Fine Young Cannibals is the debut studio album released in 1985 by the band of the same name. The album features the UK #8 debut hit single "Johnny Come Home".

This success did not continue with the next single, "Blue", which languished at #41 in the UK. The version of "Blue" on the original U.S. and Canadian vinyl LP and cassette was re-mixed and edited in an attempt to boost its commercial appeal. The re-mix version features additional electronically processed percussion overdubs, giving it a sound more typical of 1980s synthpop hits. Currently[when?] available CDs feature the re-mix version of "Blue" in place of the original U.S. album version.[citation needed]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Robert ChristgauB+[3]
Rolling Stone(favorable)[4]
Sounds[5]
Tom Hull – on the WebB+ ((2-star Honorable Mention)(2-star Honorable Mention))[6]

Sounds writer Carole Linfield gave it a four and a half out of five rating.[5] Stewart Mason, in an AllMusic retrospective review, commented that the album "is a powerful and satisfying debut".[2] Spin said, "The lyrical content on most cuts isn't terribly complicated, one thought turned around a few times; but the sparseness lays snug next to the inlays and wrap-arounds of Gift's voice, along with the more than competent instrumental work, forever keeping the vocals buoyed up."[7]

Track listing

Songs composed by Roland Gift and David Steele except where noted.

  1. "Johnny Come Home" - 3:35
  2. "Couldn't Care More" - 3:30
  3. "Don't Ask Me to Choose" (Andy Cox, Gift, Steele) - 3:05
  4. "Funny How Love Is" (Cox, Gift, Steele) - 3:28
  5. "Suspicious Minds" (Mark James) - 3:56
  6. "Blue" (Cox, Gift, Steele) - 3:31
  7. "Move to Work" - 3:26
  8. "On a Promise" - 3:06
  9. "Time Isn't Kind" (Cox, Gift, Steele) - 3:12
  10. "Like a Stranger" - 3:28
Additional tracks on 1986 edition
  1. "Johnny Come Home" (Extended mix) - 5:43
  2. "Suspicious Minds" (Suspicious mix) (Mark James) - 7:52
2011 Rhino Records deluxe edition Disc 1
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Johnny Come Home" 3:37
2."Couldn't Care More" 3:31
3."Don't Ask Me to Choose"Andy Cox, David Steele, Roland Gift3:12
4."Funny How Love Is"Andy Cox, David Steele, Roland Gift3:28
5."Suspicious Minds"Mark James3:59
6."Blue"Andy Cox, David Steele, Roland Gift3:31
7."Move to Work" 3:28
8."On a Promise" 3:08
9."Time Isn't Kind"Andy Cox, David Steele, Roland Gift3:25
10."Like a Stranger" 3:28
11."Wade in the Water" (B-Side to "Blue")Traditional; arranged by Andy Cox, David Steele, Roland Gift2:57
12."Love for Sale" (B-Side to "Johnny Come Home")Cole Porter2:51
13."Motherless Child" (B-Side to "Funny How Love Is")Traditional; arranged by Andy Cox, David Steele, Roland Gift/Joe the Squid2:37
2011 Rhino Records deluxe edition Disc 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Johnny Come Home" (Mark Moore 12" remix) 4:49
2."Johnny Come Home" (Extended mix. Also included on the 1998 edition) 5:40
3."Johnny Come Home" (That Other mix) 5:09
4."Johnny Takes a Trip" (B-Side to "Johnny Come Home", also found on The Raw & the Remix) 5:02
5."Suspicious Minds" (Extended mix)Mark James4:39
6."Suspicious Minds" (Suspicious mix. Also included on the 1998 edition)Mark James7:55
7."Suspicious Minds" (US remix)Mark James5:24
8."Suspicious Minds" (Caught in a Dub)Mark James7:43
9."Suspicious Minds" (Shakedown mix)Mark James3:48

Personnel

Fine Young Cannibals
Additional musicians
  • Martin Parry – drums
  • Graeme Hamilton – trumpet, piano solo on "Time Isn't Kind"
  • Gavyn Wright – violin
  • Saxa – saxophone on "Funny How Love Is"
  • Beverlei Brown, Gloria Brown, Maxine Brown – backing vocals on "Like a Stranger"
  • Jimmy Somerville – backing vocals on "Suspicious Minds"
  • Jenny Jones – drums, backing vocals on "Couldn't Care More"
Technical

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (1986) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] 15

References

  1. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (1 January 1997). "Fine Young Cannibals". In Bogdanov, Vladimir; Erlewine, Michael; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas; Unterberger, Richie; Woodstra, Chris (eds.). AllMusic Guide to Rock. San Francisco: Miller Freeman, Inc. p. 335.
  2. ^ a b Stewart Mason. "Fine Young Cannibals - Fine Young Cannibals : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 July 2012.
  3. ^ Robert Christgau. "CG: Fine Young Cannibals". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  4. ^ Mark Coleman (24 April 1986). "Fine Young Cannibals: Fine Young Cannibals : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 9 May 2006. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  5. ^ a b Linfield, Carole (1985) "Fine Young Cannibals 'Fine Young Cannibals'", Sounds, 14 December 1985, p. 28
  6. ^ Hull, Tom (26 April 2021). "Music Week". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  7. ^ Annie Russo (April 1986). "Spins". Spin. No. 12. p. 39.
  8. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 438. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  • Rudy Langlais; Richard Gehr (April 1986). Spins. Spin Magazine. p. 39. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
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