The Best of Fad Gadget

Fad Gadget

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 11, 2001)
• Original Release Date: December 11, 2001
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Mute U.S.
• ASIN: B00005TNDF
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #132,893 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Includes exclusive mixes and tracks on CD for the first time. No U.S. release is planned. The album features artists and musicians such as Daniel Miller, Alison Moyet, Einsturzende Neubauten and Dave Simmonds. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As influential as it gets..., January 12, 2005

By	Takis Tz. (Germany) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Listening to a lot of electronic music the past 4-5 yrs has only helped me realise how spectacularly influential Fad Gadget was. And did I mention way, way ahead of his time?

Sure, the Gadget do have this characteristic 80s "feel" reminiscent of undeground electronic pioneers from that time. But man, do they stand out. When you compare this one man band's releases with , say, early albums of Depeche Mode you understand what kind of a genius Frank Tovey was.

This is music so intelligent and so irresistibly groovy and catchy you'd have to be completely unitiated musically to not be hooked by it. Speaking of catches, Fad gadget's music was and still is intended for intelligent people. It's not just the music itself of course. If it were "only" that we'd speaking of an entirely different concept. What makes the deciding difference between Tovey and other electronica creators from his time or even now is his lyrics.

Instead of opting for the usual pseudo sci-fi or "heard it all before" pseudo-bizzare love songs, Tovey went straight for what matters. The system. With all its angles, expressions, crashes, flows, faults and cracks.

His lyrics were not like a Rage against the Machine of the 80s. Oh no. In a sense they were way better. Politically charged like anything you've ever heard, and yet subtle, metaphorical, allegoric, poetic, and timely direct and in your face whenever the message needed to be such.

If you read his name being dropped by some of the current legends who made or are still making music in that genre, well, it shouldnt surprise you. What should indeed surprise you is that you might not be aware of the great contribution to contemporary music Fad Gadget put in.

This is as influential and as great a band as they come.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THANK YOU FRANK!, December 24, 2001

By	chris coffman (FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CALIFORNIA United States) - See all my reviews

Much can be said of this seminal advent-gaurde-electro-pop act FAD GADGET, a.k.a. Frank Tovey. As one of first artist to be on the infamous Mute label, founded by Depeche Mode's producer Daniel Miller. Fad has broke ground as a trend setter in the early 80's SynthPop scene influencing today's Electronica and Gothic genres. This 2 cd album offers those hard-to-find singles and b-sides like 'Ricky's Hand' and 'Lady Shave', also rare re-mixes like Ensterzende Neubauten's re-mix of 'Colapsing New People.' Very enjoyable for those Hard-Core Electro-Heads!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 80's electronic at its best, February 1, 2002

By	Keith (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews

If you enjoy 80's pop music, electronic, punk, industrial, or even gothic, Fad Gadget is the band to listen to for they influenced many undoubtedly. Music just isn't made like this anymore. Fad Gadget was not afraid to put a gothic sounding singer with an electronic band. It was late 70's early 80's new age art rock at its best.