post-punk rock. Between the subversively quiet intro of "India" and the final notes of the mystery track added onto the end of "There's A World" are more than 150-minutes of the Psychedelic Furs' creative outpourings.
Disc One features 8 tracks from the band's darker, more artsy early period which produced the self-titled debut record. Also here is the original version of "Pretty In Pink" and three other tracks from the stripped down, guitar-based second release Talk Talk Talk. And five tracks from the Todd Rundgren-produced Forever Now, including "Love My Way" and its B-side "I Don't Want To Be Your Shadow," round out part one of the retrospective.
Disc Two kicks off with a version of "Alice's House" originally recorded during the Forever Now sessions but polished up for inclusion on the blockbuster smash Mirror Moves. With the slicker and flashier Mirror Moves, the Furs hit the big time as "The Ghost In You" and "Heaven" connected with new audiences thanks to heavy radio and MTV airplay. Also included here is "Heartbreak Beat," the band's highest-charting U.S. single from 1987's Midnight to Midnight. Completing the collection are "All That Money Wants" from the first best-of collection, several songs from the overlooked and under-rated Book of Days , and the final Furs' hit "Until She Comes" and a few other tracks from World Outside .
The collectors gems here are the two songs which appeared only on U.K. albums and the five live cuts. "Blacks/Radio" was only included on the debut's British pressings and "Merry Go Round (Yes I Do)" was included in this form only on the U.K. version of Forever Now . The latter was revamped for American fans and called simply "Yes I Do." While the overall sound and chorus are the same, this twisted and trippy British version has different, distorted lyrics. The band is captured live performing "Mack the Knife" and "Soap Commercial" during its first BBC broadcast in 1980, and recorded in concert seven years later performing "Heartbeat" and All of the Law" in Berkeley, California. The live version of "Get A Room" was pulled from the band's final radio concert, originally broadcast on radio station WXRT-FM in November 1991. Once known as "Chicago's Finest Rock," WXRT-FM was among those influential commercial radio stations contributing to the Furs' success in America.
The cd jacket for Should God Forget: A Retrospective reflects the artwork and graphic design which graced Furs' releases throughout the band's career.
Filled with stars and stuff, it contains thumbnails of the various album and singles covers which are connected to song-by-song annotations from one of the three principle Furs-singer/songwriter Richard Butler, bassist Tim Butler and guitarist John Ashton. The liner notes by Scott Schinder are complete and detailed, proving once and for all that the Psychedelic Furs were alternative before that word ever described a music genre or radio format.
TRACK LISTING: Disc One: India, Sister Europe, Pulse, Mack The Knife [live], Blacks/Radio, We Love You, Imitation Of Christ, Soap Commercial [live], Pretty In Pink [original version], Mr. Jones, Into You Like A Train, I Wanna Sleep With You, Merry Go Round (Yes I Do) [U.K. version], President Gas, Love My Way, Sleep Comes Down, I Don't Want To Be Your Shadow [non-LP B-Side].
Disc Two: Alice's House [alternate version], The Ghost In You, Here Come Cowboys, Heaven, Highwire Days, Heartbeat [live], All of The Law [live], Heartbreak Beat, All That Money Wants, Entertain Me, Should God Forget, Torch, Get A Room [live], Until She Comes, All About You, There's A World.
