An Important Announcement

I was originally intended to not post anything for the rest of the month but I just have to come on here to announce something important. After when I published the list of my favorite single artwork on the 10th, I immediately shared the link to that post on Twitter (I rejoined back in October) and on my tweet I wrote, "At last here's my new blog post about my top 10 favorite @pfurs single covers!" Well, a week later, I looked at the notifications on my Twitter account and there was something that blew my mind.

The Psychedelic Furs shared my tweet on their official Twitter.

When I first saw that I was super ecstatic. I went over to The Furs' Twitter page and there was my tweet, on there with the words "Psychedelic Furs Retweeted" above it. To have my blog post being shared (or retweeted, I should say!) by my favorite band is such an incredible honor. And what makes The Psychedelic Furs so awesome is that whenever they would see, like, and share peoples posts it shows that The Furs really truly care about their fans.

Well then, see you all in January. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Photo: Paul Cox

My Top Nine 2019

Here is a collage that I made of my top nine Instagram posts of 2019. Just like last year, they are all photos of The Psychedelic Furs and I have to share them on this blog. The first post on the upper left is a photo of Richard Butler with the late singer Leonard Cohen, which was taken by Ebet Roberts back in 1988. The third post on the upper right was from the concert that I went to four months ago and it's one of my photos that I took there.

The Psychedelic Furs (Album) Ad

Here's an advertisement from the UK I found that featured The Psychedelic Furs' debut LP. When I saw the ad it made me realize how the album came out almost 40 years ago and it's hard to believe. In a few months I'm going to write a 40th anniversary post for The Psychedelic Furs so stay tuned for that one!

Top 10 Single Covers

Photo: Marcia Resnick

I was meant to start writing this post a month ago but it got delayed because I was busy doing the birthday posts for John Ashton and Tim Butler; plus I had been feeling a little under the weather and so my heart wasn't in the mood to write. But thankfully this post is finally here and it is another top 10 list. This time it's going to be my favorite single artwork from The Psychedelic Furs ranked in order. This covers the 7", 12", and CD single formats but on my list promos and reissues don't count. It has to be the original versions of those singles.

So let's get right to it, here are my top 10 favorite Psychedelic Furs single covers!





10. Heartbreak Beat - UK 7"

This has one of my favorite photos of The Psychedelic Furs and I just had to include it on this list. I have a soft spot for those clothes that Richard Butler, John Ashton, and Tim Butler wore and they just looked so awesome and good looking. "Heartbreak Beat" was released a year before Midnight To Midnight came out and it became The Furs' first hit song in the United States, where it peaked at #26.

9. Danger - UK single

The artwork for "Danger" totally screams '80s but in a good way, and the wild and zany shapes and colors match the energy of the song. When I look at the cover art it makes me think of 1980s/1990s board games where they have those types of shapes and colors on the boxes.

8. House - UK 12"

For some reason I just like the look of this. The picture is black and white with what looks like a bunch of sunflowers and it creates a somber, mellow, and calm vibe to it. That's how I view it, but it is indeed a beautiful picture.

7. All That Money Wants - CD single

I like how the photos of Richard Butler and Vince Ely are in their silhouettes and it's a great visual effect. This photo was on the back of the UK 12" sleeve while the front had John Ashton and Tim Butler. I think the Richard and Vince photo was on the front of the American 12" single as well.

6. We Love You - UK single

This artwork for The Psychedelic Furs' debut single is simple but the design is really cool. The sleeve also came in yellow and green colors but for me the "pretty in pink" one is my favorite. On the back of the sleeve it says "The Psychedelic Furs are beautiful chaos." What a great way to introduce a band.

5. Angels Don't Cry - UK 12"

This cover art was only for the New York Mix of the "Angels Don't Cry" 12" single. The original 7" single just has the band's name and song title while the 12" has a very great photo of Richard Butler. In fact, this photo is in the programme for the Midnight To Midnight tour.

4. Love My Way - UK 7" (Gatefold sleeve)

The perfect cover art for a perfect song. There are three different picture sleeves for the British single of "Love My Way." The 12" single has the band members on the front, the standard 7" has Richard and Tim Butler, and the 7" gatefold single (this one) has a lovely photo of Richard.

3. Heartbeat - UK 7"

I love the photo of Richard, John and Tim, the blue and purple colors, and the design of the cover art for "Heartbeat." The 12" single for "Heartbeat" had the airplane and stars on it (which was used for the Mirror Moves tour) and the band's photos are on the far right of the sleeve but in a smaller size. Here's a fun fact: A few years ago The Psychedelic Furs brought back that same airplane symbol for the 2016 tour. I have the t-shirt that has the symbol on it and it's so cool. Also the shirt is a great reminder of how wonderful the 2016 tour was, and I'm so lucky I was a part of it.

2. Heaven - Japanese 7"

What I really love about Japanese vinyl records is that they look like a lot of care was put into them. The sleeves are beautiful to look at and the records are known to have an awesome sound quality. The Japanese picture sleeve for "Heaven" is just absolutely gorgeous, and there is something magical about it. I love the stars on the cover and the picture of the band is great. It's interesting how The Furs' record label over in Japan was Epic, which you can see on the sleeve.





And now, my number one favorite is....

1. The Ghost In You - Japanese 7"

Another Japanese one! Like with the "Heaven" cover, this one is very gorgeous too. The Japanese text is so beautiful on this, and I just love the pictures of the band members, especially the one of Richard Butler. I was torn between this one and "Heaven" because they are both really beautiful but the sleeve for "The Ghost In You" takes my number one spot. Out of all the single covers I posted, which one is your favorite? Thanks for reading!

A Video About Rich Good

Today someone left a comment on my previous blog post and she said there was a video on YouTube that has Rich Good in it. When I saw the comment I got excited and immediately went to YouTube. There's a music-related series called Board To Death and on the 28th episode it featured Rich Good. The episode was filmed on July 19, 2019 during The Psychedelic Furs' Summer tour and they were in Cleveland, Ohio. In the video Rich talked about his guitar and soundboard and it was really interesting. I had a smile on my face the whole time I watched it and while watching I thought of how I actually met Rich twice in person. It is just an awesome feeling.

Here is the video. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Tim Butler

I would like to wish a happy birthday to Tim Butler, born today in 1958. He, along with brother Richard, formed The Psychedelic Furs in 1977 and to this day they are the original members left remaining. Back when the band first started Tim originally wanted to play the drums but since he couldn't afford them, he decided to play bass instead. He was also a member of Love Spit Love and played bass on their first album.

During the years before I got into The Psychedelic Furs I didn't really pay attention to the sound of the bass guitar whenever I would listen to music. I liked the electric guitars better because they come with a variety of sounds while the bass just has a deep thump. Nothing else. But that all changed after I started listening to The Furs. There's something about the way Tim Butler plays and he's actually my favorite bassist of all time. He has his own unique style and the two songs that show how great Tim is are The Furs' "Mother-Son" and Love Spit Love's "Superman." I mentioned a couple or few times how the bass in "Superman" is just fantastic, and it is my favorite part in the song.

I really like the way how Tim Butler interacts with people at concerts. At points he would go up to the audience and sing the songs right to them, and if you sing back he nods his head at you in approval. I was one of those lucky people and it happened to me many times. Out of all the moments when Tim sang to me the one that stands out the most was at my fourth Psychedelic Furs show back in August. It was during "India," the encore, and Tim came up to me and we both sang the line "See the ceiling raining spit the beach is backwards, isn't it?" to each other. After that happened Tim gave me an approving nod, and it was so awesome.

Happy Birthday Tim, hope you have a great day!

In Portland, OR 8/1/19. Photo by me.

Happy Birthday John Ashton

Wishing a happy birthday to the great John Ashton, who turns 62 today. John was the guitarist of The Psychedelic Furs from 1978 - a year after the band was formed - all the way up to the 2000s when they got back together. He left The Furs in 2009 and nowadays is in a band called Satellite Paradiso.

According to the Midnight To Midnight tour programme John's favorite guitar solo of all time was his own on "Dumb Waiters," and interestingly, his solo on "Heaven" was actually Tim Butler's favorite guitar solo of all time! As for me, I don't really know what my favorite guitar solo is because there's just so many, but my number one favorite solo from John Ashton is definitely at the end of "Forever Now." It is just so awesome sounding and has an epic feel to it.

Even though John Ashton is not in The Psychedelic Furs anymore and is doing his own thing we will always remember his contribution to the band with his music. I sometimes wonder if someday John will join the Furs on a future tour or do just one gig with them. A month ago the other guitarist Roger Morris went with The Psychedelic Furs on their UK/European tour and performed alongside Rich Good. It would be really cool if John Ashton did the same but the most important thing is for him being happy doing what he loves.


Happy Birthday John!

We Love You: 40th Anniversary

The one that started it all...

On November 2, 1979, The Psychedelic Furs released their very first single, "We Love You." This song, along with its b-side "Pulse," would later appear on The Furs' debut album in March of 1980. "We Love You's" anniversary is important because it's been 40 years since The Psychedelic Furs released their music out to the public for the first time. After when "We Love You" came out The Furs released great albums and great songs that are loved by many, changed their musical style from post punk to new wave to alternative, and are still going strong after reuniting 19 years ago. Early next year they are going to release a new album - their first in 29 years - and all of us fans are eagerly waiting for its arrival.

Back when "We Love You" was released The Psychedelic Furs wanted to be heard, and wanted people to know what they're all about. The song has a '60s rock and roll feel to it, but there was nothing psychedelic about it. However it has its own version of psychedelia: the beautiful chaos. Powerful and loud, it screams in your face, but not too rough. With the combination of John Ashton and Roger Morris' guitars, Tim Butler's bass, Vince Ely's drums, Duncan Kilburn's saxophone, and Richard Butler's (aka Butler Rep) vocals, they created a unique and brilliant piece of music. A post punk gem that shines. Even though "We Love You" didn't make it in the UK Singles Charts (the first Furs single that entered the charts was "Dumb Waiters" in 1981) it still got a following and gained new fans. "We Love You" also got some attention over in America, where it reached #77 on the Billboard Dance Charts.

I know "We Love You" isn't quite as popular as "Love My Way" and "The Ghost In You" but it needs to be recognized and be heard. It needs to be remembered as the first single and how it got The Psychedelic Furs started. "We Love You" is truly a classic and I want all of you to know about its legacy and to be thankful that the song exists; that it made The Psychedelic Furs exist. I can't even imagine what the world would be like if The Psychedelic Furs and their music never appeared. I'm so grateful the band and their music exist because if they didn't, I wouldn't be where I am now. I would never have gotten into their music, I would never have seen them in concert many times, and I would never have started this blog.

This month has another important anniversary because it's been exactly five years since I became a fan of The Psychedelic Furs. I really don't know how I came to them and how they came to me but it was meant to happen. Maybe I needed something that could make me feel better about myself, to make me happy, to give me precious memories to remember forever. I'll never forget that time when I got into their music, because back then I never knew it would really change my life. If someone came to me and say that I would see The Psychedelic Furs in concert four times, met Rich Good twice, gave them a letter and created a blog about them I wouldn't know what to say...

Has it really been four years since I stood in front of the barrier at the Crystal Ballroom, waiting for The Psychedelic Furs to come on stage, to see them for the very first time? It doesn't really feel like it was that long ago, I can't even believe it. I wish I can relive the moment when they first came on stage, because it was magical. I was so ecstatic, seeing them right before my very eyes in person. To think four years later I came back to that same venue and saw The Psychedelic Furs for the fourth time. And at the barrier too! I also want to go back to the times I met Rich Good. He was so kind and sweet to me and he's one of my favorite people in the world. I really wish I got the chance to meet Rich again when I saw The Furs three months ago but during the concert he remembered me and we waved at each other; plus he smiled at me, too. I still can't believe Rich recognized me, it was absolutely awesome.

With the other bands that I love they never really left an impact on me as much as The Psychedelic Furs did. The Furs are the ones that changed my world and had helped me with everything. I'm so thankful I had finally found a band that could do those things and nowadays I feel a whole lot better. I'm very proud to be a fan of The Psychedelic Furs and I will always be a fan forever. Let it stay forever now.

Sending huge thanks to the band that changed my life and made the past five years so wonderful. I am eternally grateful. <3

"We love you..."

Photo by me.

New Album Update #6

It's been a while since I heard any news about The Psychedelic Furs' new album but today I discovered a recent interview with Richard Fortus. He was interviewed on a podcast by this coffee company which I've never even heard of called Death Wish Coffee. On the podcast Richard talked about producing The Psychedelic Furs' new album and he said the new album will most likely come out in early 2020. But he also said there might be a new single coming out at the end of this year! Thinking about this makes me wonder if the title for the new album will be announced very soon! I can't believe The Furs are really coming out with new music and I so want 2020 to come already. I am totally excited!

Here is the the link to the Richard Fortus interview if you want to hear it. https://www.deathwishcoffee.com/pages/fueled-by-death-cast-richard-fortus-returns

Thoughts With The Furs

Sorry if this post is super short but I went on Facebook today and The Psychedelic Furs announced that they had to sadly cancel their last two shows in Germany due to a medical issue. I am worried right now and I really hope with all my heart it isn't anything serious. My thoughts go out to the band and I hope they are doing okay. Sending all my love to them.

10/27/2019 Update: Today on Facebook The Psychedelic Furs thanked everyone for coming to the European shows and said that they will be back soon. Rich Good also posted the same thing on his Instagram, and from reading the posts it didn't sound like anything major happened (thank goodness) but I hope they are still okay and getting a bunch of rest. On both The Furs' and Rich's posts they said 2020 will be a big year for the band and I got excited when I saw that. I wish The Psychedelic Furs all the best for next year.

Heaven TV Performance

In 1984 The Psychedelic Furs appeared on BBC2's Oxford Roadshow and they performed their song "Heaven," which became The Furs' first hit single in Britain. On this performance the music is from the studio recording but Richard Butler's vocals were definitely live. One day I watched it on YouTube and my favorite part was at the end when Richard smiled. He has such a lovely smile. <3

Here is the video.

New Album Update #5

Hearing information about The Psychedelic Furs' new album is like finding buried treasure, and here is yet another British article about the new album! Tim Butler was interviewed again and he described what the music on the new album will be like. I remember a year ago in an interview Tim said that the new music will still be The Furs but more modern. On this article Tim talked about the music and he said this which got me excited:

"I'd put [the new music] somewhere between Forever Now and Talk Talk Talk. It's more, I'd say, rock 'n' roll than we'd become with World Outside or Book Of Days."

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/whats-on/entertainment/psychedelic-furs-we-re-re-energised-and-reinvigorated-1-10031428

New Album Update #4

I found another article from the UK that was published five days ago and it has a great interview with Tim Butler. He talked about the new album and he said it will be released hopefully in the Spring of 2020! Other topics include England, America, Midnight To Midnight, bands influenced by The Furs, PFurs songs in recent media, fans, and The Furs getting back together.

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/the-psychedelic-furs-talk-about-their-first-new-album-in-28-years-ahead-of-playing-at-the-pyramids-southsea-big-interview-1-9087366

New Album Update #3

I heard some great updates about The Psychedelic Furs' new album but before I go any further I have disappointing news. On my last post which talked about "Just Like Rain," the new song, someone commented and she said that she found a live stream of the Virginia Beach concert (where "Just Like Rain" was played). She said that the new song was never even played at all, and I was speechless, confused. Why did the setlist say "Just Like Rain" was debuted live, even though it never happened?? I even checked the setlist for The Furs' concert in Manchester, England which happened tonight but there was no "Just Like Rain." The Virginia Beach setlist got my hopes up and I had been tricked all that time. I'm really devastated, but I just want to let you all know about the real results. Hopefully someone will update the Virginia Beach setlist and remove that "new" song.

But to end things on a happy note, let's get right to the new album! The same person who commented on my post said on Twitter she found an article from the UK that talked about The Psychedelic Furs' new album. The article said that The Furs are thinking of doing a second follow up to the new album! I looked for the article on Twitter and sadly I couldn't find it, although I found a different one from Stereogum back in July. It mentioned the new album and it said that The Psychedelic Furs had been signed to a new record label, Cooking Vinyl. I wish I could find that UK article though, because I want to read it so bad.

I'm absolutely excited about the new album, and I wonder if The Psychedelic Furs will really come out with another one! If they are, then that would mean two new albums and more new songs! How exciting is that?!


Update: Here's the link to the UK article. Huge thanks to Gail for finding this. http://nevolume.co.uk/music/interviews/the-psychedelic-furs-o2-academy-newcastle/

Another New Song?*

On the 28th three nights ago The Psychedelic Furs performed their last US show at Virginia Beach, VA and right now they are back in the UK. After when they performed that night I checked out the setlist for that concert. During that time there were only three or four songs and one of them was called "Just Like Rain." I had a feeling the person who updated the list didn't know what "The Ghost In You" was called and so titled it "Just Like Rain" (hence the line in "The Ghost In You" "Ain't it just like rain?"). When I saw the title it made me kind of cringe to be honest.

A day later I looked at the same setlist and it was updated again. It had all of the songs ("The Ghost In You" included) but "Just Like Rain" was on there. I thought maybe someone must have forgotten to remove that title and just left it there. Tonight I checked again and when I looked "Just Like Rain" was still there, but under the title it says in parentheses "live debut."

Can it be...? No way.

I was thrilled, and I couldn't believe The Furs performed another new song! I knew they would, and it makes me excited to think since they performed two new songs the new album will probably be released very soon! I eagerly searched for "Just Like Rain" on YouTube to see if someone recorded the song from the Virginia Beach show and there were only three songs, but sadly no "Just Like Rain." I want to hear it so much. I hope The Furs will perform that song again during their first concert in England which starts tonight over there.

So, "Just Like Rain" wasn't the incorrect title for "The Ghost In You!" It is most likely a brand new song!

Here's the setlist for the Virginia Beach concert. I'll update this post if and when someone uploads the performance of "Just Like Rain" on YouTube. Hopefully from either the UK or European shows. https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-psychedelic-furs/2019/31st-street-stage-virginia-beach-va-439c1fbf.html


*Update: Well, about "Just Like Rain" unfortunately it's not a new song after all. I wrote a new post about it and please go to this link to find out more: https://ontomorrowspages.blogspot.com/2019/10/new-album-update-3.html

The Fall Tour

Two days ago The Psychedelic Furs went back on the road again and I was excited to see what the setlist would be like. Yesterday I saw the setlist for last night's concert in Maryland and it was different. The two songs I got excited seeing were "There's A World" and "Like A Stranger." "There's A World" hadn't been played since 2015, and "Like A Stranger" was last performed back in 2016. I was lucky to hear those songs live when I saw them the first two times. With "There's A World" it's one of my favorite Psychedelic Furs songs of all time and I got excited (also emotional) hearing it. "Like A Stranger" was special and whenever I listen to it it brings back fond memories because during that song Richard Butler shook my hand.

The Furs brought back the new song "The Boy That Invented Rock And Roll" and like I said on my concert post it was so awesome hearing it live. I didn't mention this on my post but after "The Boy That Invented Rock And Roll" ended Richard Butler said how they're coming out with a new album soon and he commented how 30 years is a long time (since The Furs released World Outside in 1991). When they start their European tour next month I hope they will perform another new song. I am truly excited about the new album and I wonder if by the end of this year there will be some updates on it. Earlier this month Green Day announced they're releasing their new album Father Of All... in February 2020 and it's funny because I'm not excited about it. I mean, it's cool how they're coming out with a new album but I'm more excited about The Psychedelic Furs. Mostly because I'm a huge fan of The Furs but also the thought of them releasing a new LP is very, very exciting. I am so ready for this, and I want 2020 to come already. If I hear more updates about the new PFurs album I will definitely let you all know.

My Psychedelic Furs Tapes #1

Midnight To Midnight (1987) (Columbia FCT 40466) (USA Cassette)

This is the only Furs album that I have on tape and I would love to get more of their albums in this format. Even though the vinyl records are more interesting I still have a soft spot for cassettes, especially since they were a part of my childhood.


Side One:

1. Heartbreak Beat
2. Shock
3. Shadow In My Heart
4. Angels Don't Cry

Side Two:

1. Midnight To Midnight
2. One More Word
3. All Of The Law
4. Torture
5. No Release

Sister Europe Ad

This is sort of cropped but here's an advertisement for The Psychedelic Furs' second single "Sister Europe" from 1980. This ad was most likely featured in one of the British music magazines, and I have a feeling it might be from the NME although I could be wrong on that.

A Mystery Solved

About four or three years ago I was looking at AllMusic's profile on Richard Butler and I checked out his discography. It showed his solo album of course but there was also an album that I'd never even heard of. I remember clicking on the album to see what it was and that was pretty much it. The album went in the back of my mind and I had forgotten about it, until recently I went to Richard's page on AllMusic and I saw that strange album again. The album was called Burial and it's by this obscure British band named Death In June. They formed in the early eighties and their music is mostly neofolk and experimental. They released some albums and I think they are still around. Burial was Death In June's second album and was released in 1984 on vinyl only. Burial is both a studio and live album, with the first side containing the studio tracks while the second side has live recordings from a concert Death In June did back in 1983. In the 1990s Burial was released on compact disc and in recent years it had gotten vinyl and CD reissues.

Front cover of Death In June's Burial, 1984.

At the end of my Psychedelic Furs biography it listed the discography of The Furs and its band members and on Richard Butler's section Burial wasn't listed. Then on Discog's discography for Richard the album was not on there either. When I went to Burial's page on AllMusic and checked the credits, Richard Butler was only credited as "primary artist." But the weird thing is I checked Wikipedia and on both Death In June's and Burial's articles there was no mention of Richard Butler. My curiosity peaked, and I started to wonder so many things. Did Richard work with Death In June? Was this a collaboration that no one knew about? Did Richard Butler provide vocals on a few of the studio songs? Did Richard really work on the album or not?

So I went to Discogs to see if they have a page for Death In June and there was. I went to the page and on the band's list of members, to my surprise, Richard Butler's name was on there but crossed out, as in he was a former member. But for some reason there was a 6 by his name in parentheses, and I clicked on the name to see why. Well, it turned out it wasn't the Richard Butler after all! It was a different guy that had the same name, and it even showed his middle name which was Mark (the real Richard Butler's middle name is Lofthouse). On the description it said that the other Richard Butler guy was the keyboardist for Death In June from 1983 to 1984.

I'm absolutely relieved to know the real results, and the mystery was solved successfully. I don't get why Allmusic put Burial on their discography for Richard Butler even though the real Richard never worked on the album. Hope Allmusic will know the truth and remove the album so that it won't confuse many people like me, especially if they're Psychedelic Furs fans.

Forever Now Bonus Tracks

For some time I had been listening to the bonus tracks on my 2002 remaster of The Psychedelic Furs' brilliant album Forever Now and I decided to share my thoughts about them. There are six songs and they include two b-sides, two live recordings, and two rarities. The rarities are ones that were already released officially but are completely different versions, and they are interesting and unique. The b-sides and live songs are great too, and they really show how awesome and creative The Psychedelic Furs are.

So let's get started, here are my views on Forever Now's bonus songs.



The Live Tracks.

"President Gas" (Live): This live performance of "President Gas" was from a show The Psychedelic Furs did at The Ritz in New York City back in 1982 and was broadcasted (along with four other songs from that concert) on the radio program The King Biscuit Flower Hour. Some time later it was included as a b-side on the US single of "Run And Run." On the original version of "President Gas" there is no saxophone at all, but on live versions of the song the saxophone takes the cello's place. It is a wonderful replacement, and the saxophone manages to capture the cello's magical sound from the studio version. On that 1982 performance I wonder if the saxophonist was Mars Williams?

"No Easy Street" (Live): This was a b-side for the "All That Money Wants" single in 1988 and according to the liner notes on my copy of Forever Now, it was recorded live in '88 and was featured on The King Biscuit Flower Hour. This live version of "No Easy Street" is amazing, and Richard Butler's vocals are absolutely incredible. The music is great as well, it's just so mysterious and breathtaking.


The B-Sides.

"Aeroplane": "Aeroplane" was the b-side to "Love My Way" (UK single) and it is a great song. The music on the verses is fast-paced, with bunches of frenzied saxophone and Richard Butler sings quickly to accompany the music. But on the choruses the music goes sort of slow and so does Richard's vocals. "Aeroplane" was recorded during the making of Forever Now along with another b-side and that is...

"I Don't Want To Be Your Shadow": The b-side to the UK single of "Danger" "I Don't Want To Be Your Shadow" is one of the most perfect b-sides I've ever heard, and the song is just so awesome. In fact, it is one of my absolute favorite Psychedelic Furs songs of all time. The song sucks you right in, it's upbeat and catchy, and puts you in a good mood.


The Rarities.

"Alice's House" (Early Version): "Alice's House" first appeared on 1984's Mirror Moves but an earlier outtake of the song was recorded during the Forever Now sessions in 1982. The music in the outtake is way different than the official version, and there's a minor lyric change as well. Both versions of "Alice's House" are interesting to listen to because the one on Mirror Moves has the keyboards and that 80s sound, but the earlier version doesn't have the keyboards at all and the music, in my opinion, has a darker tone which sort of fits the meaning of the song. The early version is really amazing and if you haven't heard it yet, you definitely gotta check it out.

"Mary Go Round": This is a previously unreleased version of "Yes I Do" with the same music but entirely different lyrics. I love the verses in this version and the merry go round type music matches the lyrics in the choruses. But here's something I heard that was weird. About four years ago I listened to my vinyl copy of Forever Now (the original US version) and when "Yes I Do" came on for some reason it has the verses from "Mary Go Round." But the choruses were the same as the official version. It makes me wonder if it's the other way around in the original British LP. Like where it's the verses from "Yes I Do" but the choruses are from "Mary Go Round's." Over in the UK "Yes I Do" was known as "Merry-Go-Round" so maybe it's true? I could be wrong though.


Hope you enjoyed this and to be honest I had trouble doing this one because of the writer's block that I had. But thankfully I managed to pull through and I'm glad it's already finished. I'm actually going to do another new blog and this upcoming post will be interesting, and I can't wait to share it with you all. Until then, see you in the next one.

Photo: Tom Sheehan

Talk Talk Talk Ad

A week after when Talk Talk Talk was released in the UK on May 1981 an ad for the album came out and listed some dates for a national tour. The advertisement called The Psychedelic Furs "unique," and it was definitely correct because they really are. Although sadly Talk Talk Talk wasn't well recieved by the British press at the time, and that's a huge shame.

Midnight To Midnight Ad

I'm currently working on a new blog post but I sort of have writer's block at the moment, which is hard. For now here is an ad for one of my favorite albums, Midnight To Midnight. The ad mentions the success of the album and its single "Heartbreak Beat" in America and shows a list of the dates for the US Summer tour 1987.

Psychedelic Furs August 1, 2019

The second Psychedelic Furs concert at the Revolution Hall in Portland, Oregon in 2016 was the best concert that I ever went to, and still is to this day. But do you know what's my second best concert? The one that I'm going to talk about right now. Two nights ago my brother and I went to our fourth Psychedelic Furs show at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland. The fourth concert was honestly one of the most awesome and beautiful nights of my life, and probably the most emotional one for me.

On the day before the concert I couldn't believe I would see The Psychedelic Furs again, and it didn't even feel like it was going to happen. I was looking forward to it, especially since I wasn't able to see The Furs last year. I had been waiting for that moment to happen, and it finally did. After two whole years of waiting.

Two days ago at around noon my brother and I left for Portland and after arriving at 2:30 we drove around town to find a parking spot that was available. I think it took us like 15 minutes but finally we found one and then walked over to the Crystal Ballroom. We decided to go to this place that's across the Ballroom and it was a record store called Everyday Music. Before we went inside suddenly we heard a faint sound, and we realized it was The Psychedelic Furs soundchecking! They were performing "The Ghost In You" and it was so awesome. It's amazing how you could hear the music outside. After noticing the sound we went inside and it was a really cool store. I checked the place where The Psychedelic Furs' albums were and there were two copies of The Psychedelic Furs' first album, and one of my favorites, Midnight To Midnight. They were all the 2018 reissues. An employee mentioned to us the soundcheck outside and said she wished she could see The Furs. She regretted not going but she had seen them live before. I expressed my sympathy to her, because I totally knew how she felt.

After looking around we went back to the venue and just stood by where the magnificent tour bus was, waiting. It was hot though, like 88 degrees but thankfully we weren't in the sun. While standing someone walked over to the tour bus to go inside and I kind of glanced at him. I realized that guy was the drummer, Paul Garisto, and it was cool seeing him. Not long after Paul went inside the bus he came out and went back to the venue. The Crystal Ballroom is part of the McMenamin's building and next door to the venue was a restaurant and pub. Suddenly the manager (?) of the restaurant came up to us and asked if we were waiting for the concert. My brother said yes and she invited us inside the restaurant, which was really nice of her. As we went inside she said that if we spend $15 on food and/or drinks we could get into the venue a little earlier. Now that was awesome.

My brother and I went to a table and sat down, and it was really nice in there; much better than being in the hot weather. We got some water and shared something to eat. For drinks my brother got a mango habanero margarita and I a Coke. While we were sitting comfortably my brother told me "Sarah, look behind you." I looked over and through the window outside I saw the one and only Richard Butler by the tour bus. Some middle-aged guy walked up to Richard and Richard was signing something for him. I was in awe, and I kept looking back and forth at my brother and Richard. I caught a glimpse of Richard's gorgeous smile (sigh...<3) and after shaking the guy's hand he went inside the bus. At points through the window I saw Paul Garisto again, and I also saw Tim Butler, the bassist and Richard's brother, saxophonist Mars Williams, keyboardist Amanda Kramer, and guitarist Rich Good, who I had met twice before. To think I saw all of the band members was absolutely amazing.

At about 6:00 the venue staff came inside the restaurant and were scanning some of the people's tickets. We got ours scanned and then 25 minutes later we went in line. While waiting I looked at some of the people ahead who got the $15 deal like us and I became really nervous, because I wanted to be in the front row again and wondered if we would make it after all. Finally we got in the venue (15 minutes earlier than the normal line) and we went up the stairs. We were about to go in a room but my brother realized it was the balcony. We hurriedly went down and walked into the right area, then went over to the barrier and successfully made it! There was a gap between the barrier and the stage so that the security and photographers would walk through. We were on the left side and it's definitely an awesome spot, because we would be facing Rich Good! I wondered if Rich would recognize me.

I buried my head in my hands, feeling so relieved. I'm at the barrier. I made it. The last time I was in the front row was three years ago, when my brother and I saw The Psychedelic Furs the second time. The third time we saw The Furs we couldn't make it to the front row so we had to sit in the balcony. The third concert was great like always, but sitting in the balcony feels like you're looking through a window watching them. I didn't mind being at the balcony when I saw Howard Jones back in June, but with The Psychedelic Furs, my favorite band, it's so much fun being in the front row. You want to be in the center of it all, and you want the band members to notice you, to know that you exist. Plus you get to see them up close in person. As I've heard someone say, there's nothing like being at the barrier.

The first two bands were James and LA band Dear Boy, and they were great. Dear Boy performed first, since they're the special guests for The Furs' Summer tour, and the lead singer Ben Grey sort of reminded me of Richard Butler, mainly with his light brown hair. Before Dear Boy performed the last song Ben thanked The Psychedelic Furs and said that The Furs are one of the band's major influences. I thought that was awesome, imagine touring with a band that you look up to. After the concert when my brother and I went to the merchandise area Dear Boy was there selling their stuff and talking to people. We shook Ben's hand, and he was really nice.

After Dear Boy and James performed we waited for The Psychedelic Furs to come on stage while listening to the intermission music. The two songs that were the highlights were "Sound And Vision" by David Bowie, and to my surprise, "Christine" by Siouxsie & The Banshees. I sang along to the latter song, and last January I got into The Banshees after reading my Psychedelic Furs biography (they were mentioned quite a bit in the earlier chapters) and also hearing Morrissey and Siouxsie's 1994 duet "Interlude." Now Siouxsie & The Banshees are one of my favorite bands, and I wish I got into their music earlier.

After waiting 30 minutes the moment finally arrived. The walk-on music was some opera, and the band members came on stage first. I was ecstatic, I cheered, it was really happening. And then Richard Butler appeared. They all looked fantastic in person close up, especially Richard. Richard said "hello" to us and the band started the first song, "Love My Way." The setlist was amazing, and it was great to hear "Sister Europe," "Into You Like A Train," "So Run Down," the new song "The Boy That Invented Rock And Roll," and "Sleep Comes Down." "Sister Europe" was mesmerizing, and the way Rich Good played was calming and beautiful. After being familiar with "The Boy That Invented Rock And Roll" it was so awesome hearing it in person. On "Sleep Comes Down" The Furs brought one of the members of James to perform alongside Mars Williams.

Richard Butler was absolutely wonderful and I admire him a lot. During the show Richard would go over to our side and perform to us, and it was so cool seeing him close up. He was wearing his sunglasses but I could tell he looked at me at times. While watching him it made me want to write a blog about how awesome Richard is. He's definitely my favorite male vocalist of all time, and there's no one like him.

While the concert was happening some great moments happened. Tim Butler would sing right back at me many times and I even got a photo of him looking at me. When The Furs performed "Pretty In Pink" Tim was singing to me again, and as I stood on my toes singing right back at him suddenly his face lit up while he looked at me. I had a strong feeling that Tim noticed my t-shirt, which has a picture of The Furs from the "Pretty In Pink '86" days. I thought that was awesome and it was fitting wearing the shirt while the song was being performed. During "India" Tim and I sang the line "See the ceiling raining spit/The beach is backwards/Isn't it?" to each other and he gave me an approving nod. It was great!

But the highlight of the concert was something that made me so happy, and I still can't believe it happened. The highlight was that... Rich Good remembered me. Rich Good recognized me. Can you believe that?! It happened during "Love My Way" and I looked up at Rich and he looked at me, smiling. I waved at him and then his face lit up with recognition and did a little wave back! I was blown away, and after he did that I shouted to my brother "I think he remembered me!" Then later when they performed "The Ghost In You" Rich was singing the backing vocals during the first chorus and I was looking up at him. The whole time Rich was singing he looked at me and smiled, and he waved again!! After when he waved at me I got so excited, it was one of the most awesome things that happened to me. Throughout the show Rich smiled at me two more times. As the band members were leaving to go prepare for the encore Rich threw his guitar pick at our direction and I, my brother and a couple people tried to catch it but one of the people got it. I totally didn't mind though, because I already have two from the times I met him. Having Rich Good remember me was the greatest gift I got from him on that night.

During the concert I was in Heaven. I was cheering, singing along, and became emotional. I cried a little bit while watching them, because I was so happy to be there and being at the barrier seeing them for the first time in two years. When the show was over my legs were numb and sort of wobbly, and I was emotionally drained. When my brother and I got in the car I sat in my seat just dazed. I was tired (I only got a couple hours of sleep), my legs were hurting, and I was hot from the weather but I was really, really happy. I was on cloud nine during the ride home, and I quietly broke down to myself.

Now this wasn't the first time I cried during a concert. The first time that happened was when I saw Green Day in 2017 and I remember telling my mom (who went with me) I would probably be an emotional wreck. At that show when I saw Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool come up on stage I almost broke down because I had waited 12 years to see them. Then I cried during "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" because it's my favorite Green Day song, and I got emotional during the encore. Even though I cried during the Green Day concert I wasn't an emotional wreck after all, and I thought I would be. I still love Green Day after all these years but... The Psychedelic Furs are more special to me.

It's because The Furs had changed my life, had helped me so much, and made me become a new person through their music and seeing them in concert. When I would think about the years before I discovered The Furs I didn't like who I used to be. Before I felt like I'm stupid and not good enough at times. Now I'm happy with myself, and I feel I am worthy after all. Plus all of the great moments happened like meeting Rich Good twice and giving The Furs a letter. Back then I never imagined those things would ever happen to me.

I'm now sad that it's officially over but I will always remember that night. Like I said earlier, it was one of the most beautiful nights of my life and is now my second favorite concert. Thank you Psychedelic Furs so much for everything you had done for me. I can't believe I got to watch you for the fourth time and you were all incredible. I miss you a lot right now and I hope I will see you guys again soon. Thank you... <3


Setlist:

1. Love My Way
2. Mr. Jones
3. The Ghost In You
4. Sister Europe
5. So Run Down
6. Heaven
7. Into You Like A Train
8. The Boy That Invented Rock And Roll
9. Pretty In Pink
10. President Gas
11. Sleep Comes Down
12. Heartbreak Beat

Encore:

13. India

*All photos by me.*

An Amazing Discovery

Yesterday I went out to do some errands with my family and I brought my iPod with me so I could listen to The Psychedelic Furs. But there was something special about that day. It was the third year anniversary of the second Psychedelic Furs concert that I went to, and the feeling of those special memories came to me. I was wearing my Mirror Moves t-shirt which I wore at that concert, and on my iPod I listened to a playlist I had created where it has the songs The Furs performed on that night, and I kind of got emotional when I listened to it, especially during "The Ghost In You."

But while I was listening to "The Ghost In You" there was something in the song that I discovered. My headphones have been acting up lately, and the reason why is because when the headphones are plugged in and if the jack gets turned the sound will go away. Not completely, just a faded sound where you barely hear the music and you couldn't hear the vocals. Whenever that would happen I would turn the jack over and over until the sound comes back. It really gets annoying sometimes.

Anyway, when the second chorus of "The Ghost In You" was playing the jack acted up and so I tried to get the sound back. As the chorus was ending a part of it caught my attention while the sound of the headphones was acting up. After when I listened to the playlist I played "The Ghost In You" again. When the choruses came on I turned the headphone jack to make the sound go away and here is something amazing: I could hear Richard Butler's backing vocals clearly. Not perfectly but enough where you could actually sort of hear the words! It reminded me of the live performances of "The Ghost In You" where at the end of the song Richard would sing the BVs part separately.

Hearing the BVs with the faded sound of my headphones was an awesome discovery. You'll probably think it's not really that exciting but to me it is. I guess there was something good that came out of the messed up headphone jack after all!

New Album Update #2

Yesterday I heard some information about The Psychedelic Furs' new album and this time it wasn't from an article online. On YouTube someone uploaded The Psychedelic Furs' July 12th New York concert in its entirety, and I clicked on it just so I could hear the new song "The Boy That Invented Rock And Roll." It was really awesome and I'm thinking of listening to the song a lot just so when I go see The Furs next month it will be familiar to me (if they will perform it). Anyway, after the new song ended Richard Butler thanked the crowd and suddenly he said this:

"We've got a new album coming out next year!"


Next year. No. Way.

After when I heard Richard say that I was absolutely excited and speechless. Honestly I kind of wish it was this year but I'm willing to wait. I feel it's more fitting to release the new album in 2020 because that year will be the 40th anniversary of The Psychedelic Furs' first LP. I'm already looking forward to see what the band will do for their 2020 tour, especially if it will be a tour promoting the new album.

I think this is the first time in my whole life that I had gotten truly excited over a new album. I mean maybe I had with Green Day and a couple bands I used to like, but not as super excited as this. It's a wonderful feeling to know The Psychedelic Furs will be back with new music soon. Also hard to believe how the new album will be the band's first in 29 years. Almost three decades... Wow, that's crazy.

I wonder how the songs on the new album will sound like, and I bet they will be amazing. Can't wait until 2020 comes, and now time to go listen to "The Boy That Invented Rock And Roll" again.

A New Furs Song?

A week ago The Psychedelic Furs started their Summer tour and lately I had been going on Setlist FM to see what songs they played. So far the ones that got me excited were "All Of This And Nothing" and "Sleep Comes Down" and I hope I will hear those two songs when I go see The Furs, especially "All Of This And Nothing." It would be a delight to hear that song.

But there was something that caught my eye and it got me excited. Last night The Psychedelic Furs did a show in New York City and someone updated the setlist for that concert. I looked and one of the songs on the list said "New Song?!?" I was blown away, and it made me wonder if it's a song from the upcoming new album. Or it could either be "Wrong Train" or "Little Miss World," those two songs that The Furs had done live before but hadn't recorded them yet. I'm really hoping it's a new original song, because ever since I heard a little info about The Psychedelic Furs' new album five months ago, it made me super pumped for it. The thought of hearing new PFurs material is very exciting.

Here is the link to the setlist for the New York concert. https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-psychedelic-furs/2019/the-rooftop-at-pier-17-new-york-ny-139e89f1.html


7/14/19 Update: Okay just now I looked at the setlist for tonight's show in Maryland and the new song has a name! It's called "The Boy That Invented Rock And Roll" and it looks like it might be a new Psychedelic Furs song! https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-psychedelic-furs/2019/the-fillmore-silver-spring-silver-spring-md-6b9ef662.html

I went back to the setlist for the New York concert and the new song's name was added. It said that "The Boy That Invented Rock And Roll" was performed live for the first time ever on that night!

Glastonbury Review from Record Mirror

A review of the 1986 Glastonbury Festival appeared on the July 5, 1986 issue of UK magazine Record Mirror and was reviewed by Andy Strickland. The only important thing about Glastonbury '86 (and all of Glastonbury's history) was that The Psychedelic Furs were one of the headliners. Andy's review of The Furs' performance was positive, and I'm very glad to see that. Usually the people at Record Mirror didn't understand The Psychedelic Furs but at least there were a few who did.

Anyway, here is the review of The Psychedelic Furs' appearance at the 1986 Glastonbury Festival.


But it's The Psychedelic Furs that we've all come for. Not seen on these shores for a goodly while and taking the stage to deliver a corker of a set. Richard Butler's recent Lydonesque appearance is bolstered by some garish tartan trousers and enigmatically curt introductions to a largely "greatest hits" set: "President Gas," "Heaven," a slightly shaky "Love My Way," and a great "Bring On The Cowboys." [it's "Here Come Cowboys"...]

The band's stadium rock blasts clear as a bell from an excellent sound system as the wind gets up and the well oiled sardines push closer together to enjoy the finale to a great first day. If only we realized that another third of the weekend's crowd was still stuck in that leafy Somerset lane trying to get in. Next morning there are a lot of [ticked] and [ticked] off Furs fans who didn't make it in there.

– Andy Strickland

Back at the Hall

This blog will sort of be off topic but two days ago my dad and I went to Portland, Oregon to see Howard Jones live for the very first time. Now the reason I'm talking about Howard Jones is because he performed at my favorite venue, the one that I always associate The Psychedelic Furs with... the Revolution Hall.

When I was a kid I remember listening to the cassette of Howard Jones' 1993 compilation The Best Of Howard Jones in the car. The songs I remembered hearing were "What Is Love?," "New Song," "Pearl In The Shell," a tiny bit of "Always Asking Questions" and "Hide And Seek," "Things Can Only Get Better," "Like To Get To Know You Well," "Life In One Day," "Everlasting Love," and the one that is the most nostalgic to me, "No One Is To Blame." Years later when I was a teenager I wanted to get into Howard's music so I bought that very same album on CD, and then later I got his other albums.

Howard Jones at Revolution Hall 6/30/19.

Seeing Howard Jones live was an incredible experience, and he was just so awesome. Plus he was extremely talented with his keyboards, and it was really interesting watching him play. Howard would interact with the crowd and told stories about some of his songs. My favorite song he did was definitely "No One Is To Blame" and it was just him on his electric piano. It was very reminiscent of the original version of that song from Howard's second album Dream Into Action (1985). The support bands were All Hail The Silence and Men Without Hats (the audience went wild for "Safety Dance") and they were good and fun to watch. What's cool was Howard Jones brought the members of both bands on stage with him to perform two of his songs.

My dad and I sat in the balcony and it was the very same spot from when I saw The Psychedelic Furs two years ago. And it was during that time when I threw my letter over the balcony and thought it didn't land on the stage. I might have seen the area where I met Rich Good the second time and him showing me he got my letter. I wish I had the time to go over there and take a closer look.

It was really nice seeing the Revolution Hall again and it was fantastic watching Howard Jones perform over there. But like I said earlier, I will always associate the Hall with The Psychedelic Furs because of those wonderful moments. Being at the Revolution Hall brought back so many memories and it will always mean a lot to me. I hope The Psychedelic Furs will come back to the Hall someday.

*All photos by me*

About the Portland Concert

In about a week The Psychedelic Furs will be back on the road for the half part of the 2019 tour and I can't believe it's almost here. I'm so happy I will see them again at the Crystal Ballroom in almost a month and the last time I saw them was two years ago. Two years is really not that long when you think about it, but it feels like an eternity. My mom once told me how if I had went to see The Furs at the Oregon Zoo last year, the upcoming concert would have been my fifth show!! Can you imagine that?

Two to three months ago I would sometimes check on the Crystal Ballroom's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages to see if they talked about The Psychedelic Furs going there and they never even mentioned The Furs at all. Like, why? I don't understand why the Crystal Ballroom didn't let people know The Psychedelic Furs were coming, the day when the tickets were going on sale, or even warn them to get the tickets quickly before they're sold out. You think the Crystal Ballroom, especially their social media accounts, would but for some reason they didn't. I don't get it.

Recently I checked again on the Crystal Ballroom's Facebook and they finally mentioned The Psychedelic Furs! They published an update on June 4th and posted an awesome photo. The caption says: "Be sure to head into Everyday Music to hear the bands coming to the Ballroom. It's just across the street!"

Talk Talk Talk on the shelf. <3 Via Crystal Ballroom on Facebook.

Everyday Music is a record store and when I first saw The Psychedelic Furs at the Crystal Ballroom in 2015 I remember seeing that place. I would like to go in there someday because I love vinyl records.

Creem Magazine 1987

Back in June 1987 Richard Butler appeared on the cover of the American music magazine Creem. Whenever I would see the old magazine scans featuring The Psychedelic Furs I would get really interested and wished I could read the interviews and other things in them.

"Dressed to Kill, the Butler Did It"

Sometime in the 1980s Richard Butler appeared in an advertisement for what looks like to be a clothing store that probably sold tuxedos and suits. I love this because Richard dressed up as a butler (in reference to his last name) in the ad and he looked absolutely handsome in that tux!

Happy Birthday Richard Butler

I would like to start this blog by wishing a Happy Birthday to the one and only Richard Lofthouse Butler, born on this day in 1956. Richard is best known for being the vocalist of The Psychedelic Furs but he was also the vocalist for his other band Love Spit Love in the 90s, and in 2006 he released his incredible debut solo album. Outside of music he is an accomplished painter and his paintings are absolutely amazing.

With all my heart I want to thank Richard for everything he did for me. I'm so thankful his music and voice are part of my life, and had helped me so much. I feel like a different person now, and Richard's music made me feel better about being myself, for who I am, and made me feel like I am good enough after all. I'm glad that I discovered his music and I never knew it would leave a huge impact on me. It totally changed my life and I'll always be forever grateful.

Today I give my love, best wishes, and support for Richard on his birthday and I hope he has a fantastic day. Happy Birthday Richard Butler, thank you again for everything. <3

Psychedelic Furs May 20, 1987

On this day in 1987 my parents saw The Psychedelic Furs live at The Forum in Los Angeles, California during the Midnight To Midnight tour. Since Midnight To Midnight is one of my favorite albums, it's exciting to hear how my parents saw The Furs on that tour. But I wondered if the band members had it all under control. On my Beautiful Chaos biography, I read how The Psychedelic Furs hated doing the Midnight To Midnight tour. When they first started, they were fine with it at first but as the tour progressed they suddenly hated every second of it. They hated singing Midnight's songs, wearing the leather jackets and having the big hair, and performing at large arenas which they weren't used to. Plus the tour stressed Richard Butler so much that he became really ill. When my parents saw them on that day I hope The Furs were still okay with the tour and not hating it.

I heard a couple things about that concert from my parents. The first thing is that Andy Taylor (of Duran Duran) opened up for The Psychedelic Furs, and he actually got a bad reception. The audience were booing at Andy, ignoring him, and were talking to other people in the crowd. Heck, the house lights were still on while Andy performed. Even my dad admitted that Andy Taylor wasn't very good live.

The second thing is that "The Ghost In You" is my parents' favorite Psychedelic Furs song and they wanted to hear it live. But the song didn't even get played at all and my parents were disappointed. Besides that though, they really liked the concert and they enjoyed watching the way Richard Butler performed.


Setlist:

1. Midnight To Midnight
2. Mr. Jones
3. Alice's House
4. No Easy Street
5. Heaven
6. Only You And I
7. All Of The Law
8. Highwire Days
9. Shadow In My Heart
10. Sleep Comes Down
11. Sister Europe
12. One More Word
13. Heartbeat
14. Shock

Encore 1:

15. Heartbreak Beat
16. Love My Way
17. Pretty In Pink

Encore 2:

18. President Gas
19. All Of This And Nothing

Encore 3:

20. India

Featured on my tour programme, the dates for the Midnight To Midnight tour May 16 - June 17, 1987.

My First Psychedelic Furs CD

Recently it occurred to me that in November it will be five years since I discovered The Psychedelic Furs. It doesn't feel like it has been this long, but when you think about it it really is. It just blows my mind how time can pass so quickly. It slips by without you knowing, and when you realize it you don't even believe it. You would think to yourself, "That was that long ago?? Really??"

When I would think about those years, they were definitely one of the best years of my life. After when I got into The Psychedelic Furs' music and seeing them in concert they helped me feel better about being myself and for who I am. The Furs totally made a huge impact in my life and it's amazing to think how music could happen like that. I never got that feeling with Green Day and The Smiths, even though I love them too. But there's just something about The Psychedelic Furs and I'm really thankful that I discovered their music. And because of them I got into blogging and I'm very happy and proud to be the author of this blog. I want to share my support and obsession with The Furs to everyone and give them the recognition they totally deserve.

Today I feel like celebrating the five year anniversary early so I'm going to talk about the first CD that I got of The Psychedelic Furs when I wanted to get into their music. The CD is their 2001 compilation album Greatest Hits.

Greatest Hits was released around the time The Psychedelic Furs reunited and started touring again. The compilation has 17 remastered songs and they were all selected by bassist Tim Butler himself. The artwork for Greatest Hits is similar to the one for The Furs' 1997 two-disc compilation Should God Forget: A Retrospective.

Greatest Hits has the famous songs and other fan favorites but it also has a few rarities. The single version of "Angels Don't Cry" (not the album version from Midnight To Midnight), an unreleased live recording of "Only You And I" (taken from one of The Furs' concerts in 1987), and for the first time ever on CD, the original version of "Mr. Jones" from 1980. The first version has more of a radio friendly sound while the second version from Talk Talk Talk (1981) is louder and rough. The songs are in chronological order so you get to know about the history of The Psychedelic Furs. Greatest Hits has songs from all of the albums except Book Of Days, plus it has "All That Money Wants" from the first compilation from 1988, All Of This And Nothing. Speaking of Book Of Days, I kind of wish its songs "House" and "Should God Forget" were on Greatest Hits. I sometimes wondered why they got left out.

Greatest Hits is a fantastic compilation and I definitely recommend it. This and All Of This And Nothing are both great for different reasons. All Of This And Nothing has the album cuts like "Highwire Days," "She Is Mine," "No Easy Street," etc., and Greatest Hits has those three rarities and the songs from World Outside. Greatest Hits will always have a special place in my heart because after listening to it I became a fan and all of those great things happened. The Psychedelic Furs had totally changed my life and I really can't wait to see them again in August.