Forever Now (The Psychedelic Furs album)

Forever Now

1982 UK release cover
Studio album by The Psychedelic Furs
Released 25 September 1982 (1982-09-25)
Recorded 1982
Genre Post-punk; New wave
Length 40:57 (original)
Label CBS
Producer Todd Rundgren
The Psychedelic Furs chronology
Talk Talk Talk
(1981)		 Forever Now
(1982)		 Mirror Moves
(1984)
Alternative cover
1982 US release cover

Forever Now is the third studio album by the English rock band The Psychedelic Furs. The album represented a turning point in the musical maturation of the band, after a turbulent period of personnel changes in which they shrank from a six-man ensemble to a quartet. Working with the Furs for the first time, Todd Rundgren placed his own sonic imprint upon the album as producer and guest musician. Rundgren also added new types of instrumentation to the band's sound, including cello and marimba. The album was released in September, 1982, and featured the hit single "Love My Way". The UK release sported cover art by the artist Barney Bubbles, but this was changed to a completely different design for the US release.

Background

In the year after the recording of their second album, 1981's Talk Talk Talk, the Psychedelic Furs underwent a tumultuous time of change and, in the words of guitarist John Ashton, "a bit of a dark period in the band's history".[1] Two of the original members – saxophonist Duncan Kilburn and guitarist Roger Morris – abruptly and rancorously quit the band. The band's main patrons at CBS Records had largely left the company by this time;[1] their successful recent producer, Steve Lillywhite, was now basically unavailable to them;[1] and even drummer Vince Ely's commitment to the band seemed to be in question.[1] Not only had their large ensemble been unexpectedly reduced to a traditional four-piece band, but the core members of Ashton, Tim Butler, and Richard Butler now mostly had to compose new songs without drums, utilizing a Casio VL-Tone synthesizer until they'd developed enough music for an album.[1]

Recording and production

Seeking guidance, the band members gathered themselves for an exploratory visit to American producer and musician (and fan of the Furs) Todd Rundgren at his recording studios in upstate New York.[1] The enlistment of Rundgren – an established industry giant – was derided by some as the inevitable "pop sellout",[2] but others saw it as a positive development, even a "major production coup".[3] The band members themselves were pleased with Rundgren's assistance, and have all expressed pride in the results and gratitude for the learning experience.[1][4]

By applying his well-known personal style of power pop "wall of sound",[5] Rundgren restored the band's sonic richness, a signature Furs characteristic described approvingly in Rolling Stone as "the thick, viscous smear of guitars, drums and vocals".[6] He further enhanced that richness by adding new elements to the Furs' musical arrangements – along with his own varied musical contributions, Rundgren brought in two horn players from the jazz and blues worlds, Gary Windo and Donn Adams; a classical cellist, Ann Sheldon; and the seasoned pop backing vocal team of Flo & Eddie.[1][3] The addition of the instrumentalists was accepted by the band willingly, even enthusiastically – the backing vocalists, however, were another matter.[1][7]

Flo & Eddie (studio musicians Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman) arrived at the end of recording time, when the band thought all the tracks were finalized. When they learned of the vocal duo's purpose, "they weren’t really up for it," said Kaylan: the two veterans "represented establishment... [W]e literally felt like, for the first time as session guys, we were proving ourselves".[1] In the end, however, the band members warmed up to the pair, and concluded a successful session.[7] "We did the three or four cuts that Todd had brought us up to do, and we shook hands with everybody," Kaylan recalled, but as they were preparing to leave, Rundgren asked them to listen to the album's planned single. After "Love My Way" played, Kaylan and Volman excitedly insisted that they be allowed to record some vocals for it. "We have got to sing on this one," Kaylan recalls thinking. "If we don’t sing on this one, we’re not gonna sing on the hit. This is the fucking hit!"[1] The background vocals that Flo & Eddie ultimately contributed ended up being considered one of the highlights of their lengthy career.[8]

Rundgren also made musical contributions of his own, including the marimba on "Love My Way" and the saxophone on "No Easy Street".[9] But his primary goal as producer was "helping the band focus their potential".[4] His more unorthodox methods included an instance of climbing to the roof of the studio and dropping lit firecrackers near the unsuspecting band when "we were sort of playing a little sluggishly," as Tim Butler recalled.[9]

Music

Forever Now fuses the Furs' post-punk aesthetic with Rundgren's power pop engineering to dramatic effect.[5] Its songwriting style is prototypically Gothic, "firmly planted in the minor tones".[10]

John Ashton credits a largely unknown source – a keyboardist named Ed Buller, who was then working in a music store in Soho Square – for helping with many of the demos made before the band visited Rundgren. He specifically accords him credit as the creator of the memorable keyboard riff on "Love My Way".[1] This was the riff that would ultimately be played by Rundgren on a marimba, in what's been called the best use of that instrument in rock music "since the Stones’ 'Under My Thumb'".[11]

Although it was critically acclaimed as a "brilliant single",[3] "Love My Way" turned out to be only a moderate hit, peaking at #44 on the US Billboard Hot 100 [12] and #42 in the UK. But the song has had an enduring afterlife, and has appeared in several movies and video games including Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, The Wedding Singer, Valley Girl and as downloadable content for the Rock Band series.

Most of the album had been composed and committed to demo form before the group arrived at Rundgren's studio, but a latecomer was "Sleep Comes Down", which was written during pre-album rehearsals.[9] The song incorporates irregular time changes – lilting and "sweetly woozy"[3] – and a surging, psychedelic outro, and became a fan favorite.[1] Other standout tracks on the album included the overtly political rocker "President Gas";[5] and "Danger" which, with its "headlong pace and slamming beat",[6] was described by critic Ken Tucker as "the most ferocious, impassioned song the Furs have ever recorded".[6]

Packaging

The original UK release featured neo-psychedelic cover art by English artist Barney Bubbles,[1] who was later recognized as one of the giants of album cover design.[13] When it was released in the U.S. in 1982, the record label changed the artwork to a simpler, red-tinted design – "this horrible 'new-wave'-looking generic cover", in Ashton's view.[1] Ostensibly this was done to increase legibility of the band's name, and perhaps to mimic the design of the previous album, Talk Talk Talk.[1]

Forever Now was reissued in the US and UK in 2002 by Columbia/Legacy. As with the reissue of The Psychedelic Furs, this release also used the original Barney Bubbles album cover design. The CD includes four songs previously unreleased on albums ("Aeroplane", "Alice's House", "I Don't Want to Be Your Shadow", and a version of "Yes I Do" renamed "Mary Go Round"), as well as live versions of "President Gas" and "No Easy Street".[14]

The album was reissued on vinyl by Vinyl180 in the UK in 2011 without bonus content. This reissue extended the original Barney Bubbles cover art to a gatefold record sleeve.[15]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Robert ChristgauA−[2]
Rolling Stone[6]

Building on the critical acclaim that they'd gained from their first two albums, the Furs' third release showed their "increased sophistication" as songwriters and musicians.[3] The album was described as both "alluring and amusing" in Rolling Stone,[6] and music critic Robert Christgau graded it with an "A-" rating in The Village Voice.[2] Later assessments have been similarly kind: writing for AllMusic, Ned Raggett effusively called it "simply fantastic"[5] while Stylus looked back on it as "the Furs’ masterpiece".[11]

Track listing

All songs written by Richard Butler, John Ashton, Tim Butler and Vince Ely.

Original UK LP release

Side one
  1. "President Gas" – 5:09
  2. "Love My Way" – 3:26
  3. "Run and Run" – 3:43
  4. "Merry-Go-Round" – 3:44
  5. "Sleep Comes Down" – 3:43
Side two
  1. "Forever Now" – 5:25
  2. "Danger" – 2:32
  3. "You and I" – 4:15
  4. "Goodbye" – 3:47
  5. "No Easy Street" – 3:54

Original US LP release

Side one
  1. "Forever Now" – 5:35
  2. "Love My Way" – 3:33
  3. "Goodbye" – 3:55
  4. "Only You and I" – 4:24
  5. "Sleep Comes Down" – 3:51
Side two
  1. "President Gas" – 5:35
  2. "Run and Run" – 3:48
  3. "Danger" – 2:37
  4. "No Easy Street" – 4:04
  5. "Yes I Do" – 3:54

2002 CD reissue

  1. "Forever Now" – 5:35
  2. "Love My Way" – 3:33
  3. "Goodbye" – 3:55
  4. "Only You and I" – 4:24
  5. "Sleep Comes Down" – 3:51
  6. "President Gas" – 5:35
  7. "Run and Run" – 3:48
  8. "Danger" – 2:37
  9. "No Easy Street" – 4:04
  10. "Yes I Do (Merry-Go-Round)" – 3:54
Bonus tracks (2002 reissue only)
  1. "Alice's House" (early version) – 4:18
  2. "Aeroplane" (non-LP B-side) – 3:26
  3. "I Don't Want to Be Your Shadow" – 3:50
  4. "Merry Go Round" (previously unreleased version of "Yes I Do") – 3:53
  5. "President Gas" (Live) (non-LP B-side) – 5:15
  6. "No Easy Street" (Live) – 5:38

Personnel

Additional personnel

Charts

Album

Year Chart Peak Position
1983 Billboard Pop Albums 61

Singles

Year Single Chart Peak Position
1982 "Love My Way" Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks 30
1983 "Love My Way" Billboard Hot 100 Singles 44 [12]

Certifications

Organization Level Date
RIAA – USA Gold May 28, 1991

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Harris, Will (18 December 2012). "Popdose Flashback ’82: An Oral History of the Psychedelic Furs’ “Forever Now”". Popdose.com. PopDose. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 Christgau, Robert (1982). "Review of Forever Now". Robertchristgau.com. R. Christgau. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Robbins, Ira A., ed. (1989). The New Trouser Press Record Guide (3rd ed.). New York: Collier/Macmillan. p. 447. ISBN 0-02-036370-2. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  4. 1 2 Myers, Paul (2010). A Wizard, a True Star: Todd Rundgren in the Studio. London: Jawbone Press. pp. 229–230. ISBN 9781906002336.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Raggett, Ned. Review of Forever Now at AllMusic. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Tucker, Ken (11 November 1982). "Review of Forever Now". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2 October 2007. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  7. 1 2 Myers, pp. 227–228.
  8. ↑ O'Connell, Sean J. (13 July 2012). "Top Five Radio Pop Jams Featuring Vocal Duo Flo & Eddie". OC Weekly (Duncan McIntosh Co.). Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 Myers, pp. 225–226.
  10. ↑ Powers, Devon (11 July 2002). "Psychedelic Furs: 'Talk Talk Talk'/'Forever Now' reissues". Popmatters.com. Pop Matters. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  11. 1 2 Soto, Alfred (2007). "On Second Thought: Psychedelic Furs – Forever Now". Stylusmagazine.com. Stylus Magazine. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  12. 1 2 "The Psychedelic Furs – Charts & Awards – Billboard Singles". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  13. ↑ Hodkinson, Mark (2 January 2012). "In Search of Barney Bubbles". BBC Radio 4. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  14. ↑ Forever Now expanded edition at AllMusic. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  15. ↑ "The Psychedelic Furs – 'Forever Now' LP". Vinyl180.com. Vinyl 180. 2011. Retrieved 29 February 2016.

External links

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