Music

Average customer rating:

ridiculous...in a great way
Most Unerrated Album EVER?
Standing the test of time!
Quite Possibly One Of The Best Albums Ever Made
BUY THIS NOW!

Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy
Refreshments
Manufacturer: Island / Mercury
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Post Grunge | American Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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The Bottle & Fresh Horses
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Americano
No More Beautiful World
Hang On To Nothing

ASIN: B000001EID
Release Date: 1996-02-27

Tracks:

Blue Collar Suicide
European Swallow
Down Together
Mekong
Don't Wanna Know
Girly
Banditos
Mexico
Interstate
Suckerpunch
Carefree
Nada

Customer Reviews:

ridiculous...in a great way.......2006-12-31

So for those of you that have a special place in your heart for the Refreshments like I do - because God knows that over the last decade plus this CD has been there - through a lot of strange times and all my encompassing emotions. Anyway whether you love it or don't - the bands lead singer along with the bassist - I believe but could be wrong - have formed another band several years ago called 'Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers' and have released several CDs very much true to their original sound but tweaked in some places. Anyway if you love the Refreshments you should definetly check them out.

Most Unerrated Album EVER?.......2006-08-06

I think it's certainly possible that FFBB (as we in the "know" like to call it) is, at the very least, the most underrated album of the 90s. The songs on FFBB sound as fresh and real and often brilliant as they did a decade ago.

Much is made in some of the Amazon reviews about the "humor" of the Refreshments' lyrics, and while it's true that there are some laugh out loud moments if you really listen to the words ("European Swallow" surely has its moments), the Refreshments are more genuinely clever than just "funny" when they keep it light, and downright contemplative when they dig a little deeper, as they do with "Nada."

FFBB also contains what I consider one of the best love songs ever. "Down Together" is another of those clever songs, but its so much more than that. It's truly a rare example of a pop song that actually gets love right. It's not sappy, and the sentimental turns ("Your breath, it smells like wine, I like that a lot, especially when I kiss you") feel so genuine that it seems almost like eavesdropping on a slightly tipsy conversation between to people who are deeply in love. Honestly, I could deconstruct this one song for hours, and never begin to touch the heart of it.

Just buy this album, go out and see Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers (pretty much The Refreshments V2.0) if they come to your town, and consider that this is what rock and roll should always feel like.

Standing the test of time!.......2006-07-10

My friend, Dana, turned me on to the Refreshments about 10 years ago and I can't thank her enough!!! Roger Clyne and company definitley take you on a ride with their Tex-Mex sound and wild story-telling! There isn't a track to skip on here and this surely makes my list of top 5 CDs!! Viva La Refreshments!

Quite Possibly One Of The Best Albums Ever Made.......2006-06-21

This may be one of the best, most fantastic, most listenable albums ever made...

I first encountered The Refreshments back when you could hear "Banditos" on the radio all the time. I love/loved that song and promptly went out, bought this record and I fell in love with them. It's like some other people have said you go out you buy a record, you hope it has a few good songs on it... But with this one... Well, in my humble opinion there isn't a bad song on this album. Not a one.

I may buy a new CD or two weekly and I may listen to all kinds of different music but this album never leaves my CD changer. It's in there somewhere, waiting... I can listen to this when I'm happy, sad, depressed, angry, you name it and this baby has a song with your name on it...

And I swear that the last song "Nada", is the kind of song that makes me want to grab an old pick up truck and drive off into the sunset... And that's another thing about this CD, it's is terrific road trip/travel music, just outstanding.

Buy this album. Buy it now.

BUY THIS NOW!.......2006-06-09

I'm mostly a punk and metal fan, and yet I have only two things to say about this album: 1.) It should be issued at birth. 2.) Buy two copies in case one ever gets lost or ruined.

Pet Sounds 40th Anniversary CD+DVD (Limited Edition Fuzzy Package)

Average customer rating:

A Real Treat! Especially the DVD!
Confessions from a curious listener
You can never have too much Pet Sounds
Finally, a HIGH CLASS package for a high class album
What's better than Pet Sounds?

Pet Sounds 40th Anniversary CD+DVD (Limited Edition Fuzzy Package)
The Beach Boys
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Warmth of the Sun

ASIN: B000G03Q2S
Release Date: 2006-08-29

Tracks:

Wouldn't It Be Nice (Mono)
You Still Believe In Me (Mono)
That's Not Me (Mono)
Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder) (Mono)
I'm Waiting For The Day (Mono)
Let's Go Away For Awhile (Mono)
Sloop John B (Mono)
God Only Knows (Mono)
I Know There's An Answer (Mono)
Here Today (Mono)
I Just Wasn't Made For These Times (Mono)
Pet Sounds (Mono)
Caroline No (Mono)
Hang On To Your Ego (bonus track)
Wouldn't It Be Nice (Stereo Mix)
You Still Believe In Me (Stereo Mix)
That's Not Me (Stereo Mix)
Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder) (Stereo Mix)
I'm Waiting For The Day (Stereo Mix)
Let's Go Away For Awhile (Stereo Mix)
Sloop John B (Stereo Mix)
God Only Knows (Stereo Mix)
I Know There's An Answer (Stereo Mix)
Here Today (Stereo Mix)
I Just Wasn't Made For These Times (Stereo Mix)
Pet Sounds (Stereo Mix)
Caroline No (Stereo Mix)

Amazon.com

Originally released May 16, 1966 Pet Sounds is hailed as one of the most influential and important albums of the 20th Century. It has been noted by over 100 domestic and international publications/journalists as one the Greatest Albums Ever. This limited 40th Anniversary Edition CD+DVD is packaged in a unique "fuzzy" digipak. (Also available in regular jewel box version). The CD includes both the original mono and remixed stereo versions. DVD video features: The Making of Pet Sounds - Behind-the-scenes documentary featuring interviews with Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Dennis Wilson, Carl Wilson, Bruce Johnston and Tony Asher. Pet Stories - Brian Wilson, Tony Asher, Hal Blaine, Carol Kaye, Don Randi, Frankie Capp and Tommy Morgan reflect on the Pet Sounds sessions and the album's legacy. Rhythm of Life: Sir George Martin & Brian Wilson in the Studio (BBC TV show excerpt). 1966 Promotional films for Sloop John B and Pet Sounds. 1966 Good Vibrations "Firehouse" promotional film. "God Only Knows" photo gallery synched to audio. DVD audio features: Album program in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and in Hi-Res 96kHz/24-bit PCM stereo. Hang On to Your Ego in Hi-Res 96kHz/24-bit PCM mono.

Beach Boys Photos

More from The Beach Boys

Sounds of Summer	Sunflower/Surf's Up	20 Good Vibrations, The Greatest Hits
Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys	Endless Harmony	Endless Harmony DVD

Customer Reviews:

A Real Treat! Especially the DVD!.......2007-06-27

This version of "Pet Sounds" is a real treat for fans; the fuzzy green packaging is very sturdily built and is nice to the touch although it remains to be seen how well it will stand the elements over time. As to the discs themselves if you already have a mono and a stereo version of the album then the cd will be nothing new for you. I have never been a fan of duplicating albums with both mono and stereo versions on one disc but for me as I only had a mono version prior to this version, I didn't mind getting this for the stereo version and especially for the DVD 5.1 surround version. What I didn't like was that "Trombone Dixie" is missing and it was on the Dutch version of the stereo version that I used to have years ago.

The dvd has some promo videos and candid interviews with members of the band and especially of Brian Wilson but the sound quality of the DVD Dolby Surround is truly fantastic. You just end up hearing sounds that you didn't know were there when you were just listening to the cd. It's made me decide to forego the cds and to go straight for the DVD whenever I want to listen to the album. For this reason alone I'd say go get this version unless they end up just releasing the DVD in an mlps format the way they have just done with U2's "Rattle and Hum". If they do that in the future, I'd say go and get that if you already have the cd. Oh yeah, and they really should include "Trombone Dixie" in addition the "Hang On to Your Ego" that they included with the cd but not with the dvd as well as the other outtake sounds that were part of the bonus tracks that were released in the 1991 stereo version.

Confessions from a curious listener.......2007-01-20

I must confess, I bought Pet Sounds out of curiosity, since it has been ranked as one of the best albums in history, behind the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper. In addition, I also confess that before Pet Sounds I had very limited knowledge of the Beach Boys and/or Brian Wilson's music and after playing it once I sincerely say: PET SOUNDS IS INDEED A MASTERPIECE CRAFTED BY A GIFTED ARTIST !!!.

The 40th Anniversary edition comes with a wonderful DVD that documents the making of this album through interviews and original footage, plus a video showing a visit Sir George Martin made to Brian Wilson's home.

This album is a MUST-HAVE for music fans, and I totally agree with Sir Paul McCartney's views on this album (printed on the CD's booklet), expressing that "NOBODY IS TRULY MUSICALLY EDUCATED WITHOUT LISTENING TO PET SOUNDS"

You can never have too much Pet Sounds.......2007-01-04

Pet Sounds is the ultimate aural experience. I enjoyed the 5.1 Surround mix. I sat in a chair, closed my eyes and drifted into a soundscape of textured notes and voices.

I already own the box set, the 1st CD edition and even an original vinyl copy. It seems that every time I upgrade I am never disappointed.

Purist seem to like the Mono version of the album. I love the all the sounds that scream out of the stereo version.

If you do not have the box set or the other stereo Cd, I would highly recommend this set. It covers everything Pet Sounds that you will want. If you do not care for the interviews and film, you will appreciate the surround mix on the DVD. The box set is more for Brian wilson Fanatics(Myself included) and collectors.

Finally, a HIGH CLASS package for a high class album.......2006-11-11

Brian Wilson made a generation of kids look at love lost/love gained/love period, the way they never had before. It really wasn't an "age of innocence" back in 1966, but it was less complicated than what it would be like in the following decades, having to reconcile issues like E.R.A. amendments, growing tolerance/promotion of homosexuality, H.I.V./AIDS, and, ahem, the preponderance of man-made global warming. SHEESH! Back then we (I was a teenager in 1966) only had love and a war to deal with, beyond getting our school grades up for mom and dad (most of us had both, in the same house back then).

So, this work of art was literally outstanding in its field, and those of us who actually listened to it were challenged with our feelings, thoughts, and actions toward this thing that we called LOVE. It was an absolute shame that Capitol Records was spoiled by their cash cow producers (The Beatles and The Beach Boys) and only wanted more of the same stuff that paid their salaries, and yet couldn't see the "art" part even as it was smacking them in their corporate faces! This album, Pet Sounds, spawned a deeper penetration into mainstream pop music of artistically developed poetry and music. Now we were getting exposed to productions that challenged our senses: abstract forms like "MacArthur's Park", self-divulgences like "17" by Laura Nyro, and of course John Lennon's 2 great anthems "All You Need Is Love" & "Give Peace A Chance".

....all thanks to this work of angst...I mean, ART, by Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys - "Pet Sounds". And this package is a fine tribute to its existence...with a Bonus DVD too!

What's better than Pet Sounds?.......2006-11-10

The essence of Brian Wilson. The full bodied sound to the ear not unlike fine wine is to the pallet. This great package gives you your choice of production, both mono and stereo and caters to all the diehard Beach Boys fans with a variety of things, including a DVD to enjoy. A must have for those who never experienced Pet Sounds at its fullest. After all, this is one of the most important albums of all time!

Average customer rating:

Has the Fat Lady sung for XTC?
What a Deal!
Wonderful Collection
If you are an Andy Partridge Freak, you won't be disappointed
Andy's XTC outlet mall of songs--buy now and save!

Fuzzy Warbles Collector's Album
Andy Partridge
Manufacturer: Ape
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000ICLTT6
Release Date: 2006-11-07

Tracks:

Dame Forutne
Born Out Of Your Mouth
Howlin' Burston
Don't Let Us Bug Ya
That Wag
That Wave
Ocean's Daughter
Everything
MOGO
Goosey Goosey
Merely A Man
EPNS
Summer Hot As This
Miniature Sun
I Brought Myself A Liarbird
Complicated Game
Wonder Annual
Space Wray
Rocket

Tracks:

Ridgeway Path
I Don't Want To Be Here (AIDS Benefit Version)
Young Marrieds
No One Here Available
Obscene Procession
Miller Time
You're The Wish You Are I Had
Ra Ra Rehearsal
Ra Ra For Red Rocking Horse
Everything'll Be Alright
25 O'Clock
GOOM
Chain Of Command
All Of A Sudden
Summers's Cauldron
Then She Appeared
It's Snowing Angels
Ship Trapped In The Ice

Tracks:

My Train Is Coming
Lightheaded
Goodbye Humanosaurus
Humble Daisy
You Like Me?
Great Fire
Work
Mopti Fake I
Collideascope
Mopti Fake 2
When We Get To England
Train Running Low On Soul Coal
Holly Up On Poppy
Strawberry Fields Forever
Autumn Comes Around
Child's Crusade
Little Lighthouse
This Is The End
Put It On Again

Tracks:

Tunes
Bumpercars
The Art Song (Something Good With Your Life)
I'm Playing My Fano
Zonked Right Out On Life
All I Dream Of Is A Friend
Peck The Ground Like A Chicken
That's Really Super Supergirl
Brainiac's Daughter
Blue Beret
Gangway, Electric Guitar Is Coming Through
Mechanical Planet
Helicopter
The Ugly Underneath
OMGO
Where Is Your Heart?
Hey, It's Alan Burston!
Season Cycle
Countdown To Christmas Party Time

Tracks:

Welcome To Volume 5
Young Cleopatra
I Defy You Gravity
Ice Jet Kiss
Broomstick Rhythm
Earn Enough For Us
Dear God (Skffle Version)
Crocodile
Motorcycle Landscape
Rook
Don't You Ever Dare Call Me Chickenhead
Mermaid Explanation
Mermaid Smiled
Aqua Deum
Me And The Wind
Smalltown
Blue Overall
Red Brick Dream
Jacob's Ladder
My Land Is Burning

Tracks:

The Laugh Track
The Stinking Rich Song
I Can't Tell What Truth Is Anymore
Candle Dance
The Tiny Circus Of Life
The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul
In My Hand
Difficult Age
Pink Thing
Shaking Skin Hosue
Bike Ride To The Moon
My Love Explodes
Omnibus
Across The Antheap (Skylarking Demo)
Across The Antheap (Oranges & Lemons Demo)
Human Alchemy
Moonlit Drive
Prince Of Orange
End Of The Pier

Tracks:

2 Rainbeau Melt
Thrill Pill
Sonic Boom
I'm Unbecome
Ballet For A Rainy Day
1000 Umbrellas
Ejac In A Box (MGOO)
C Side
Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her
Ladybird
Candymine
Visit To The Doctor
Cherry In Your Tree
Desert Island
Scarecrow People
Hold Me My Daddy
Books Are Burning
Bobba De Boop De Ba De Boobay
Open A Can Of Human Beans

Tracks:

Through Electric Gardens
Skate Dreams Wet Car
The Bland Leading The Bland
Silverstar
I Gave My Suitcase Away
Extrovert
Another Satellite
These Voices
Song For Wes Long
Happy Birthday Karen
REM Producer Enquiry
The Loving
Shalloween
Was A Yes
Genie In A Bottle
Disque Bleu
Poor Skeleton Steps Out
I Don't Want To Be Here (Original Demo)
Chalkhills And Children

Tracks:

Gold
Now We All Dead (It Doesn't Matter)
Rain of Blows (early version)
Reign of Blows
Jump
Shake You Donkey Up
Happy Families
Here Comes President Kill Again
Beating Of Hearts

Amazon.com

When XTC stopped touring and became a studio-only entity, the finely jeweled arrangements that Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding had already favored took on incredible new breadth and depth. Since 2002, Partridge has been going through his own vast archives, releasing eight volumes in a U.K.-only series called Fuzzy Warbles. They are finally available in the U.S. in one gorgeously designed Collector's Album, along with a bonus disc, Hinges. With over 100 songs, the set includes early versions and demos of songs which appeared on XTC albums, previously unreleased gems, and songs for a wide range of outside projects, including the Disney movie James and the Giant Peach (which are so dazzling it boggles the mind that the deal ultimately fell apart). There are whims borne to fruition (an answering machine ditty), and flat-out brilliant slices of songcraft finally brought to light. What's truly remarkable is how complete are Partridge's sensibilities, as both a songwriter and arranger. Everything is considered and tended to--a background vocal here, a tambourine there--it all matters and it all sparkles. --David Greenberger

More Andy Partridge and XTC

Orpheus the Lowdown with Peter Blegvad	Through the Hill with Harold Budd	Coat of Many Cupboards XTC
Skylarking XTC	Nonsuch XTC	Apple Box XTC

Album Description

The Fuzzy Warbles Collectors Album brings together over 100 songs from XTC frontman Andy Partridge's songwriting archive. Recorded over the years whilst Andy and XTC were signed to Virgin Records and later to the Idea and Ape labels, the material is spread across eight volumes featuring songs and alternate versions of many XTC favorites that never made it onto the respective final albums or never made the cut when the final tracklistings were decided. There are also songs Andy never got to complete that he's re-visited and finished off especially for this Fuzzy Warbles series.

Each disc has a unique Fuzzy Warbles stamp cover artwork and the collector's box to keep them all in is designed to imitate a stamp album. There is even a bonus CD, Hinges, which features nine extra tracks only available with this set. Inside each box is a landscape oversized booklet, in which Andy gives a fascinating insight to his recording process with "A Brief History of Home Taping." Describing his earliest experiences of recording music at home and the excitement of those first recording sessions, it all makes fascinating reading, tinged with just a hint of regret as to how the songwriting process has become so bland as recording technology makes things easier and easier.

The final piece of the Fuzzy Warbles Collectors Album jigsaw is your own sheet of Fuzzy Warbles stamps to play with, if anyone could ever dare to part with them!

Customer Reviews:

Has the Fat Lady sung for XTC?.......2007-03-13

If so, this is a great way to go out. 150+ songs that demonstrate what an extraordinary talent Andy Partridge is. Some are full songs, others little unfinished scribbles, but underneath it all there is some great melodies, a hallmark of the XTC ouevre. Don't miss this collection!

I'll still always be hoping for another XTC album.

What a Deal!.......2007-03-01

Pretty amazing box set of demos and outtakes from Andy Partridge and XTC. You've got 8 (9 including the Hinges) CDs, a sticker set, and accompanying booklet, all housed in a great box that looks like a giant book. Pretty good deal for the money, particularly if you're a diehard XTC fan. Highlights include the songs Partridge developed for a proposed soundtrack for James and the Giant Peach. Too bad that fell through, due to legal wrangling with Disney. Who better to record the soundtrack for a quirky animated film based on a quirky British children's book than the quirky Mr. Partridge? Disney went with Randy Newman instead and nothing against him, but they really dropped the ball on this one, big-time.

Wonderful Collection.......2007-01-09

I had already purchased the initial 6 CDs that make up this box set over the past 3 years. I thought, well I only need volumes 7 and 8 and I will have a complete set. When I saw the box set package, with the booklet, box and bonus CD and the price, which was only a bit more than the last 2 CDs would have cost, I got it.

The packaging is great and the music runs the gamut from wonderful stuff you will want to hear again and again to noodling that is interesting but not something you would want on continuous play. Anyone who is an XTC fan will love this collection.

If you are an Andy Partridge Freak, you won't be disappointed.......2007-01-03

I understand Andy has been putting out the Fuzzy Warbles discs in pairs for about 5 years, now. Last year I downloaded FW #1, and was pleased with most of what I heard, but something was missing. I am a nut (fruit nut) when it comes to liner notes, I have been like that since I started buying records in my teens--classical, jazz, rock, whatever it may be. I guess that's what is the drawback to downloading music, one misses the info. When I saw the entire collection was available, I jumped on it and found what I was missing; Andy's wonderful, sometimes weird insights on all these songs. Example from FW #1- Who knew the song "Wonder Annual" was about female masterbation? Certainly not from the bare-naked, seemingly antiseptic disc I downloaded. But every song has a story behind it, and Andy has been so gracious to share them with us. I also like hearing the early demos to see how they developed over time. This collection is reasonably priced and very much worth it!

Andy's XTC outlet mall of songs--buy now and save!.......2006-11-22

As the primary songwriter for XTC since the mid-70's, Andy Partridge has been honing his craft for well over half his life. Around the time XTC ceased touring (1982), Andy began to spend more time capturing his songwriting efforts on home equipment. As time went on, these home demos exhibited ever-increasing sophistication and sound quality. Andy was always prolific enough with his writing that he submitted more demos for songs than XTC could use for their albums and B-sides. He always had plenty of tunes available for one-off singles, other artists, fan club cassettes, and so forth--and still left a treasure trove that was hidden from public consumption. This trend continued throughout the band's Virgin records phase and beyond; Andy kept self-recording his various ideas, songs and experiments during their "strike" against Virgin records (a 7+ year lull in newly recorded XTC output ensued from about 1992 to 1999.)

Once a settlement/agreement with Virgin was reached in the late 90's, the results were:
a) XTC were free to record/release stuff on another label, so they released two new discs "Apple Venus Volume 1" and "Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2)" within about six months of each other, plus they followed these with accompanying discs of the same songs in demo form entitled "Homegrown" and "Homespun" (and, in a bit of overkill, they even released instrumental versions of the studio songs entitled "Instruvenus" and "Waspstrumental".)
b) Virgin got XTC 's full cooperation and participation in a 2002 4 CD box set entitled "Coat of Many Cupboards" that included many previously unreleased or hard-to-find demo songs as well as hits, album cuts, live songs, alternate mixes or versions, and so forth.
c) Andy got the right to release any demos otherwise unreleased by Virgin that were recorded at any time in XTC's past, present and future. He couldn't talk the other half of XTC, Colin Moulding, into joining in on this demo-release idea (despite Colin having contributed demos on B-sides, in the box set and on "Homespun" and "Homegrown"), so the name on these discs is Andy's, not XTC's.

Andy determined early on that he had 8 discs worth of stuff he could share, so he decided to release a pair of CD's every one to two years, starting in 2002 with Fuzzy Warbles 1 and 2 ("Fuzzy Warbles" being a term that was "borrowed" from the creative language utilized in Anthony Burgess' novel "A Clockwork Orange" -it was a term used by the main character in a derogatory way to describe either bad music or poor reproduction of music). Andy avoided a chronological order to the material, deciding to spread out known/unknown songs, old/new demos, instrumental noodlings and ridiculous ramblings, songs supposedly from other bands (such fictional/alter ego acts as The Golden, The Dukes of Stratosphear and Choc Cigar Champion are represented), even Disney movie song submissions, and so forth seemingly at random over each disc with no one disc containing too many songs in any one category. By the time 2006 rolled around and the last two Warbles (7 & 8) were due, Andy came up with the idea of releasing all 8 Fuzzy Warbles disc in a handy case with some bonuses: a 9th disc containing some more demos not otherwise released (it's shorter than any full "Warbles" disc) called "Hinges", some stamps, and an essay Andy wrote tracing his history of home recording.

At present, the Amazon price for this collection is amazingly low--it comes out to less than $8 bucks a disc--way less expensive than the separate "per disc" price on Amazon or elsewhere. A bargain, but only if you actually listen to/enjoy this. So, who is this set for?

It helps greatly to be an XTC fan, but it may not be required...an ear for finely crafted songs is necessary, however. A good half or so of the songs presented are demo versions of songs on XTC albums or B-sides from the 80's or 90's. The demos from 1983-1986 or so are much more primitive and lo-fi than the more polished ones Andy began producing after some late 80's equipment upgrades. Anything from the 90's and beyond sounds essentially the same as studio quality. The demos are not always radically different than what ended up on the albums, especially the more recent ones where Andy seems to have used the demo to strictly dictate the structure ( known as "chasing the demo") once they got to the studio. Also sometimes mildly interesting are the various sound experiments or instrumental pieces scattered throughout--although a share of these are also tedious and seem to be filler. Any of the several songs using some variation of the initials MOOG is usually in this category. None of these things are the main selling point of this set for most fans.

The real treasures here are the many songs Andy wrote that never properly saw the light of day as XTC songs. It's amazing how many gems are located on every disc that count as killer material, and often would have spiced up or improved previous XTC releases. Sometimes certain rejected demos were not quite up to the standard of the accompanying XTC release, but there are way more gems than clunkers among the "new" songs. Titles like " Bumpercars", "Wonder Annual", "Sonic Boom", "End Of The Pier", even "All I Dream Of Is A Friend" (a "James and the Giant Peach" song that never was thanks to broken negotiations with Disney) and many, many more are awesome songs that deserved way better than their second-class status.

Some of the 8 Warbles discs flow together and/or have more high grade material than others, but it's remarkable that Andy could sequence over 8 hours (and twenty years' worth) of self-made, self-produced music that is, for the most part, entertaining, high-spirited, highly creative and often just plain fun. It's hard to hear all of this and not think of him as being a truly gifted musician and songwriter, as well as a goofy oddball with a delightfully sick sense of humor. (Who else but Andy would start Warbles 6 with around five minutes of the sound of him cracking up repeatedly, to the point of tears, in the studio while working on the vocals for "Omnibus" on the Nonsuch album?)

This set comes highly recommended to any fan of XTC that wants an multi-disc, alternate, behind-the-scenes view of the great gobs of music that have been conjured up over the years in the house and shed of Swindon's own Andy Partridge. Given the uncertain future of XTC, this is your best bet to get material that is XTC in all but the name for quite a while. Buy and savor this set for years to come.

Average customer rating:

Another Day in the Mad Laboratory
Best album period
Ammmbient
Do the Fuzzy Math - SFA are greater than great!
SFA are more than OK

Fuzzy Logic
Super Furry Animals
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Britpop | British Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000002BQB
Release Date: 1996-10-08

Tracks:

God! Show Me Magic
Fuzzy Birds
Something 4 The Weekend
Frisbee
Hometown Unicorn
Gathering Moss
If You Don't Want Me To Destroy You
Bad Behaviour
Mario Man
Hangin' With Howard Marks
Long Gone
For Now And Ever

Customer Reviews:

Another Day in the Mad Laboratory.......2002-07-12

It¡¯s a science experiment gone terribly, terribly wrong. Dr. Gruff Rhys (lead vocals) of the Fuzzy Logic Laboratory has just ingested a byproduct of his last experiment on the effects of D-lysergic acid diethylamide on the daily activity routine of hamsters. What were his findings? Take a step into the debut album of this post-alternative psychedelic band and you will find out their results.

From the very first line of the album ¡°I had a soul transplant operation,¡± to the very last chaotic crashing explosion of percussion and string instruments at the end of the last track (which is supposed to be the trashing of a BBC music studio), Super Furry Animals take you on a tour of their mad laboratory. At the first stop on the tour, ¡°God! Show Me Magic,¡± SFA have promised to show you ¡°What the paper doesn¡¯t show/ What the TV doesn¡¯t say.¡± It is a crash course preparing you for the delightful oddities packed in the next forty minutes of listening pleasure. The second stop on the tour, ¡°Fuzzy Birds,¡± is the hamster cage. Bunf (lead guitarist) is praising Starvos, his hamster, for turning his exercise wheel that is wired to a dynamo system generating electricity for the house. Starvos replies, ¡°So won¡¯t you give me some food, I really need to get some energy in me.¡± You¡¯re beginning to think that something isn¡¯t quite right in the world of Super Furry Animals. It¡¯s as if SFA and David Lynch teamed up to be the ringleaders of a new sick and twisted circus. Finally, in the third track, you find out the inspiration to their madness. Rhys tells you, ¡°Stuck it on the back of my tongue and swallowed it.¡± ... this song is truly a masterpiece.

Even with the absurd lyrics, the album does not drown in a pool of silliness. Somehow Super Furry Animals keep it dignified among screeching guitars, psychedelic background effects, exultant melodies, and impudent lyrics. ¡°Frisbee,¡± possibly the album¡¯s finest track, is reflective of this SFA¡¯s ability to produce a dreamlike musical landscape with cheeky lyrical headlines. The song begins, ¡°Locked in a sorry dream/ You know we¡¯re drowning in designer ice cream.¡± This is followed by a chorus of Umpalumpa-like hooting and wild guitar effects to produce a uniquely jubilant orchestral circus. Don¡¯t put it past SFA to incorporate instruments from the classical music tradition. In songs like ¡°Fuzzy Birds¡± and ¡°If You Don¡¯t Want Me To Destroy You¡± you can hear everything from French horns, to violins, to even a melodic chirpy flute.

On the more critical side, the album is not without its shortcomings. The first seven tracks lead you on a journey through sophistication and wild surprises. Then, at track 8, it slowly begins ¡°gathering moss.¡± Of the last five tracks, three are lacking in the same creativity that pushed the first seven tracks to the edge of musical genius. In ¡°Bad Behavior,¡± heavy guitar distortion and elementary chord progressions reduce this lyrical nightmare to little more than average punk music. It¡¯s as if they became tired of writing songs with the release date quickly approaching, so they tossed in some fluff to get the album over forty minutes. The only gem is the ballad of ¡°Mario Man,¡± a homage to a man who has had horrible luck in life. It begins with a music box keyboard solo and finales in an eruption of distorted guitar solos and powerful backup vocals.

SFA formed in 1993 and dabbled in electronica, but surfaced with Fuzzy Logic as one of the leading experimental bands in the UK and the frontrunner in the new Welsh music movement, alongside Gorky¡¯s Zygotic Mynci. After the release of Fuzzy Logic, SFA gathered a cult following in the UK and Ireland, but the US was slow to release the album. Fuzzy Logic is a term used in mathematics for notions that cannot be defined precisely but which depend on their context. The music truly reflects the album title. A must have for anyone who relishes the sound of a creative, experimental band in an era of stagnant Brit-pop. SFA knew they were verging on greatness and boldly claimed in the last delightfully cheesy lyric of the album, ¡°we¡¯ll be together till the end, now and forever.¡±

Best album period.......2002-05-19

There are times in your life when you hear an album and you know that you will absolutely love it forever, I have two:

SFA - Fuzzy logic
Wannadies - Be a Girl

Quick review of fuzzy logic
God Show me magic - didn't like when i first heard it, but its just so manic and full of energy, impossible not to love the crazy rhyming lyrics
"wouldn't it be nice to know
what the paper doesn't show
what the tv doesn't say
what my hamster ate today"
always makes you wonder with the furries, has the acid really eaten into their brains, or are they really incredibly intelligent and know things we don't or shouldn't?
Fuzzy birds
A song about a hamster, a song to put a smile on your dial.
A song for hamsters everywhere, hamsterism is here and Stavros is its spokehamster
Something for the weekend
Drugs, that 'bad/good' feeling you have when you take drugs... its all in this song, gruff amps it up initially as the 'bad side', the squeaking guitars do their bit, and then... wow the chorus that had me hooked forever like the worst drug in the world, its all good.
"Oh yeah, cause you're on my mind
Every day and every night
And you'll never go away
Cause I know you're here to stay
For the rest of my mind..."
Frisbee
Guitarist comes in with a great hook and doesn't let go. Great oddball lyrics - "locked in a sorry dream, you know we're drowning in designer icecream" and "The past was eagle-eyed, the futures pixelised". The other great thing about frisbee is the odd scream-instrument and backing chorus throughout the song, lend it valuable character
Hometown unicorn - I was lost, lost on the bypass road, could be worse, I could be turned to toad..." Need I say more, if you've heard this song you know how the rest goes and your heart swings as gruff croons "I wonder what can I do.........." and the incredibly simple yet beautiful guitar solo kicks in. This song is just f..g great.

Gathering Moss - a time filler, brings you back to reality after the incredible opening five songs. You could imagine sitting on a rock in Ireland just watching clouds float past overhead or counting cows and thinking how sad life is, sincerely...
If you don't want me to destroy you - gruff carries this song initially, and then, holy s..t a f..g orchestra, in a pop song, i thought these guys were on acid. How the f..k do they know how to combine pop and classical instruments and just melt your f..g heart. The band don't need to do anything while the orchestra plays, just carry the beat, but when its their turn again, boy do they kick in. AND angrily, Gravity, you just hold me down so quietly!!! Damn planet, how dare you hold me down... And now, they combine with the orchestra and fade out....
Bad Behaviour - This is the keyboardists song, and what a song to make an impact. Gruff and backers carry the song initially, soso lyrics and nice backup vocals "bad bad, bad bad behaviour...." and then comes the mind f..k. The guitarist kicks it off, goes nuts, bit more chorus, and then the MIND F..K. Keyboardist goes nuts, but, its totally appropriate. And then, Elvis, how he finds his way into this song, I don't know, but his "uhh huh's" kick some f..g ass. Dont mess with the king.
Mario man - after five years, this track is now my favourite. The song is so easy listening and beautiful, you kick back, drink up Gruffs lyrics and voice and relax. Eventually, the fateful lyrics "zap zap wham wham says the mario man today" which seem to carry far more importance and meaningfulness to them than they actually do, its all in context. You have to hear it for yourself.
Hangin with Howard Marks - Love the guitars - Love Gruffs lyrics, they flow out of his mouth like velvet and he just nails it in this song. "washed down with a dire choke.." cut to *gruff choking*. gruff and band at their best.
Long gone - its a distance far away, the album is winding down, and you know this is it, in one more song, the album ends, musical brilliance will never get this good, why must it end? It cuts into some weird distorted laughing guy and fades out.
For now and ever - Well the furries knew I'd love this album, "we'll be together till the end, for now and ever"

...........................

Ammmbient.......2002-04-02

I suppose there is nothing on earth entirely perfect, and everything must have a flaw, however small. The only flaw I can find with this album is that it finishes too soon.

Beautiful melodies played under the most tragically heartbreaking of lyrics, sung in a voice that sounds the aural equivalent of a kicked puppy. From Gathering Moss, with its sublime loneliness and depth of feeling, to the throwaway fun of Bad Behaviour and Hanging With Howard Marks, the tunes drift along dreamily, settling into your subconscious as if it had always been there. It is not fair to give SFA comparisons to punk, pop or Dylan: they are a beautifully anarchic folk band who somewhere along the line were handed guitars. We can only be thankful for that.

Do the Fuzzy Math - SFA are greater than great!.......2001-07-13

Coming right at the height of what the world knows as Britpop, Fuzzy Logic is a wonderful masterpiece filled with rocking guitars and gorgeous melodies. Gruff's (pronounced Griff) voice is strikingly superb for a first record, and his bandmates equal the quality on every single song.

This is by far the furries most straight ahead rock disc. Albums like Mwng and Guerilla bounce through many many styles, while the amazing Radiator acts as a bridge.

Just buy this.

SFA are more than OK.......2000-05-17

Thankyou SFA for this masterpiece. I have owned this album forseveral years, but it still makes me shudder every time I hear thestrange lyrics and unusual bass lines. PLease buy this album and enjoy Welsh music in its purest (and mashed) form. Nothing I can say can give this album justice. And seeing SFA live at the Brixton Academy was one of the highlights of my life! Songs such as God! Show Me Magic and Fuzzy Logic are amazing and cannot be surpassed by any band except for SFA themselves in later albums (namely Radiator). The best Indie/Rock/Alternative album available on the world market.

Average customer rating:

One of the best modern piano trio recordings
concordia student
...
Simply, a master work
Simply, a masterpiece

Badlands
Peter Erskine , Alan Pasqua , and Dave Carpenter
Manufacturer: Fuzzy Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Dedications

ASIN: B0000630D1
Release Date: 2002-04-16

Tracks:

Surrender
Daddy, What Is God's Last Name?
Push/Pull
On The Lake
My Most Beautiful Nos.1, 2 & 3
Boogie Shuttle Stop
Badlands
Summer's Waltz
Meanwhile
You And The Night And The Music

Customer Reviews:

One of the best modern piano trio recordings.......2004-03-12

You won't run across a CD of piano-bass-drums music that is more appealing than this one. The interplay between Alan Pasqua, drummer Peter Erskine and bassist Dave Carpenter is stunning on the 10 tracks. Overall, a calm atmosphere prevails, though there are various rhythmic styles throughout. If you like the Keith Jarrett "Standards" trio but are a little weary of the over-echoed ECM sound and the caterwhauling vocals of Mr. Jarrett, you'll find this music really refreshing. The music is beautifully recorded with a perfect balance of all instruments. It is a "co-operative" trio where the piano does not necessarily dominate. Both Pasqua and Carpenter are very lyrical and the sensitive drums of Erskine are just right, a revelation of group playing. I bought this after hearing the trio on the "Music of Eric van Essen" series (Cryptogramophone), and was delighted with the quality of this independently-produced album.

concordia student.......2003-07-17

i've actually had the oportunity to play bass right beside the man, and let me tell you, he never ceases to amaze me. with things so intricate, you are never bored, but excited as the group moves from one place to another.

..........2002-07-31

Simply, a master work

"Badlands" interpretation by the Erskine-Pasqua-Trio is a brilliant, delicate and superb master work.
Besides the trio work, the Pasqua piano performance and compositions are "a must".
But words leftovers when this album is heard. I can assure that, assuming the "risk" involved.
As a single reference, I would like to comment that the album I heard just before "Badlands" was "Directions In Music", by the Hancock-Brecker-Hargrove trio, plus John Patitucci on bass and Brian Blade on drums, where the piano performance by Hancock reminds me his performances with the Miles Davis Quintet in the middle of the 60's, I mean, "Smiles", "E.S.P.", "Nefertiti", etc. Well, "Badlands" work is a different approach to the music, but even magnificient and truly artistic.

Simply, a master work.......2002-07-30

Simply, a master work
Reviewer: Alex Irausquin from Caracas, Venezuela
This is a superb and delicious work played as masterful as delicately by a totally acoustic trio.
Besides the extraordinary perform of the trio, it is very notable the beautiful interpretation of the perfectly balanced and controlled pianist Allan Pasqua, whose compositions, besides, are really beautiful and stupendous too.

Simply, a master work of the contemporary jazz.

Simply, a masterpiece.......2002-07-30

This is a superb and delicious work played as masterful as delicately by a totally acoustic trio.

Besides the extraordinary perform of the trio, it is very notable the beautiful interpretation of the perfectly balanced and controlled pianist Allan Pasqua, whose compositions, besides, are really beautiful and stupendous too.

Simply, a master work of the contemporary jazz.

Average customer rating:

Brilliant
Lovely
Where Do I Begin

A Choir of Empty Beds
B. Fleischmann
Manufacturer: Fuzzy Box Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Humbucking Coil
Welcome Tourist
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Tokyo
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ASIN: B00004W5DC
Release Date: 2000-08-15

Tracks:

Start
It's All So
Play the Big a
Open End
Buzz
Sono
Ircam
Chad F. The Tick and Sax Mix
Good Bye

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant.......2004-07-30

Nothing in IDM or any other electronic music subgenre compares to the emotion evinced on this album. Choir of Empty Beds is Fleischman's best. Pop Loops was a prelude to this album. Welcome Tourist (I'm surprised they don't carry his other albums here) is a 2 CD set, and a bit more stripped down then this, with live intruments and vocals in stilted English.

Lovely.......2001-10-10

lovely pastoral electronica from the austrian bloke. Melodious and fluid with a nice warp vibe. I would say that its not as effective as his earlier Pop Loops For Breakfast on Charizma, but then that really is a gorgous piece of digital dementia. Well worth a perusal, me think

Where Do I Begin.......2001-10-10

I first heard this album about nine months. I have to admit that its still a cd I put in today. It's a fantastic piece of work. The music on this cd is very mellow downtempo. As far as simular artist, I put this artist up there with Boards of Canada and Seelenluft. If your looking for something new than give this a listen to and hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as I do. Cheers!

Average customer rating:

The best
Impressive effort with autumn feeling to it

Sweet Soul
Peter Erskine
Manufacturer: Fuzzy Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Peter Erskine
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The Words And The Days

ASIN: B00004UAU5
Release Date: 2000-06-06

Tracks:

Touch Her Soft Lips and Part
Press Enter
Sweet Soul
To Be or Not to Be
Ambivalence
Angels and Devils
Speak Low
Sco-Lastic
Distant Blossom
But Is It Art?
In Your Own Sweet Way

Customer Reviews:

The best.......2006-04-15

This is the best Peter Erskine solo CD, and one of the all around finest jazz CD's ever recorded.

Impressive effort with autumn feeling to it.......2000-10-31

This is a recent re-release of a 1991 recording by drummer Peter Erskine on his own Fuzzy Music label, with Kenny Werner on piano, Marc Johnson on bass and featuring a then relatively unknown Joe Lovano on most of the tracks. There are guest appearances by Randy Brecker (on two tracks), Bob Mintzer (with a majestic solo on the title track) and John Scofield (on three tracks). The setting varies from trio up to septet, the playing is consistently inspirational. The most striking about the album are the excellent compositions: credits are split between Vince Mendoza (three), Erskine (three), Werner (two), rounded out by two standards (Weill's "Speak Low" and Brubeck's "In Your Own Sweet Way" and not to forget the delicate ballad opener "Touch Her Soft Lips And Part (a highlight in Joe Lovano's career) by William Walton. Another highlight is the up-tempo and definately Wayne Shorteresque "To Be Or Not To Be". Somehow there is an autumn feeling to the album for me, as it carries a reflective mood as a whole. With over 70 minutes of very good music this album is highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Fuzzy
Grant Lee Buffalo
Manufacturer: Noble Rot
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000QXDD9G
Release Date: 2007-07-17

Tracks:

The Shining Hour
Jupiter And Teardrop
Fuzzy
Wish You Well
The Hook
Soft Wolf Tread
Stars N' Stripes
Dixie Drug Store
America Snoring
Grace
You Just Have To Be Crazy

Amazon.com

Grant Lee Buffalo shares a common spirit with postmodern wackos the Flaming Lips, but the L.A. trio has a less noisy, more folk-oriented bent. On its Slash Records debut, Fuzzy, the band mixes influences as diverse as the Byrds and the Cowsills, and the Fugs and Leonard Cohen. Guitarist/vocalist Grant Lee Phillips delivers his skewed visions of Americana in a deep, strong voice, while Paul Kimble and drummer Joey Peters provide a shifting melodic and rhythmic background that is always intriguing. --Jim DeRogatis

Average customer rating:

Relaxing and Stress free
4-Plus Stars? Are You Kidding?
Outstanding
jazz with fun, and makes me feel good
Smooth Jazz at its very best

Fuzzy Logic
David Benoit
Manufacturer: Grp Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005M1CD
Release Date: 2002-02-05

Tracks:

Snap!
Fuzzy Logic
Someday Soon
Then The Morning Comes
Reflections
Coming Up For Air
You Read My Mind
War Of The S.U.V.'s
Tango In Barbados
One Dream At A Time

Amazon.com

It may not be appropriate to label this as Benoit's best record, considering what his '80s albums Freedom at Midnight, Waiting for Spring, and others, did for the smooth-jazz genre. During the '90s, his discs were bland and without drive, but on these 10 tracks his dazzling technique again is complemented with music he can sink his keys into. Ironically, Benoit moves forward by going backward. Like other smooth-jazz artists, the pianist has sprinkled the retro-based European acid jazz and drum & bass grooves into his style. His brilliant cover of Smash Mouth's "Then the Morning Comes," in all its '60s soul/jazz glory, still radiates the alternative music vibe of today and is destined to become a pop instrumental classic. Some time surfing is also done on the Rick Braun-produced track, "Snap," and the funky title tune, both sporting high-powered horn charts. On the ballads, Benoit dispenses with the sappy strings that plagued many of his recent recordings, but wears his influences on his sleeves by nearly plagiarizing Ramsey Lewis on "Someday Soon," and Joe Sample on "Reflections." The self-descriptive "Tango in Barbados" also stands out. --Mark Ruffin

Customer Reviews:

Relaxing and Stress free.......2004-06-14

This is my second Cd of David , most of it are incredible to listen. let me tell you something, Some Cd lack the good quality of the sound specially when playing piano or guitar even if you have a good music system, the music is dry.Thank Goodness the two Cd i have from David Benoit are good quality music , you can tell right away that they are produce from good music company.
I'm buying another one, Oops, correction, Investing another one. The Best of David Benoit.

Nat

4-Plus Stars? Are You Kidding?.......2003-12-24

I feel like I've wandered into an alternate universe. Maybe this rates 4 stars against other Benoit music, but it sure doesn't when compared to the rest of Earth's music.

Jazz? Um, sort of. Loosely speaking.

Smooth? Well, yeah. Duh.

Exciting? No. (See "Smooth.")

Original? Not really.

Like TV show theme songs? Yes, yes, that's it exactly!!! Thank you for saving me from wasting my money on 44 minutes of cliche rubbish, Mr. Towne! (Yes, that's right, 44 out of a possible 80, folks.)

(Diehard fans, you may now click on the "I hate this guy" button.)

Outstanding.......2003-04-07

I first heard cuts from this album on the local "smooth jazz" station here in Detroit. I was instantly hooked by them, and kept hearing the DJ mention (at the end of the set) the name David Benoit. So I had to get it.

The rest of the album is every bit as good, if not better than, the tracks they're playing on the radio. I seriously recommend this if you enjoy chilling out to a great vibe, or you just want something you can tap your toes to. This one does not disappoint.

jazz with fun, and makes me feel good.......2003-03-08

I got one after I got the 3 down to the bones cds and this is
just as good, he is really good and know how to play and this is
worth getting and playing at your party or home with your friends
or just in your car, its fun music and your enjoy it very much.

Smooth Jazz at its very best.......2003-02-27

I first heard this album almost a year ago whilst having lunch in a modern Italian restaurant in my home town of Leicester, UK.

I have been a big fan of Smooth Jazz for a number of years now and heard much fine music from a wide range of first class artists but in all honesty I have to say that this album takes some beating.

It's rare to find an album where I can truly say I like every track but this is one occasion where it's a pleasure to say so! Right from the vibrant first track "Snap" to my favourite, the truly fantastic "Tango in Barbados" the listener is taken through a range of very different but at the same time very similar music in terms of style and excellence!

If I had to take 6 albums onto a desert island this one would be top of my list - an absolute must for anyone with a passion for Smooth Jazz!

Average customer rating:

Volumes 7 and 8 pick up the quality as part of Warbles last release

Fuzzy Warbles, Vol. 8
Andy Partridge
Manufacturer: Weath
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000H4VXCI
Release Date: 2006-10-02

Tracks:

Through Electric Gardens
Skate Dreams Wet Car
Bland Leading the Bland
Silverstar
I Gave My Suitcase Away
Extrovert
Another Satellite
These Voices
Song for Wes Long
Happy Birthday Karen
Rem Producer Enquiry
Loving
Shalloween
Was a Yes
Genie in a Bottle
Disque Bleu
Poor Skeleton Steps Out
I Don't Want to Be Here [Original Demo]
Chalkhills and Children

Album Description

Ape House is XTC frontman Andy Partidge's own label. Features songs recorded during their days with Virgin, including many previously unreleased tracks and also a few alternative demo versions of XTC favourites. Each sleeve features a specially designed stamp and all volumes have extensive sleeves note written by Andy. Andy's song writing is renowned and this collection gives a fascinating insight into the talents of one of Britain's foremost writers. Many of today's bands sight XTC and in particular Andy as one of their major influences.

Album Details

Features Songs Recorded During XTC'S Days with Virgin, Including Many Previously Unreleased Tracks and also a Few Alternative Demo Versions of XTC Favorites. Each Sleeve features a Specially Designed Stamp and all Volumes have Extensive Sleeves Note Written by Andy Partridge.

Customer Reviews:

Volumes 7 and 8 pick up the quality as part of Warbles last release.......2006-10-01

Andy Partidge's demo albums "Fuzzy Warbles" have been a mixed bag for the XTC front man; the first two were terrific the second set quite good with a bit of filler while volumes 5 and 6 were the weakest of the lot but also had some of the best original songs on them ("I Can't Tell What Truth is Anymore", "Tin Circus of Life" from 6 and "I Defy You Gravity", the brilliant "My Land is Burning" and instrumental "Ice Jet Kiss"). The balance has been redressed with volumes 7 and 8. The marvelous "The Bland Leading The Bland" an outtake from Waspstar the weird "Shalloween" (which maybe Tim Burton will find good use for at some point) and "Through Electric Gardens" are all worth while from this set.

Sure there is the usual amount of filler but the filler here is better than 9/10s of what most bands put out. Even "Song for Wes Long" and "Happy Birthday Karen" have more melodic invention than most bands put into an entire album these days. As with the previous releases we get a deluxe booklet with lyrics and notes from Andy. If you order from Andy's website (Ape House) you'll get a limited edition 9th Fuzzy Warble release full of demos, a great "Collector's Album" to hold all the Fuzzy Warble albums and stamp copies of the album cover. You have to order both 7 and 8 or can order the box by itself. Remember, when you order from Ape House Andy gets the bulk of the monies himself. The "Collector's Album" also has an additional booklet with notes from Mr. Partridge.

The track listing for volume 9:

1. Gold
2. Now We All Dead (It Doesn't Matter)
3. Rain Of Blows (early version)
4. Reign Of Blows
5. Jump
6. Shake You Donkey Up
7. Happy Families
8. Here Comes President Kill Again
9. Beating Hearts

Either way you order this is a fine close out to the series. Although it missing some essential tracks that I had hoped would be included it's a worthy and successful close out that beats the bootleggers and with better quality no less!

Music:

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