|
Somewhere in Bizarro World there is someone
who has been dying for this batch of Fixx reissues. Since the
New Wave '80s are making a comeback, it only makes sense that
these records should be re-released. Whether anyone is interested
remains to be seen.
Though not as photogenic as Duran Duran nor slick and smooth
as Spandau Ballet, the Fixx lie somewhere in the middle. This
band somehow compromises between progressive rock and pop, leaving
room vocalist Cy Curnin to sing with a Bryan Ferry/David Bowie
mannerism. "Shuttered Room is so much a product of
its time: synths to add color, post-punk meets disco rhythms,
and futuristic lyrics. The well-known hits here are "Red
Skies" and "Stand or Fall," but don't forget "Lost
Planes" and "Cameras in Paris" that are some of
the few tracks that make this a worthy relic of the times. Calm
Animals is a little more bombastic and bolder. Though it
does not contain any memorable hits tracks like the driving title
track, the rocky I'm Life, and the infectious "Driven Out"
make the listening pleasant if nothing awe inspiring. Real
Time Stood Still is in essence The Fixx Greatest Hits
Live. Recorded in Germany in 1992, the band churns out a
fair amount of their well-known songs competently: the signature
hit "One Thing Leads to Another," "Deeper and
Deeper," and the great Secret Separation in addition to
the aforementioned Stand or Fall and "Red Skies." It's
tempting to dismiss the other songs here as filler but not so
fast"Subterraneans" and "Are We Ourselves"
are some of the other tracks that has it moments. The group maybe
relegated to the other refugees of the MTV era; still they possess
a dark, edge that at least didn't make them dandies befallen
many a synth pop group.
|
