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Album Review

The Feelies
Crazy Rhythms and The Good Earth both Domino Records

Article written by Ged M - Nov 9, 2009

The Feelies: Crazy Rhythms

If Domino continues to invest its Arctic Monkeys millions in remastered re-releases like this pair, I’ll have no complaints. Looking at my much-cherished vinyl copies I’ve always thought that these should be released in additional formats and my prayers to the god of pop have finally been answered.

Hailing from suburban New Jersey, the Feelies are clearly inspired by the Velvet Underground, Modern Lovers and Television. What they were doing on Stiff Records back then we’ll never know but Crazy Rhythms from 1980 is their masterpiece. They sound slightly nerdy and extremely edgy, Mercer and Million’s guitars skittering and stuttering around each other, and fitting perfectly together, while Anton Fier is on fire on drums, playing at a pace and complexity (lots of snappy clicks and rimshots) that apparently made him physically sick after live performances. The six-minute title track does what it says on the tin, the drummer earning his corn by laying down a powerful rhythm while Mercer whispers his anxiety: “I don’t talk much/ it just gets in the way”. Other highlights are the angular ‘Fa Ce La’ which is a template for everything nervously indiepop and the frantic White Album cover ‘Everybody Has Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey’. If you only have enough money to buy one album this month, buy this.

The Feelies: The Good Earth

But perhaps you should try surviving on beans-on-toast and using the savings for records as The Good Earth is almost as great. It took them another six years to release this after Crazy Rhythms, and it was produced with Peter Buck (REM being one of those many bands influenced by The Feelies). It’s a slightly more relaxed record, with a more pastoral sound, and Dave Weckerman is a more laidback percussionist that the mesmeric Anton Fier. Tracks like ‘Slipping (Into Something)’ and ‘The High Road’ smoulder before they catch fire several minutes into the song, while ‘The Last Roundup’ typifies the slightly country tones of the album. The downloadable digital extras on this record are the better of the two sets – covers of ‘She Said She Said’ and a wickedly punk take on ‘Sedan Delivery’, which were last heard on a 12” in the 80s. And divided between both releases as digital extras are three songs recorded in Washington DC earlier this year, showing that the Feelies aren’t prepare to fade into legend but are appearing in public again.

Like the best bands, these records sound as exciting now as they did in the 80s, and their enduring influence means they show no signs of aging. Domino have done us all a favour - now do them one and buy these as they're essential listening.

Links:
http://www.thefeeliesweb.com/
http://www.dominorecordco.com/uk/news/11-08-09/domino-reissues-the-feelies--crazy-rhythms--the-good-earth/
http://www.myspace.com/thefeeliesband