Customer Reviews

Fuzzy Warbles 3: Demo Archives

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First to clear the air--I'm an XTC fan. I purchased FW 1 & 2. While I would like to report that 3 & 4 are of the same quality, they aren't quite as consistent as 1 or 2. That isn't to say that you shouldn't buy these if you're not an XTC fan--you should because there's enough previously unreleased/unheard/unavailable music to make it worth your while.

My only complaint with the whole Fuzzy Warbles enterprise has more to do with the sequencing; there are some XTC fans that must have everything that Partridge and Moulding have committed to tape or CD; there are others that only want the previously unheard material and finally there's folks who clamor for the odd instrumentals that Andy has written and recorded over the years. I fall into the middle camp and, as a result, have felt that FW should have been divided up based on the following critieria: unheard/new material;demos of previously released XTC songs; instrumentals.

There are a number of marvelous tunes here (the best of which have seen the light of day on the XTC fanclub releases Jules Verne's Sketchbook and Bull with the Golden Gut). The sound quality is pretty good for most of these demos considering their age and the fact that they were recorded on 2 or 4 track recorders. The later demos were recorded on 8 track demos and benefit from the added space and less overdubbing.

The best tracks include My Train is Coming, Goobye Humanosaurus (where you'll hear bits and pieces grafted onto XTC songs previously released), When We Get To England. Holly Up On Poppy, Train Running Low on Soul Coal, Little Lighthouse, Collideascope, Great Fire are all just different enough to make them essential for hardcore XTC fans.

The booklet is, as always, marvelous. Andy writes with candor about his "lost" children. In the process you will also find out a tidbit that you never knew about a particular song. The cover version of Strawberry Fields Forever, for example, began as a Dave Gregory track. Dave has a habit of wanting to re-record classic and influential songs as close to the original as possible (many of them released on his Remoulds limited edition CD). Strawberry Fields is a case in point. Andy does the vocal and, yes, without altering his voice much he does sound like John Lennon's original (which was recorded at a higher speed--the result of which was a slower recording of his voice and the instrumental tracks).

I don't know if Andy will be able to sustain this series for 8 CDs but if the material is as good as 1 or 2, it's possible. 3 & 4 are a bit more problematic although both have their worthwhile moments. 3 is better than most the product that currently popular bands put out for the public to consume.

Not the most appropriate introduction to the music of Andy Partridge, and not for the casual XTC fan, but well worth it for those who know what to expect from a man whose demos are usually as highly produced as the final versions. Highlights from this volume: Andy does John Lennon; first on "My Train Is Coming," rejected for soundtrack inclusion in both Buster and That Thing You Do!, and then on "Strawberry Fields Forever," featuring the instrumental and backing vocal talents of Dave Gregory. Puts Todd Rundgren's "Faithful" to shame. Also check out "Goodbye Humanosaurus," which morphed into Nonsuch's "Then She Appeared." This disc demonstrates quite well that Andy is one of those artists whose outtakes are often superior to his released material.