Imperial F.F.R.R.

Unrest | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 2, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 1992
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Teenbeat Records
• ASIN: B0007Z9R3O
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #35,468 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shimmering pop confections, April 1, 2010

By 

410 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Imperial F.F.R.R. (Audio CD)

Imperial is the album in which Unrest found its voice. For several album that preceded Imperial, Unrest dabbled in arty punk, lowbrow experimenting, hardcore thrashing, pop melodies and whatever else seemed to capture their attention at the moment. Few acts ever successfully pull off that much eclecticism and Unrest was no exception. There may have been a few hints at what was to come, but Imperial largely dispensed with the noise and spontaneity, bringing exuberant minimalist melodies to the fore. On songs like "Suki" and "Cherry Cream On" the guitar is ablaze in strumming, taking cues from Big Flame, the early Wedding Present, or the New Zealand Flying Nun scene.

The songs are built on small repetitive melodies tastefully intertwining with male/female vocal duties. Frequently only two of the three instruments play at once, setting them apart from the maximum overload of much of what was trendy at the time (grunge, noise rock).

When this record came out it sharply divided the cognoscenti. While it had a strong contingent of supporters, others sneered at what seemed a watering down of indie ideals of the early 90s: rough edges, warts and dissonance. While many acts sought to sound organic and "real", Imperial was all artifice and glacial studio perfection, the artwork and production suggesting vintage Factory records. The innocent sounding vocal and ringing guitars "Cherry Cream On" will easily fool those not paying attention to its naughty undercurrent. And "June" is possibly the most darkly lovely song since the Chills etched "Pink Frost".

Years later it is clear that this record has stood up alongside 90's classics by My Bloody Valentine, Pavement, Stereolab, Nirvana, etc. Perfect Teeth built on this formula in a less minimalist and slightly less successful manner, and by the time of the Air Miami project it seemed as if their obsession with artifice has gone too far. But we'll always have Imperial and the great singles they put out around this time (some added on as bonus tracks for this reissue).

5.0 out of 5 stars Unrest, December 25, 2011

By 

Dubz - See all my reviews

This review is from: Imperial F.F.R.R. (Audio CD)

This is a beautiful album. Classic Unrest here. The songs are both happy and sad at the same time. I wish the band got a little more popular so more people could realize how good they are!

4.0 out of 5 stars Great classic indie album., October 13, 2011

By 

Nicholas A. Mcclure "mcclurn" (Traverse City, MI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Imperial F.F.R.R. (Audio CD)

This music has a Joyous warm minimalist chunky/jangly guitar appeal. The songs are all stripped down and simple, but contain a style that was just slightly too cool to be "radio-friendly". 'Cherry Cream On', 'June' and 'Suki' are incredibly catchy and will be running through your mind all day after a listen. 'Champion Nines' in basically a funky bass line, a drum machine and what sounds like wind chimes that slowly turn into alarms. 'Sugarshack', 'Firecracker' and 'Electricco' are somewhat stripped down guitar based instrumentals. The extra tracks in the 2003 re-issue are kind of pointless, but somewhat interesting and worthy after you get used to them. Some great stuff on this album, I am really surprised you never see this on any "best of" or "most influential indie rock" lists.