Sunday, January 30, 2011

a blog without qualities IV: New Fast Automatic Daffodils, the conclusion

Last we discussed this fine, fine collective from Manchester, we left off at their 1992 LP Body Exit Mind (and some relevant extra material). The story didn't end with that record, however, though as far as Americans were concerned it did.

The New FADs had one more LP left in them, a stunner, that never saw release in the USA. Which frankly doesn't surprise me, since it seems that for every 1 copy purchased (and kept) by an American punter, another 20 made it to the used bins (I kept mine!). Way to go, American label Elektra!

So it was that 1994's Love It All never saw North American release, and it's a shame as it's a far better record than Body Exit Mind. Taking the band's unique blend of choppy, stuttery funk and pseudo-Madchester rhythm stylings to a logical conclusion, Love It All makes good on the promise hinted at, but never attained, in their 1992 material (bar a song or two).

Andy Spearpoint's lyrics are as sardonically brilliant as ever, though that hardly needs to be said as it's long been one of this band's touchpoints. Check out the prescience of the lyric to "Kill My Instincts" - while remembering this was written in 1994:

You can switch him on and then switch him off,
He's like a flame-proof moth with his eye on the main chance.
Rising sap and if girls think crap then the boys think great...
As you pull another teenage combo in out of the limbo
You know how to kill my instincts.
Don't let the credits roll - back to the intro,
Go back to the intro.
A week or two, we'll call you.
You know how to kill my instincts.
A week or two, it would be easy.
You know how to kill my instincts.
A little... A bit of...

I think I've tracked down all the relevant extra material this time as well. B-sides "Aches and Pains" and "Mad Pop" are as good as any single track on the record ("Aches and Pains" especially); one wonders why they were relegated to CD single extra tracks. One rarity I was able to source is their "remix" - more a cover than a remix - of Consolidated's "This Is Fascism" from a 1996 various artists CD full of "This Is Fascism" remixes. It uses elements of the original Consolidated track but New FADs singer Andy Spearpoint lays down his own vocal track, as well as what sounds like additional New FADs instrumentation.

So let's roll with it, lossless FLAC as this record is pretty hard to find online (and long out of print).

NEW FAST AUTOMATIC DAFFODILS
Love It All (expanded)
1994, Play It Again Sam Records


01 These Foolish Things
02 Life Is An Accident
03 Left Right
04 Every Once In A While
05 Why Waste Your Love
06 Monday It Is
07 Saxophone
08 What I Feel
09 PSV
10 Kill My Instincts
11 Souvenir

errata:

12 Every Once In A While (Fuzzy Logic remix)
13 Aches And Pains
14 PSV (VPL remix)
15 Mad Pop
16 Bass Drum (Hugo Nicholson mix)
17 Lions (live at the Melkweg, Amsterdam 29 November 1992)
18 This Is Fascism

sources:
1-11 Love It All, BIAS 285 CD
12-13 "Life Is An Accident" BIAS 249 CD 1
14-15 "Life Is An Accident" BIAS 249 CD 2
16-17 "These Foolish Things / Every Once In A While" BIAS 269 CD
18 "This Is Fascism" various artists remix CD MC Projects PROCD 14

Lossless FLAC here!

enjoy...

4 comments:

  1. Great work again! FYI though, this is available on iTunes. Without the extras of course.

    ReplyDelete
  2. @dubvulture: not in the US store. I can't speak for other territories.

    ReplyDelete
  3. It is available from Amazon.com. not without the extras, though.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hello

    Great article. Really good to see that people still want to write about and listen to the New FADS.

    I have a huge favor to ask!???

    I've tried and failed to listen to 2 tracks I don't own.

    1. Bass Drum (Hugo Nicholson mix)
    2. This Is Fascism

    Could you send them to me, just to listen to, without the whole mediafire thing if I give you an email address?

    Regards

    ReplyDelete