release date: 1988
format: vinyl (828 069.1) / cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,14]
producer: *Fine Young Cannibals
label: London Records - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights: 1. "She Drives Me Crazy" (5 / 5) - 2. "Good Thing" (4 / 5) - 3. "I'm Not the Man I Used to Be" - 4. "I'm Not Satisfied" (4 / 5) - 5. "Tell Me What" (5 / 5) - 6. "Don't Look Back" - 7. "It's OK (It's Alright)" - 8. "Don't Let It Get You Down" - 9. "As Hard as It Is" (4 / 5) - 10. "Ever Fallen in Love?"
2nd and final studio album by Fine Young Cannibals. *All three band members are credited as producers on all except track #7, which is produced by David Z (aka David B. Rivkin) - he is also co-producer on tracks #1 and #4; and track #10 is co-produced by Jerry Harrison.
This album was the first that I purchased with the band and it still remains my favourite of their only two studio albums. The majority of the songs here are credited vocalist Roland Gift and bassist and keyboardist David Steele. The debut album contained a few standouts and they may have paved the way for this but the tracks here are just that little bit better or they're simply better arranged. I really enjoy the combo of different styles and genres blended into one original style. Overall this is pop soul but it's styled as synthpop, new wave, and / or sophisti-pop and the production side is truly elegant. Sometimes the guitar or bass play a leading part, at other times it's the drums or the keyboard that take a dominating stance, and then Gift's voice is ever-present in that unique smooth and velvet honey-like tone of his. And although, many styles are present and mixed together, the overall impression is a tight and narrow sound. The new wave and pop / rock single hit "She Drives Me Crazy" is a great track (and the marvellous video by Philippe Decouflé is another classic work), but today, I think, the more soul and r&b-styled modern classics "Tell Me What" and "Don't Let It Get You Down" (both by Gift & Steele) are my two absolute favourite from this album.
Like the debut, also this comes with a cover song. The debut had the splendid version of "Suspicious Minds" and this comes with the Buzzcocks song "Ever Fallen in Love?", and once again, FYC do much more than just replicate a great song as they transform it to something of their very own.
The album was an international bestselling album making it to number #1 on the albums chart lists in several countries, e.g. the UK, USA, Australia, and Canada as well as many other countries world-wide. Apparently, the enormous success was more than the three members had dreamed of and the overwhelming exposure basically put an end to the band. Despite huge success - others would hope for exactly just that! - but FYC had to come to terms with the consequences and went on a hiatus. They relocated to the US and subsequently contributed on the Red Hot + Blue Cole Porter tribute album (1990) but they never released another studio album and Steele, Cox, and Gift parted ways without dissolving the band in the early 90's. A short get-together saw the three record and release the '96 single "Flame", which remains the so far last breath by the trio.
Roland Gift spent many years focussing on a career as an actor before releasing the one and only solo album Roland Gift in 2002. David Steele pursued a successful career as studio musician and producer, and Andy Cox sought various new musical partners in the following years to come - e.g. forming the duo-project Cribabi in 2001 with Japanese vocalist Yukari Fujiu.
This album is still highly recommended - and the above track highlights are basically all tracks on an album without misses. This is no less than an essential album of the late 80s.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]
