Customer Reviews

Raw & The Cooked

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

One of the most talented groups of the eighties, FYC made only a few albums. This 1988 effort is a must, with highly original compositions similar in feeling to the great Arthur Lee and Love. Almost every song is great (although the first half is better), both for listening or dancing, particularly "She Drives Me Crazy," "Good Thing," "I'm Not the Man I Used to Be," and "Tell Me What." The emotional vocals, tight playing, and R&B/reggae beat make these completely infectious. Roland Gift has the restrained vocal passion of a Sam Cooke. Andy Cox's plucking guitar notes, superbly comped by David Steele on keyboards and some great percussive sounds, adds a unique sound to Gift's emotional vocal on "I'm Not the Man I Used To Be." On the best songs, the production is richly textured yet sparse (e.g. Al Green). For example, Steele adds some keyboard accents on "I'm Not Satisfied" then pulls off a cooking organ solo. The song, like much of the album, is imbued with R & B, reggae, funky church sounds, and James Brown passion.

"Tell Me Why" is a more mellow ska, with some nice 50's style harmonies. Track 6, "Don't Look Back," somewhat misses... it lacks the soulful hooks of the other songs but has an early 60's vocal sound and breaks into a good power guitar solo for about 10 seconds at the 2-minute mark). Overall, it's strangely likeable, as if Arthur Lee did country/Western.

"It's OK (It's Alright)" breaks into a great chorus despite it's somewhat cloying disco groove. Still, the tight work and rhythm section are impeccable and elevate the song...and again, this is great dance music! "Don't Let It Get You Down" has some annoying sound-effects over a great Prince-like falsetto by Gift. There's also a fine trumpet sound that gets into a good groove. Track 9 has a deep churchy sound (due largely to the organ), a great guitar twangling hook. Like many of their songs, it has the deep feeling of a prayer, and the yearning emotion of the best Rhythm and blues. Excellent vocals, but, towards the end of the song the overly dramatic horns and the singing veer towards self-parody (but I can imagine Elvis doing something fun with this). The last song has more strumming guitar and a big drum sound on the beat: It's a little like Talking Heads in its approach and sound, and has a taste of funk guitar.

The album fades just a bit after it's initial blast, but this is not enough to dampen my enthusiasm. Not many groups can match FYC for musical and emotional power, originality, and synthesis of R &B and reggae. It's probably one of the top 25 albums of the 1980's. Very highly recommended!

The minor complaints would be that "The Raw & the cooked" has only ten songs and about 35 minutes worth of music. The bigger complain would be that the Fine Young Cannibals never put out another album as good as this 1988 effort which had its first two tracks, "She Drives Me Crazy" and "Good Thing," hit #1 on the Billboard Pop chart. FYC consisted of sing Roland Gift with a pair of former Beat members, guitarist Andy Cox and David Steele on keyboards/bass. Pegging the songs on this album into even a couple of niches is difficult because you will hear bits of everything from Motown and R&B from the past to punk and disco from the "present" in these ten songs, all fused together in a distinctive and enjoyable sound. Credit must be given to producer David Z, who had worked with Prince, Billy Idol, and others out of Minneapolis. Most of the songs were released as singles in the U.K.

Besides the first two cuts, the torch song "I'm Not the Man I Used to Be" keeps the party going on this album. But the most memorable track remains "She Drives Me Crazy," which has one of the most instantly identifiable openings of the decade and which was used to great effect in an episode of "thirtysomething" when Elliott fantasizes about what Nancy is doing after their divorce. I understand that the snare drum bit from that song is one of the most frequently sampled sounds in music history. Makes sense to me.

"The Raw & the Cooked" sold over 2 million copies and made it to the top of the album charts as well. When people talk about one hit wonders they are talking about artists where you want to have their big song but not their album. That is most certainly not the case with the Fine Young Cannibals. The only reason not to pick up this album would be because you also like some of FYC's earlier work (they only put out two albums) and you end up going with their hits collection "Finest," which has the six singles from this album.

On the surface, this record is not very typical of my style of music. Great instrumental jams it does not have. Variety is not quite the spice of this recording either. And it does have alot of special effects and synthesizers which in most cases doom a record for me.

However, there is no denying Rolland Gift's vocals. They are on the mark and very soulful and expressive. The songs all have good hooks and many of them have a ... good beat. And the synthesizer touches as great as they are, add to the music rather than dominate it. Also the horn arrangements are quite slick too. This record is definitely a Good Thing so don't Let Your Lady or Man Drive You Crazy. Pick it up. You will be satisfied.

Their music is so good. I have so many memories of them from my childhood. I used to love the video "She Drives Me Crazy" every time it came on MTV in the late 80's/early 90's. I remember VH1 used to play "She Drives Me Crazy" and "Good Thing" for years. They wouldn't let up and I loved that. This music is so nostaglic for me. They don't make it like this anymore. I'm so glad they put these songs out!

FYC should of been around longer, but in their stay in the music world, they did a lot. They sang She Drives Me Crazy and Good Thing on Wayne Gretzsky's episode of Saturday Night Live. I have all of FYC's album's, but its hard to pick a favorite. I don't know if its possible too. It is also impossible to pick a favorite song, but She Drives Me Crazy is so classic and cool, that it ranks high up there. If only they made a comeback.

This album first came into my ears during 1989, its year of issue. When I first heard it, I was fascinated by what kind of man could be singing, not to mention the unique mix of sounds. Even among British synth pop bands, Fine Young Cannibals were unique.

Their uniqueness sprang partially from the roots of guitarist Andy Cox and bass/keyboard player David Steele as members of The Beat ( a Ska band known in the US as English Beat). Their tenure in that ensemble could account for FYC's R&B flare, which was solidified when they were joined by vocalist Roland Lee Gift. Their first album, Fine Young Cannibals went on to produce two popular singles with "Johnny Come Home" and their high-energy take on Elvis' "Suspicious Minds." With this album, they perpetuated that success with the singles, "good Thing" and (especially) "She Drives Me Crazy."

At age nine when I first heard it, I remember listening to the first half of the album (and some of the latter half) and thinking how slick, soulful and together it all was (despite thinking Roland did sound kind of weird). In later years (as in the late 90's), I heard the whole record and realized how right I was, even though times had long since changed. (The album was issued right at the start of a transitional period that saw synthesizers and triggered drums all but eliminated from rock music and isolated to hip-hop, Techno and other electronic mediums, plus the odd Jazz/fusion outfit.) As of the late 90's, I was playing guitar in a fusion band that combined R&B, Jazz, Latin, Reggae and other otherwise isolated categories in one package. And, The Raw and the Cooked represented a lot of what we were endeavoring to create. Even rockers like "Don't Look Back" and "It's OK (It's Alright)" communicated that place I was in ten years after the album came out.

Such a pity FYC broke up...this is a great album as was their first. Every track is a gem and Roland has a great voice. He got the acting bug and was in a late 80s movie called "Scandal" a true story about politics and ... in 60's London. Later didn't do much though...BUT he did sing at the Edinburgh festival in 1999 so stay tuned. Great voice.

If you have a shred of Elvis in you (and Mojo Nixon says we all do), this album will give you an inescapable urge to dance enthusiastically. I suggest you give in.

In the late 80's, Fine Young Cannibals ruled the charts with The Raw & The Cooked. Althoguth they only released only three albums, the band has made a staple of the music industry.

The songs remain as enjoyable as a guilty pleasure, on MTV. Each song still sounds as ironic as it did back then. But, I did wish that the songs by Roland Gift and company was remastered.

GREAT stuff; still playing it (after all these years per another review). Watch the film TIN MEN (Dreyfuss & De Vito) to see a live performance.