Synthpop.net review by Jason Baker
Randall Erkelens | Denver, CO United States | 04/19/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The Fixx are probably best known for their hit 1983 single "Saved By Zero", but as this compilation proves, that wasn't the only good song this band composed. Beginning in 1981, the band has remained active (for the most part) for 20 years, including the 2003 album "Want That Life". Released by Section 44 Records, this tribute finds 13 well-known bands looking back fondly on a musical Fixxation. (Sorry, that was uncalled for..)
Empire State Human open the compilation with The Fixx's most recognizable song, "Saved By Zero". This is a very faithful cover, as Aidan handles the vocals on this song perfectly, giving the song a excellent rendition. The catchy bass guitar riff is recreated electronically here, but there is a guitar in here as well for the purists. A great track!
Glow impressed just about everyone who heard their album "Rain Theory" when it was released (and really made a great impression at the ADD SLC 2K4 fest), and here they stay true to form, with a very solid rendition of "Stand Or Fall". Very smooth, catchy and beautiful. I remain firmly addicted to the Glow sound...
Tristraum contribute a cover of "Chase The Fire", and also coordinated/executive produced the project. Krystyna's vocals here lend a smoky Jazz feel to the track somewhat, and the mid-tempo music with deep bass line serves to accentuate that feeling a lot. I though this approach worked really well!
Kiss The Star is the musical project of Craig Smidt and Meg Erben, with Jeff Harper (aka Intervox, aka Dominoeffect) on keys and programming. This is another smooth track, and Meg's vocals are up to the task of this track, but I really thought the portions of the chorus where her voice was multi-tracked (just guessing here, it sounds like her vocals have been layered to sound a little stronger there) were the strongest parts.
Royal Visionaries have been impressing a lot of people with their EP "Back To Yazoo", and Steven & Patrik turn in another impressive performance here. It seems Steven has really been working hard to polish his vocals, as here he sounds the best he has yet. The synth work here is also very solid, and it's just overall a very impressive version of "NO One Has To Cry".
The next track was a really big surprise for me. I Thought I had heard Gene Loves Jezebel on the original Mortal Kombat soundtrack (don't ask), but that turned out to be a false impression. The choppy guitar sounds and processed vocals on "Red Skies" turn out to give it a really cool feel. A very textured and deep track, it's really quite an enjoyable listen!
Astromill contributes yet another track that seems tailor-made for her unusual vocals. "Are We Ourselves" seems to really work perfectly for her especially in the chorus, as the layered vocals really make the chorus shine. A excellent, very distinctive track.
I've been a pretty outspoken non-fan of Equatronic for several years now, but this is actually one of their tracks I can listen to and enjoy. I still don't care too much for Oliver's vocal style, but this track is quite listenable. Not thrilling, but listenable.
This is the first officially released new material from Midihead/Monolithic , and it's just as dynamic, powerful and moving as you've come to expect from Monolithic. The guitars in the chorus add just the right amount of grit to the track. Tons of energy in this cover, I can easily imagine this one going over very well on the dancefloor. "Deeper And Deeper" is a track I can't get enough of!
The Dignity Of Labour and "Read Between The Lines" combine to make a very elegant track, filled with smooth piano work over subdued percussion and Kirk's solid vocals. This is one of those songs I tend to sit back and let wash over me, which makes it hard to write about sometimes. Actually, the song itself seems to drag a little until the first chorus rolls by, but otherwise the song is very enjoyable.
Color Theory follow with "One Thing Leads To Another", and to be honest I felt this version slowed the song down too much. It seems to drag a little to my ears. Brian's vocals are wonderful as always, and I liked the piano work here, but again it seemed too slow. A slightly higher tempo would have benefited the cover a good bit.
It's probably not fair to compare, but Internal Dialogue's version of "Red Skies" is a much more laid-back electropop version of the song when compared to the Gene Loves Jezebel version. Enjoyable, not bad or anything, just way overshadowed by the Gene Loves Jezebel version.
The Echoing Green close the compilation with what really amounted to a collaborative track with Tristraum, with Tristraum handling the music programming and Joey on vocals. The nature of this collaboration was such that the song ended up with more of a remix feel, so EG is listed as the artist with Tristraum as the remixer. Still, I felt the intro on the track was a little overly long, and also that the vocals were distorted in too many sections of the song. But when Joey is left unprocessed, he really shines here. Also, since Joey wanted to give the track a darker feel, there is a line removed from the lyrics, the one referring to "Euro-vision".
Overall, this was a very satisfying tribute album. Some really solid versions of songs, and only two tracks that I could find minor issues with. Welll worth your time and money, and very recommended!"
Electrifying "Electronic Tribute" to the Fixx!
Rich J. Satterly | Yamanashi, Japan | 01/17/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I've been a Fixxture since the start of it all, and I can't believe I didn't already have this CD in my massive collection. Of the CD's musicians I'm only familiar with Gene Loves Jezebel, but there is some magic talent displayed here that I'm glad I know now. As for my favorite songs, I rank "Are We Ourselves?" as the big one of them all (an ironic song for a tribute album). Astromill is like if Yes met Power Station; I kinda wish the original '84 song had a more similar sound--although the original's one of my favorites. (That's what an awesome new CD does--push around your old favorites.)
"Deeper and Deeper" is a scorcher; Monolithic's lead singer's voice is like a really p***** off Rick Astley--that's the way this song should be sung, too. "Saved by Zero," "Chase the Fire," "No One Has to Cry," "Read Between the Lines" and all the "Red Skies" and "Stand or Fall" versions get my thumbs up, as well. "SBZ" is as silky and eery as the '83 version, but lacks Cy Curnin's power. OK, so IMHO none of the singers can match Cy, but it seems that not all of them are trying to match the master, anyway. The piano on "RBTL" is maybe more haunting and serene than on "Walkabout" from '86; hold your honey tightly on the dance floor!
I can live without this CD's version of "Secret Separation," "Running," and "One Thing Leads to Another," though. The translations from the originals are just too watered down, like a cross between elevator music and some attempt at New Age. "SS" and "OTLTA" are disappointing because the originals are so famous; I expected much better.
I hope there'll be another tribute CD. The Fixx have produced well over one hundred songs so there are many more to choose from.
-Rich Satterly, Yamanashi, Japan (hitting the repeat button for "Are We Ourselves?")
"
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1