Criminally Underrated
Ian Atkin | Las Vegas, Nevada United States | 08/23/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Frazier Chorus were one of those rare bands that deserved more success, but it just never happened. They came and went after two albums, and then were mostly forgotten. I have spent many years searching for this album. I'm not as big a fan of the follow up "Ray", but both albums are a hair's breadth from one another in style and execution.
I guess 1989 was just the wrong time to be releasing dreamy pop music. At that time the focus was on House Music and the rave scene. But this CD just did things for me that I can't describe. It was melancholy, indescribably happy, and with wry, cutting, clever whispered lyrics. I was a huge fan of the 4AD catalog and was into the House Music scene more than most, but this album made a welcome change after all the dancing was over. It was, in a word, different from anything else at the time. Tim Freeman and his band of multi-talented musicians make for an unusual mix of great pop, which still seems strangely out of time and place, but is very listenable.
At the time of its release, the production on this album was stunning, crisp, and almost completely perfect.
This is the 2008 remastered edition, and it contains some much-welcome additional material, including a rather sedate version of "Anarchy In The UK". Listening to it again after 20 years, it still sounds great. I'm a little disappointed by some of the instrumentation -- some of the synthesized sounds might have been better using real instruments, particularly the guitar and some of the orchestral parts. That sounds like an odd thing when a lot of the instrumentation is real, especially the stunning flute and clarinet parts. The minimal vocal harmonies are great, and did I mention the lyrics, which at times are quite bizarre.
The best cuts on this disc are: "Dream Kitchen", "Storm", and "Sloppy Heart", but there isn't really a dud on the whole album. If you want to try something that's just a little twee and heart-warming (sometimes a little sad and thoughtful) then this is for you.
If you liked Frazier Chorus in 1989 then you may like them still."
Track Listings (19) - Disc #1