Checked out the AMG review of this album before coming here, and I really can't disagree with it more.AMG seems to think that producer Dave Allen (The Cure, The Chameleons UK) was good for the band. Not to my ears, he's not. He's filed down so many rough edges that the band's punk influence, so evident in their early years, has practically vanished. This is a significant error...After listening to "Book of Days" I realized that this smoothing down process, which began with "Mirror Moves", is very likely instrumental in the transformation of a great post-punk band into a mediocre one.
Here's the key: Richard Butler is a great vocalist. I've always believed this. His style is akin to a cross between David Bowie and Johnny Rotten. He has a laid back delivery that conjures a jaded aloofness. But he has his limitations, and one of them is that he sounds much better when surrounded by loud, swirling guitars and thundering drums. In other words, that punk influence is essential (with exceptions granted..."Am I Wrong" with Love Spit Love" is quite good).
The swirling guitars are on display throughout "Book of Days", but they're buried just a tad too low in the mix. Butler's singing is pulled up front and center, and that's too bad, because it always sounded better deep in the chaos. Though Vince Ely makes his return to the band, the drum tracks are no big deal. Nothing a studio musician couldn't lay down for union scale.
Butler's lyrics sound contrived, as well. It's as if someone told him he had to write something in the style of early Psychedelic Furs. He probably doesn't want to, I'd guess, he probably has some new ideas. Yet, the same someone who wanted the old style lyrics is adament to the point where eventually Butler caves in and tries to conjure the classic original stuff.
But it doesn't work. The lyrics throughout the album don't seem to have any point other than to conjure a memory of what used to be. Furthermore, it's as if they have a stock melodic line and they want to get their money's worth out of it. Not a lot of melodic variety throughout the 10 songs on the record.
One thing that AMG says that I DO agree with...there is one classic Psychedelic Furs song on "Book of Days". "House" succeeds in binging back the spirit of their debut album and "Talk Talk Talk". The first time I heard "House" it was on some free compilation CD like you get with CMJ New Music Monthly or Uncut. I thought, at the time, that it was very possible that the Furs were on their way to a comeback. Just a fuckin' classic song in every way.
Unfortunately it was not to be. I haven't listened to "World Outside", the subsequent album, in a long time, so I wouldn't want to say that it was the final nail in their coffin, the last gasp, the hopes for a comeback dashed upon the rocks of mediocrity. But the fact that I only listened to it once or twice after I got it does not bode well.
The customer reviews for "Book of Days" at Amazon.com are uniformly positive, with titles like "A return to greater things", "Too good for the masses, obviously", "a criminally overlooked album" and "the best furs/the bleakest furs". The album recieves an over-all rating of 4 & 1/2 stars. Not that I've ever trusted these reviews, but then again, maybe I'm wrong about this one. Maybe it's a very good album that I'm just not connecting with. I won't rule out that possibilty...in fact, I kinda hope it's the case, because the Psychedelic Furs were one of the hands-down best acts of the early 80's and they deserve the chance to go out with the respect of their long term fans.
Still, as a long term fan myself, I'd hoped that "Book of Days" would be a great album. In my own humble opinion, it it not.
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I know, I know... I keep saying I'm going to take a break. I promise you I will...might even avoid the computer altogether this weekend.
But I couldn't resist posting my unsolicited opinion on the Psychedelic Furs' album "Book of Days".
