The Psychedelic Furs

[The Culture Bunker]

In about 2012, I met Richard and Tim Butler by chance on a train and asked them if they were going to put out any new music, to which they assured me they were "soon". Eight years later, here we are with their first album of original material since 1991's quite good 'World Outside'.

I haven't actually heard much of it yet, though the bits I have make me surprised R Butler's rasp has held up surprisingly well. Him and his brother are sadly the only original members left, so you could just as well call it the next Love Spit Love album, I suppose. That said, sax player Mars Williams was with them during the 83-87 glory years and rejoined them some years back.

All the same, they made some of my favourite albums ('Talk Talk Talk', 'Forever Now' and 'Book of Days') as well as a couple of decent pop tunes in their corporate rock era. Shame about the horrendous haircuts during the mid 80s, but everyone makes mistakes.

Anyone else a fan and if so, should I buy the album? I'm probably going to anyways, but I'd enjoy some discussion of their work.

[McChesney Duntz]

What I've heard of the new one I like a lot. Somewhere below the first three, but above Mirror Moves and whatever came after. Worth it, I think.

Nice Pitchfork review here by a writer of my online acquaintance: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/the-psychedelic-furs-made-of-rain/

[The Culture Bunker]

The two best moments from 'Mirror Moves' ('The Ghost In You' and 'Heaven') sounded really good when I saw on tour a couple of years ago, with the dubious 80s production stripped away.

Richard Butler had something of a crisis during the peak of the pop years, and they returned to their noisy roots with 1989's 'Book of Days', which I maintain is a really hidden gem - produced by Dave Allen (who worked with the Chameleons and the Cure, if that helps). They got original drummer Vince Ely back for that one, which I think is part of what elevates it in my estimation. 

[SavageHedgehog]

Quite a big fan. Saw them live in 2017 and they played all of their singles in more or less release order, which I wasn't expecting and was a nice surprise. Rate the Mirror Moves album more than most fans, concede that they were veering toward the bland on Midnight to Midnight.

[McChesney Duntz]

I need to try Book of Days - never really gave it a shot. I'm generally fine with Mirror Moves, too, though it's a step in a bad direction (one that many, many bands were taking, to be fair). "Alice's House" is a deep-cut fave from that one.

[The Culture Bunker]

I need to try Book of Days - never really gave it a shot. I'm generally fine with Mirror Moves, too, though it's a step in a bad direction (one that many, many bands were taking, to be fair). "Alice's House" is a deep-cut fave from that one.

I like the song, but think the out-take version from the 'Forever Now' sessions is better. According to the band'd biography, 'Mirror Moves' should have done a lot better in the States but for label blunders - going with 'Here Come Cowboys' as the lead single instead of the band's choice of 'Heaven'.

Favourite non-obvious songs of theirs for me would be 'Birdland', b-side to the also excellent 'All That Money Wants', which was their "back to roots" single right after dropping the pop sound/look.

[Jockice]

A friend of mine had an autographed copy of their first album that he'd won in a contest. I managed to get it off him in a swap deal not because I was a big fan (they're one of many bands I quite like some stuff by but wouldn't go out of my way to listen to) but because there was a girl I fancied at school who was a fan and I thought me owning it would impress her. It didn't.

[the science eel]

the also excellent 'All That Money Wants', which was their "back to roots" single right after dropping the pop sound/look.

LOVE that song.

[The Culture Bunker]

LOVE that song.

It's great - seems a bit surprising it didn't do better in the charts (#75), especially given it was produced by the then-hip Stephen Street. I can only assume the hair-spray years destroyed any goodwill people here had towards them.