The leadoff track of the Psychedelic Furs' 1980 self-titled debut LP takes the lead of Brian Eno's influential work with David Bowie and his own Roxy Music and merges it with the energy, attitude, and bombast of punk rock. After a stark and sublimely beautiful synthesizer-soundscape introduction, Vince Ely's drums abruptly pound in with echoing tom toms. The rest of the band launches into a one- or two-chord assault that gives little indication of the poppier direction the group would take on later records. But the power demonstrated here on "India" remained as an undercurrent of almost all of the band's later work, even if only implied at times. And if one listens closely, there is even a bit of melody amidst the Fall-like (and by extension, Stooges and Can-like) rhythmic pummeling. Producer Steve Lillywhite was already enjoying an early peak in his recording career with this album and U2's 1980 debut, Boy, forging a sound that bridged late-'70s punk with 1980s shine and texture.
(AMG)
from The Psychedelic Furs (Columbia CK-36791), available on CD (Sony)
A funky bassline and psychedelic vocalising were not the norm for the normally synthy electronic Fad,a rumbling slightly intimidating track that pre dated The Stone Roses and Trip-Hop ,how this track can be nearly 30 years old is slightly unreal and the line "life begins when youre ready to face it" will resonate with anyone whos time has yet to come .
Like a song by Cole Porter infused with the Mael brothers warped Americana and sung over the backing track of Donna Summer,s "Hot Stuff",if that gives you any idea of what to expect then you wont be disappointed when you finally get to hear it .
So just to add to the most bizzare of musical ingredients there is a sci-fi/prog rock keyboard solo somewhere in the middle strange but-------------------------Great .
A weird and unsettling piece of lounge music ,nightmarish backing vocals and jazz like vibes set the tone ,with a bontempi like beat pushing the track into shark infested waters and tropical scariness .A brief but perfect vocal passage from the sardonic Terry Hall sends this track in to the realm of sublime brilliance .