Calm Animals [Extra tracks, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, Import]

Fixx | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 20, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 1988
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, Import
• Label: Beyond Records
• ASIN: B00005RIM4
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #249,636 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. I'm Life

2. Driven Out

3. Subterranean

4. Precious Stone

5. Gypsy Feet

6. Calm Animals

7. Shred of Evidence

8. The Flow

9. World Weary

10. Cause to Be Alarmed

11. Never Mind What You Leave Behind

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just another solid Fixx album, November 4, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Calm Animals (Audio CD)

Since the reviews didn't carry over, I'll briefly highlight this CD and invite you to look at the other version for many additional informed reviews.

The Fixx maintained a high level of of quality throughout their career, and still do in the latest effort, Want That Life. The earlier works, Phantoms and Reach the Beach were spare, challenging works that probably stand as the height of the band's creativity. This album, along with Walkabout and Ink, represents the waning period of their popularity, but not their muse. The sounds here are rich and full and the songs absolute gems, all of them. Here there are the first couple of ballad-type songs, "Precious Stone" and "The Flow", a trend continued on Ink, absolutely wonderful songs that deserved a much wider hearing. "Driven Out" and "Subterranean" did get some airplay, strong songs with clever lyrics.

If you listen to this for the first time, you'll be amazed that an album of such great songs and performances is so unknown. Many bands hit the heights and fade away, but darn few continue to produce this kind of quality music. The Fixx have not yet produced a weak album. For a band of such longevity, they may be unique in that regard.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Precious Stone From The Fixx, March 10, 2005

By 

Alan Caylow (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Calm Animals (Audio CD)

In 1988, The Fixx switched record labels (from MCA Records to RCA Records) and released their fifth album, "Calm Animals." This is arguably the Fixx's last *truly* great album to date. Although I've enjoyed the band's albums that have followed "Calm Animals" ("Ink," "Elemental" and "Want That Life"), they just seem to be missing that little extra special magic that graces the Fixx's first five albums. I'm not at all saying they're bad---I like them---I'm just saying that they're missing a little something. "Calm Animals," however, is outstanding Fixx music all the way through. Had there been the right amount of promotion, the album could've been a big comeback hit for the band. And it should've been: the songs totally rock, and lead singer Cy Curnin, guitarist Jamie West-Oram & company sound very inspired throughout. The band's sound & approach is tougher, and the album also boasts great sound quality & production, courtesy of producer William Wittman. The songs may not have been hits (shame on you, radio programmers), but they're all first-rate tunes: "I'm Life," "Driven Out," "Precious Stone," the title song, "The Flow," "World Weary," and all the rest....simply awesome. Although a bit underrated in the group's catalog, "Calm Animals" nonetheless remains one of the Fixx's very best releases.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "calm animals with no shackles", August 24, 2004

By 

mwreview "mwreview" (Northern California, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Calm Animals (Audio CD)

The FIXX was practically written off as a top act by the time Calm Animals came out in 1988. In fact, I found an editorial in a 1984 music magazine that claimed the FIXX hit there peak in 1981 and were, in effect, washed up (apparently, the editor forgot about 1983's Reach the Beach with the huge hit singles "One Thing Leads to Another" and "Saved By Zero"). Calm Animals was to be the FIXX's big comeback, at least that is what MTV advertised when it premiered the video for "Driven Out." I loved the song so much, I rushed out and bought the 45 single. It is still one of my favorite FIXX tracks. It rocks and sports some very clever lyrics: "I'm cooking with microwaves, to warm up food that's not seen the soil. Plugged in to my T.V., I'm used to the lies they're telling me."

I finally bought the album about ten years ago and it is as amazing as anything the FIXX has put out. They did not find the success they may have anticipated, but it was not for lack of quality material. Like "Driven Out," most of the tracks have a social, late Cold War condemnation of the arms-race driven, self-absorbed, apathetic society; "Subterranean" ("Let's escape this cold war comfort"), "Calm Animals" ("the chance was given to think social, but we choke on greed and excess"), "Cause to Be Alarmed" ("go see bird and tell bird that a love bird got shot"). Most of the tracks rock! "Calm Animals" is another one of my FIXX favorites. "Precious Stone" and "The Flow" are slow numbers. "The Flow" is one of the most beautiful songs the FIXX has done and is always included on my FIXX compilation tapes. "World Weary" has a different feel to it. It even has some native chanting that is appropriate for the theme of the album. I'm not crazy about "Precious Stone," but, for the most part, Calm Animals is very solid. Any fan of the FIXX is going to enjoy this album.