FISCHER-Z

FISCHER-Z
WORLD SALAD (1979)
320 KBPS

This impressive debut may not have forecast what was yet to come, but it possessed a lot of quirky charm. Channeling the energy of punk and the musical aerobics of prog-rock (tempo changes, detours, etc), John Watts and friends certainly proved that they could be as inventive as any other art-pop band (Roxy Music and early Talking Heads suddenly spring to mind). Watts' touchingly manic vocal range irritated some but was entirely original, especially on FZ classics such as "Pretty Paracetamol," "The Worker" and "Remember Russia." Not even close to being a synth-pop band, Steve Skolnick's keyboards shared equal time with Watts' frantic guitar, both backed ably by drummer Steve Liddle and bassist David Graham. Although this album was both jarring and enjoyable, it sounds a bit dated now. (vinyl rip)

1 First Impressions
2 Acrobats
3 Worker Watts
4 Spiders
5 Remember Russia
6 French Let Her
7 Lies
8 Wax Dolls
9 Headlines
10 Nice to Know
11 Billy and the Mototway Police
12 Lemmings