The Fixx should be the poster child for The Ripple Effect. This is one of those bands that has been around and garnered some popularity through the years, but they’ve never been on the fore front of anyone’s best of list. I could never quite understand that. Making their rise in the music world during the ‘80’s, being plastered all over Mtv, and being mentioned in the same breath as The Police, U2, and Duran Duran, The Fixx were poised for a long and healthy run to super stardom. Shuttered Room, Reach the Beach, and Phantoms are definite fan favorite albums, each featuring a number of chart topping tunes. But, something happened. The Fixx suddenly, and seemingly, vanished off the face of the earth. They were getting some air play, but no one was talking about them. They were slowly becoming a memory.So, along came 1991, a year which had me spinning Ice Cube’s Death Certificate and Metallica’s “Black” album as if they were some odd two disc set, and The Fixx released Ink. Suddenly, I had three albums in constant rotation, none of which sounded remotely like the next. And, let me tell you, my hardcore metal friends were none too pleased with my musical decisions that year!
Really . . . what’s not to like about Ink? It features great song writing, great musical performances, and high quality production work. “All Is Fair” is a well crafted, heartfelt, and passionate tune. Singer Cy Curnin delivers a vocal performance for the ages. Starting the tune off, his deep and smoky voice is packed with so much emotion. He has always done a wonderful job of mixing his vocal emphasis on certain phrases, and with “All Is Fair,” he stands alone on a precipice, overlooking his peers. Keep an ear out for the breakdown towards the end of the tune as the rhythm section drops out of the mix, leaving just the guitar work of Jamie West – Oram to accompany Curnin. Beautiful bits of flavor like this have always kept The Fixx separate from the rest of the bands of their day.
“How Much Is Enough?” bursts from the speakers with a funky rhythm, accented by the clean guitar tones from Jamie West – Oram, and driven by the cannon fire drums of Adam Woods. West – Oram has always been an overlooked and underappreciated guitarist (hhmmm . . . just what about that phrase sounds familiar?) His playing is always so damn expressive, particularly when he kicks in with the clean tones. I remarked once to Racer that his clean guitar tones are like looking over a sun reflected lake, rays of light sparkling and shimmering with every ripple of the lake's surface. Check him out on “How Much Is Enough?” and later into the disc with “All the Best Things” and “Yesterday, Today.” Also, note his approach on the more effect laden tracks like “Shut It Out.”
The Fixx simply write good songs. “No One Has to Cry” is a beautiful, and heart wrenching tune about sacrifice. Curnin’s expressive lyrics and vocal nuance capture the emotion as he tries to deal with the suffering of others as he gets further ahead in life. It’s a tune that will get you asking how far you’d go to make your dreams become a reality. How many lives would you ruin to achieve your end? Heady stuff from a band that was labeled a synth-pop band in the ‘80’s. It just goes to show that some of these artists do have a social conscious and are well aware of their place in the world. The music from the rest of the band members compliments Curnin vocal performance, never over stepping their individual roles and simply “playing in the pocket.” Man . . . that tune gets me every time.My personal favorite tune on the disc is “Crucified,” with edgier sound and acoustic undertones. West – Oram kicks the song off with a great semi-distorted guitar lick before fading out and letting the rhythm and keys of Rupert Greenall take center stage. Master of the vocal intonations and timely emphasis of phrase, Curnin again performs with the anguish of a man who truly was crucified. It’s a fairly standard rock song, but it’s the individual performances from the musicians that separate it from being a “stock” tune.
“Yesterday, Today” simply kills me every time I hear it. From West – Oram’s clean arpeggio’s to Curnin’s pained croon to Greenall’s ambient passages, it all falls together to create a most moving experience. The bass work from Dan K. Brown is wonderfully brilliant, adding a pained voice to compliment Curnin’s lead. Phenomenal tune! Racer . . . find out why this wasn’t getting massive amounts of airplay! Better yet . . . have the interns do it. I need you to keep poking at the CD’s on our desk!
Folks . . . all kidding aside, Ink is one of the most overlooked albums of our time. Every song on here evokes emotions unlike any other album that came out in 1991. I was curious if it would hold up over a decade later, and thankfully, it’s held up perfectly well. I bet ya’ it has something to do with the melodies and the timeless lyrical content, but I can’t reach my bookie so my money stays in my pocket. The Fixx were an amazing and underappreciated group of musicians. I liken them to some of the great bands of our time that have achieved success, but aren’t mentioned in breath with The Stones, Beatles, or Who. Let’s peer around the corner at the bands like Rush or The Police, who took rock another step further and flirted with different extremes. The Fixx are right there . . . lurking in the shadows with the next wave of great rock bands, and Ink should be look at as a milestone rather than a footnote. - Pope JTE
Be sure to tune in November the 12th to the Ripple Radio Show as we have Cy Curnin as our special guest!
Buy here: Ink
Comments
But, as long you stay up, keep your head up right, do your homework like the Mister that wrote this well written piece did.
Sooner or later, you'll have a plan and succeed, so its never too late to begin, start now! Don't procrastinate, get to organizing your life and you too will make it in the business world! :)