Customer Reviews

Fuzzy Warbles 4: Demo Archives

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Well, the title has absolutely nothing to do with this review. FW 4 continues Partridge's demo archieve series with a number of terrific tracks mixed in with so-so bits and pieces. It isn't meant to be a unified album so to speak but, on the whole, it's quite good although not quite as stunning as 1 & 2. In fact, that's true of many of these mini-masterpieces. There's usually a reason these songs didn't make the final cut (a song had to be cut; it didn't fit in with the mood of the album or the other two members of the band didn't like it and voted against it). Sometimes it reflects on the material but, more often than not, it just reflects on the personal taste of the writer & performers.

A good example of this is the marvelous Bumper Cars. Bumper Cars was originally written for Wasp Star (aka Apple Venus Volume 2)and didn't make the final cut. It's certainly not of the same caliber as the best material on WS but it has an innate charm missing from some of that fine album's material. Blue Beret has been bootlegged for years and it's nice to finally see a decent sounding version available. It was originally shortlisted (if memory serves)for Nonsuch. All I Dream of is a Friend was one of the tracks Partridge was asked to write for James and the Giant Peach. Disney wasn't going to pay Partridge what he felt they were worth and the deal was off. We finally have all the Peach songs avaiable on CD (from volumes 1, 2 3 & 4). It would probably have been better to sequence them all together on one disc, though, as there is a narrative that runs through all three.

There's still significant filler including some bits and pieces recorded for radio stations, friends, advertisements, etc. While they aren't bad, they are missing the spark and consistency of Partridge's best material. I am happy to report that most of the demos included sound good but they aren't signficantly different from the final versions.

FW4 is the perfect gift for a hardcore XTC fan. With the down time between albusm, the best tracks are a great way to enjoy your self until the next album is released. A pity that Colin chose not to participate as his songs like Down a Peg were as good (if not better) than some of his offically released material with the band. Yes, I know Down a Peg was available as a single release (for the Nonsuch album)but it is so rare that re-releasing it would be a service to XTC fans everywhere.

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: "Zonked Right Out on Life," in which Andy raps about how to be happy (don't let this description put you off), "All I Dream of Is a Friend," written for (but not used in) the James and the Giant Peach movie, and "Gangway, Electric Guitar Coming Through," which I always thought should have led off Wasp Star. This disc demonstrates quite well that Andy is one of those artists whose outtakes are often superior to his released material.

IT IS A VERY GOOD THING, INNIT.