Rebel Yell

I recently started listening to Billy Idol's music, mainly his first two albums.

I remember hearing my dad play "Eyes Without A Face" when I was a kid and during my teenage years I heard "White Wedding" and "Rebel Yell" on the Rock Band and Guitar Hero video games. My brother got into Billy Idol but his music didn't interest me.

A month ago while working at retail, four or five times, the store played "Catch My Fall", which has the great Mars Williams, and whenever I would hear the saxophone I'd get emotional. So I decided to get the first two albums and they are really good. And it makes me wish I listened to them earlier.

On Rebel Yell it's interesting that three people who worked on this album were on Mirror Moves a year later. Keith Forsey, Tommy Price, and Mars Williams. Oh, and here's an interesting fun fact: Billy Idol and John Ashton share the same birthday, November 30. The former in 1955 and the latter in 1957.

Psychedelic Furs October 30, 2024

*Author's note*: While I'm excited to write about the concert and what happened during that day, I just want to let you all know that there are a few things I'm going to leave out in this blog, mainly for sentimental reasons. Thank you and hope you enjoy.

On the 30th of October I saw The Psychedelic Furs for the sixth time at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon, and I know I keep saying this every time I see The Furs but I had one of the most awesome nights (maybe the best night??) of my life. It's been a week now since the day of the concert but I'm still in shock and over the moon about everything that happened. And to be honest the happiest I've ever felt in months.

The last time I talked about the tour was back in June when I got the tickets and I mentioned my brother wasn't able to go because he couldn't get the day of the concert and Halloween off. So my dad said he would go with me and he eventually got the 30th off; and I did as well.

But two unexpected things happened during October. The first is I got a text from my brother and he had exciting news. He was able to get those two days off! I was so happy, I really wanted him to go and I was glad things worked out after all. The second thing is on Instagram I got a DM from a Psychedelic Furs fan named Juli. We both follow each other on social media and on the Fall 2024 tour she saw The Furs a few times on the East Coast. Juli told me that at one of the concerts she attended she sent the guitarist Rich Good a present for him to give to me at the Portland concert (Juli and Rich are actually friends in real life). I was so touched, I thanked Juli and told her how sweet she was to do that for me, and then suddenly a thought occurred.... I would meet Rich Good again... It would be my first time meeting Rich in seven years. Last year at the concert in Eugene I didn't have the chance to meet Rich because my brother and I left the venue right away since he had to go to work the next day, and my brother said he felt bad about the whole thing. Even though it didn't work out Rich and I messaged each other on Instagram throughout the day so at least we did get in touch. But to actually meet Rich again, after all these years?

Since I would be seeing Rich I thought this was a perfect opportunity to write another letter to The Psychedelic Furs, and so I began working on it during my lunch breaks at work and at home on my days off. When I started to write my first letter back in 2017 I wrote it in the Notes app on my old iPod Touch because if I wrote it in my notebook I would probably waste a bunch of paper. This year I did the same thing, but what I don't like about my Android phone is that it doesn't have its own notepad. So I thought of writing it as a draft on my blog and when I finished it, on the day before the concert, I finally wrote it in the notebook and deleted the draft. I tore the letter out of my notebook, sealed it in an envelope, and put it in my purse. And then I thought of something. I wished I bought a little gift for Rich Good, but with me being busy and tired from work I didn't even think of it. But suddenly an idea entered my head. I had a collection of shells, pebbles, and sea glass that I found during my visits to the Oregon Coast, and since Rich lives in the desert area in California I thought he would like to have a little piece of the Coast. I put the shells in a little bag, tied it up and tucked it in my purse along with my letter.

On the day of the concert I woke up at 5:20 in the morning and I got a text from my brother and he said he's on his way from Bend. I took a shower, got dressed, and packed up my stuff since my brother and I will be spending the night at a hotel. At around 8:50 my brother arrived and visited our family for a little bit, and then we left. Before we entered Portland we stopped at a Japanese ramen place in Beaverton and it was really good. I never had authentic ramen before so it was a fun experience.

My vegetable ramen.

After we ate we drove over to Portland and parked the car in a parking garage that was two miles away from the Crystal Ballroom. Then we walked over to the venue and stood by the entrance. There was a man and woman standing near the entrance as well and they brought their vinyl records with them. I saw they had Mirror Moves and the US pressing of The Psychedelic Furs' debut. I have to mention that it was pouring (as you would expect here in the Pacific Northwest) but I didn't mind at all; I love the rain.

The tour bus!

My brother and I were able to hear the soundcheck through the rain and traffic, and as I looked at my surroundings I became emotional. The first time I saw The Psychedelic Furs was at this very same venue, the Crystal Ballroom, all the way in 2015, and back then I never imagined I would be here again, nine years later, at my 6th Psychedelic Furs concert. I feel like I've come a long way since then, and I'm absolutely grateful to have these wonderful memories.

A little later the venue door opened and a couple people came out and right behind them was.... Rich Good himself. Rich instantly saw me and came over and hugged me. I was so happy and excited to see him, I couldn't help crying a little bit. Rich opened his backpack and took out a tiny box. It was Juli's present for me and inside the box were two beautiful bracelets. In the box there was a note from Juli and she wrote that the bracelets were made out of Rich's guitar strings that he used during the Autumn tour of last year. I actually remember during that time Juli messaged me and asked if I wanted to have the bracelets. Even though I wanted them, I sadly declined because I didn't want to give out my address for privacy reasons. It was so sweet of Juli to think of me after all this time.

The bracelets.

I gave Rich my letter, and before I took out the bag of shells I asked Rich if he had ever been to the Oregon Coast and he told me he went there a long time ago. I gave Rich the shells and he loved them. Rich gave me two guitar picks that he used during soundcheck and we got a picture together. After that Rich had to go to a hotel, and we said goodbye. I couldn't believe it. Did that really happen or was I dreaming? I finally got to see Rich Good again. I was feeling total bliss and I excitedly texted the picture of me and Rich to my dear friend Mary, who was happy for me.

Then 30 minutes later, while my brother and I were looking at his phone, the door opened and someone walked past us. I didn't look up to see who came out of the venue but suddenly I heard the man and woman with the vinyl records shout: "Richard!!" I froze. I realized Richard Butler walked by my brother and I. Richard Butler, the vocalist of The Psychedelic Furs. The two people ran up to Richard and asked him to sign their records. I still didn't look up because I didn't want to be nosy, and due to my shyness I didn't want to disturb Richard but yet.... I wanted to have that chance to meet him. I looked at my brother and I asked him "Should we?" But he told me we shouldn't. I accepted his advice. I have to admit I was kind of disappointed, but as much as I wanted to meet Richard Butler I'm glad we didn't approach him since we knew he was busy and had things to do. I also saw drummer Zachary Alford and keyboardist Amanda Kramer, but I didn't want to bother them.

When the doors were almost about to be opened more people showed up, and the venue employees were getting ready to scan the tickets. Suddenly there was a line of people who were coming out of the restaurant next to the Crystal Ballroom, and they went inside the venue first. Then I realized in a panic. They got the $15 deal. I remember when my brother and I went to see The Psychedelic Furs for the fourth time in 2019, which was at the Crystal Ballroom again, we went inside that restaurant and we were told that if we spend $15 on food and drinks we would get into the Ballroom a little earlier than the regular line. I wasn't sure if the restaurant was still doing that this year, but I guess they were. And then another thing happened which made me panic even more. We were not in the right line after all so we had to go back a little more. Thankfully the line wasn't long but I felt upset. We had been standing outside the venue since 2:00 PM and we were basically there first. It wasn't fair that we had to go back.

After my tickets were scanned we went through the metal detectors, and my brother went to get a drink while I hurriedly went up to the third (or fourth) floor where the stage was. I looked at the stage and to my relief, there was a little gap at the very far left of the stage. I walked over there as quickly as I could, and I made it. I made it to the barrier!! And it was the spot I wanted, because it's on Rich Good's side! I stood there in disbelief. There was a tiny part of me that thought I wouldn't make it, but I did. My brother came and stood behind me, and I wished he was right up at the barrier with me.

I looked at the interior and the architecture of the Crystal Ballroom and I forgot how beautiful the inside was. The venue was built in 1914 and I always have a fascination with old buildings and houses. I like to watch videos of people going into the abandoned old farmhouses, and it seemed to me that back then the buildings and houses were made with thought and care. They have a certain beauty, quality, and charm to them whereas the new houses and buildings don't. I don't like the new buildings nowadays and they are ugly and too modern for my taste.

The special guest for The Psychedelic Furs and The Jesus And Mary Chain tour was Frankie Rose, and she was absolutely great. I really liked the way she performed on stage. Then The Jesus And Mary Chain came next and they were great as well. They even brought Frankie Rose to sing with them on a couple songs. After The Jesus And Mary Chain performed we waited for The Psychedelic Furs to come on stage. The two songs that were the highlights from the intermission music were "Sound And Vision" by David Bowie (funnily enough, that song was played at the 2019 concert so it was like a deja vu moment) and "Bring On The Dancing Horses" by Echo & The Bunnymen.

And then at last, The Psychedelic Furs appeared. In my opinion, the best way to experience a Psychedelic Furs concert is being at the front row. If you're a few rows back, far away or at the balcony it's just not the same. I love the way The Furs interact with the audience and to me they are the best live band I've ever seen. I got emotional at points throughout the show, and when Richard Butler came over to our side I cried. I couldn't believe I was seeing him close up in person. Rich Good smiled at me four or five times (<3), and bassist Tim Butler sang right back at me during "Pretty In Pink" and I think "Only You And I".

On the 2024 tour Richard Fortus joined The Psychedelic Furs and it was awesome to see him on stage. Richard Fortus was the guitarist for Richard Butler's other band Love Spit Love in the '90s. Then in the 2000s he became a member of Guns N' Roses (along with Love Spit Love drummer Frank Ferrer), and in 2020 produced The Psychedelic Furs' recent album Made Of Rain. Seeing Richard Fortus with The Psychedelic Furs on tour makes me wish they covered a Love Spit Love song. It would have been so cool.

The Psychedelic Furs opened with "The Boy That Invented Rock & Roll" and it took me back to when they performed that song in 2019, a year before Made Of Rain was released. It was absolutely awesome hearing "Pulse" and "Forever Now" live for the first time with my own ears, and The Furs brought back some songs I hadn't heard in a long time, like "Only You And I" (as mentioned), "So Run Down", "All That Money Wants", and "All Of The Law". I was happy they brought back "All Of The Law" and the first time I heard this song live was at my second PFurs show in 2016. And I loved how, like the 2016 concert, Richard Butler and Rich Good did the la la las at the end of "All Of The Law".

The three Richards. :) Good, Butler, and Fortus during "All Of The Law".

But even though I was having an incredible time, in my mind and heart I didn't forget saxophonist Mars Williams. I wanted to keep his memory alive and I liked to think he was there with all of us in spirit. On that night I was wearing my PFurs sweatshirt/hoodie but underneath I wore a T-shirt that had a picture of the band that was taken in 2021 (the year when Zachary Alford joined the band), and I wanted to wear it in memory of Mars Williams. And when I looked at the concert photos that people took on social media during the tour I noticed Rich Good was wearing a badge that had a picture of Mars, and I thought it was a lovely tribute. When The Psychedelic Furs played "Heartbreak Beat", during the intro of that song, Amanda Kramer played on her keyboard the part that was originally supposed to have the saxophone and it made me cry listening to it; the song sounded lonely without Mars.

When Mars Williams passed away I wasn't sure how the next concerts would be like and I was worried they wouldn't be the same without him. But after seeing The Psychedelic Furs that night I was wrong after all. They still put out a fantastic show and I'm glad they brought Richard Fortus with them to fill out the sound. He played the guitar and had this cool looking instrument that looked like a type of violin.

After the concert was over my brother told me he had to go to the parking garage to get his car before the garage closes at midnight, and asked me if I would be okay by myself while he went out. I told him I would be fine and as he left I went over to look at the merchandise. I bought a T-shirt that has the Made Of Rain album cover on the front and the tour dates on the back. After I bought my shirt I went out of the venue and stood by the entrance again. I wanted to see Rich Good one more time before my brother and I leave, and I prayed I would have that chance. My brother found me and we stood outside until Rich Good came out of the venue. Rich saw us and we talked for a little bit. I told Rich that it was seven years since we met face to face and he was shocked it had been so long. In my mind I wanted a second picture with Rich but I was afraid I would be asking too much, but suddenly he asked me if I wanted another one and I said yes. Rich got his phone out and took a selfie of us, then told me he would send the picture to me. We talked about other things and then we said farewell. I will always remember that precious moment and it makes me smile every time I think about it. Rich Good is just so wonderful, so kind, so gentle, and I will never forget everything he did for me. To think Rich actually knows who I am is just an amazing thought and I feel he truly understands me as a person, which means a lot to me. My family knows everything about me and Rich, and I really wish they can meet him because I want them to see how awesome he is.

Anyway, after my brother and I left the Crystal Ballroom we drove to a hotel and spent the night there. While I laid in bed my feet were hurting and I felt exhausted, but my mind was racing with excitement about the concert and all of the things that happened. I was on cloud nine and I cried a bunch because I was so happy. It took me a while to fall asleep but eventually I did. At about 5:30 AM my brother and I left the hotel, got coffee and a few things to eat, then headed home. It was hard having to go back to work, reality, and life in general after I had such an incredible day. I really didn't want to go back, I wanted to stay in my happy little bubble forever. But I was happy in my cloud of thoughts while I worked, and the wonderful memories made my work nights go good.

I want to thank The Psychedelic Furs for putting out an awesome show and for coming back to Portland. I hope I will see them again someday.

And special thanks to Rich Good and Juli for making my day and night a very memorable one. I will treasure it forever now and always.

Thank you, with all my heart... <3

Setlist:

1. The Boy That Invented Rock & Roll

2. The Ghost In You

3. So Run Down

4. All That Money Wants

5. Only You And I

6. Wrong Train

7. Love My Way

8. All Of The Law

9. President Gas

10. Pretty In Pink

11. Mr. Jones

12. Pulse

13. Heartbreak Beat

14. Forever Now

15. Heaven

*All photos by me*

Behind the Songs: Maybe Someday

A quote from Richard Butler on his solo song "Maybe Someday".

Richard Butler: "It's a very depressing song, isn't it?" (Phoenix New Times 2006)

Concert Ads #49

On September 18, 1991, The Psychedelic Furs performed at the Arena Auditorium in Valencia, Spain during the World Outside Tour.

Top 8 Psychedelic Furs Albums (New Update)

The last time I wrote out my list of my favorite Psychedelic Furs albums was back in 2022, and now the time has come for me to update it (again). I think this will be my fourth time updating my list, and the reason why is because now a certain album of theirs is in the number one spot. My other favorites still remain the same in their ranking though.

Before I begin I just want to remind you all: This is MY OWN personal ranking so please be respectful about my choices. I am not here to pander to everyone but to share the albums that mean to me the most. The reason why I'm bringing this up is because a year ago when on The Psychedelic Furs Facebook fan page I reshared my blog of my top 10 favorite PFurs songs (written in 2021), and unfortunately I got comments from whiny fans who complained that their favorite song wasn't on my list. It made me very annoyed, so I don't want to see that type of behavior with this new album update.

Anyway, let's get started. Here are my top 8 favorite Psychedelic Furs albums!

8. World Outside (1991)

It's hard to believe that for many years, from 1991 to 2019, World Outside used to be the last Psychedelic Furs album but thankfully it isn't anymore. What I love about World Outside is that it was produced by Stephen Street (along with The Furs) and he is my favorite producer. He had worked with a few artists I really like, such as The Smiths, Morrissey, and The Cranberries. The first time Stephen got involved with The Psychedelic Furs was in 1988 when he produced the single "All That Money Wants".

7. Talk Talk Talk (1981)

Talk Talk Talk is vocalist Richard Butler's favorite PFurs album and bassist Tim Butler's second favorite. Talk Talk Talk is hailed as a masterpiece by fans and critics and over a decade ago The Furs did a special 30th anniversary tour for the album and performed it in its entirety (and also the other hit songs/fan favorites). I know all of you will disagree with me for putting Talk Talk Talk low on my list, but I want to be clear that I love this album; I just like the others more.

6. The Psychedelic Furs (1980)

Even though Talk Talk Talk was an improvement from The Psychedelic Furs songwriting/melody wise I have to say, in my own opinion, it doesn't have the same magic the first album has. I think what makes the debut so unique is back when it was recorded, The Furs barely knew how to properly play their instruments and they all wanted to be heard at the same time, creating this sound that's famously described as "beautiful chaos"; and Steve Lillywhite, producer of the first two albums, wanted The Psychedelic Furs to sound like a really good live concert of theirs. The music is full of mystery, weirdness, and ambition, and it shows you who The Psychedelic Furs were all about at the time.

5. Mirror Moves (1984)

My mom used to have this album on cassette when she was a teenager and played it all the time. Mirror Moves is in my top 5 and it is indeed a fantastic album. The music, the lyrics, the production, everything about it. This year Mirror Moves celebrates its 40th anniversary and I wrote a blog post about it if you haven't checked it out yet. https://ontomorrowspages.blogspot.com/2024/08/through-looking-glass-40-years-of.html

4. Midnight To Midnight (1987)

Midnight To Midnight isn't a favorite with The Furs and some of the fans but I love it so much. Midnight has a special place in my heart because I got it three days before I first saw The Psychedelic Furs live in 2015. The album takes me back to that time and it holds a lot of very fond memories for me. I have to say the Midnight To Midnight period is my favorite Psychedelic Furs era, mainly because I have a weak spot for those type of punk rock looking clothes the band wore, even though they didn't like it.

3. Book Of Days (1989)

Compared to its predecessor Midnight To Midnight Book Of Days was a return to how The Psychedelic Furs used to be, and the music on the album is much more heavier with a darker tone to it. I remember when I got Book Of Days in 2016 I liked it but I felt it wasn't as good as their other albums. Then later after listening to it more, I started to love it, and it made me realize how awesome the music was. I really love the music on Book Of Days and it's the reason why this album is in third place.

Here we are at number two and it makes me sad for putting this album in second place because it had been my favorite Psychedelic Furs album for a long time. I still love this album very much, but recently I've come to the realization that the other one would become my favorite and take this album's place. Second place is....

2. Forever Now (1982)

Like I said, I still love Forever Now dearly and there are some things that stand out to me about this amazing album. The excellent production by Todd Rundgren, the backing vocals by Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan (Flo and Eddie), the addition of different instruments like the cello, synthesizer, and marimba, and how The Furs changed their sound to a whole new level. Tim Butler has stated in many interviews that Forever Now is his favorite PFurs album.

And now, the grand finale, my number one favorite Psychedelic Furs album of all time.

1. Made Of Rain (2020)

In late 2020, Made Of Rain was my third favorite PFurs album. Then in 2022, it became my second favorite, and now in 2024, my number one. I love this album so much, and even after four years I still can't get over how good Made Of Rain is. The record is one of the most beautiful albums I've ever heard and it's truly a work of art for me. It makes me glad The Psychedelic Furs took their time making this album and not rushing it out just to please everyone. The real reason why it took many years for a new PFurs album to come out is because the band was worried that it wouldn't stand up to the previous albums and would receive backlash from the critics and fans. When Made Of Rain was released it thankfully got good reviews and the magazine Vive Le Rock! named it their album of the year.

Congratulations to Made Of Rain for reaching number one, for becoming my favorite Psychedelic Furs album. Maybe my favorite album of all time ever??? Only time will tell...

Behind the Songs: Turn Your Back On Me

A quote from Paul Garisto on the song "Turn Your Back On Me".

Interviewer: "We listened to "Turn Your Back On Me", which is a nice song, but we noticed the lyrics were quite simple. How did you write the chorus to that song? Do you think keeping the lyrics striped down is a good technique for having a good song?" 

Paul Garisto: "I did not write the lyrics to that song. Richard Butler from the Psychedelic Furs wrote the lyrics. I just composed the music and I composed the music first and then sent it to Richard; he wrote the lyrics and his melody and I think you're right about that. It's a pretty simplistic approach lyrically, but in this particular case it works well because the song's lush sounding, especially the chorus. It sounds quite lush and to have that juxtaposition of the lushness against the real simple "turn your back on me", which I think works for that song, it doesn't have to be complicated, right? If you can communicate in a very simple way and communicate emotion, that's the main thing. You don't have to use a lot of words for you to identify with sadness or happiness. I think in this particular case that the simple lyrics really work. It doesn't need to say more than that. It's perfect for what it is." (Coffee Time News 2024)

Concert Ads #48

This advert is kind of a mystery, but from what I looked at Setlist.FM this ad might be from when The Psychedelic Furs performed two nights at Raul's Club in Austin, Texas in October 1980. Tickets were $6.50 in advance, $7.50 at the door.

Concert Ads #47

On September 1, 1987 The Psychedelic Furs performed at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, California during the Midnight To Midnight tour. Special guests were The Cruzados. Tickets were $18.50 (Reserved) and $14.00 (on the Green, whatever that means).

Setlist

1. One More Word

2. Heaven

3. Mr. Jones

4. Pretty In Pink

5. No Easy Street

6. Shadow In My Heart

7. Highwire Days

8. Angels Don't Cry [?*]

9. Sister Europe

10. All Of This And Nothing

11. Love My Way

12. All Of The Law

13. So Run Down

14. Heartbeat

15. President Gas

16. Heartbreak Beat

17. Midnight To Midnight

18. Sleep Comes Down

19. India

*I had seen the actual setlist for this show and on the setlist it said "Angels". Over on Setlist.FM it said "Angels Don't Cry" but I'm wondering if it was "Only You And I" instead, because "Angels" was the working title for that song.

Through the Looking Glass: 40 Years of Mirror Moves

Happy 40th anniversary to The Psychedelic Furs' fourth studio album, the wonderful Mirror Moves. It was originally released in the UK in May 1984, but it seems to me that people only remember the North American release date, which was August 21, 1984. Mirror Moves was produced by Keith Forsey, who was the producer of Billy Idol's Rebel Yell and Pat Benatar's 1988 top 20 hit "All Fired Up." Mirror Moves became The Psychedelic Furs' second album to hit Gold in the US after selling 500,000 copies. In 1985 Robert Smith of The Cure mentioned that Mirror Moves was one of his favorite albums.

The music is similar to the previous album Forever Now, but in my opinion, it is more commercial sounding but it still has the Psychedelic Furs sound. It is the most eighties sounding out of all their albums, but not in a dated way; I like how the music sounds in all of its eighties glory, and to me it is uplifting, positive, and enchanting.

When Mirror Moves came out The Psychedelic Furs were a trio, because after the release of Forever Now in 1982 original drummer Vince Ely left. The only members remaining were Richard Butler (vocals), Tim Butler (bass), and John Ashton (guitar). They didn't have an official drummer at the time, so Keith Forsey played the drums on Mirror Moves; although the drums on "Heaven" and "Here Come Cowboys" were played by session musician Tommy Price.

Mirror Moves is best known for having the singles "The Ghost In You" and "Heaven". "The Ghost In You", which opens the album, is one of The Psychedelic Furs' most beloved songs. The iconic synthesizer sound was played on the Fairlight keyboard, and what's funny is I read somewhere that the band called it the "Chipmunk in the Bath" sound.

"The Ghost In You" is my parents' favorite Psychedelic Furs song and for me there's two special moments connected to the song. At my second PFurs concert Richard Butler held my hand and was singing to me during the "Stars come down in you" part, and at my fourth show guitarist Rich Good was looking at me while doing the backing vocals on the first chorus and waved at me.

Last October while I was working in retail the radio actually played "The Ghost In You" and I was ecstatic. I had a feeling the reason why the song was played was because it was during the Halloween season (they also played Oingo Boingo's "Dead Man's Party" and the Ghostbusters theme), and with the word "ghost" being in the title they probably thought it's a scary, spooky song. Personally, I don't think of "The Ghost In You" as a Halloween song and there's nothing spooky about the lyrics.

"Heaven" is another beloved track and despite the song being called "Heaven" there isn't anything spiritual or religious about it. It's about planes dropping nuclear bombs. According to Richard Butler in a 1984 interview with Smash Hits: "The words are like clues to what it's really about, which is nuclear war, but you need to think about them to realize that."

After reading that quote, what Richard said was so true, especially when you pay attention to the hidden meaning in the lyrics. Here are four examples:

"And a world at the window gone underground."

"There's a hole in the sky where the sun don't shine."

"And a clock on the wall and it counts my time"

"And I'm standing on ice when I say that I don't hear planes."

Tim Butler once said that he always gets amused whenever people would dance to "Heaven" at concerts because while the music's light and poppy, they're dancing to a song that's about a heavy subject and probably the majority of them think "Heaven" is a happy tune. "Heaven" is actually the second Psychedelic Furs song to reference nuclear war, with the first being the 1982 b-side "Aeroplane".

One of the songs that's more on the rock side is "Alice's House", and it is about an insane asylum. The song was recorded during the Forever Now sessions but it didn't make it on the album because The Psychedelic Furs were unhappy with it. But then later they re-recorded it for Mirror Moves. The early version of "Alice's House" is available to listen to and it is really good. It first appeared on the Should God Forget compilation in 1997, and then as a bonus track on the 2002 remaster of Forever Now.

There are other great songs on Mirror Moves as well. "Here Come Cowboys" is a cool song, "Heartbeat" is so energetic and fun, "My Time" has one of the most beautiful opening lines ("You got rain in your eyes and a head full of stars"), plus "Like A Stranger", and "Only A Game". Every time I listen to "Like A Stranger" I always think about a video I saw of The Psychedelic Furs performing that song at a concert in England back in the late 2010s. In the video a British man in the audience was loudly singing the whole song off-key, and the funny thing is you could barely hear Richard Butler. I don't know if the man was drunk, but it's so hilarious. My favorite song on Mirror Moves is the final track, the fan favorite "Highwire Days", and it is one of Richard Butler's favorite songs to perform live.

Mirror Moves has one of the most iconic album covers of all time, with the photo of Richard Butler on the front cover (plus Tim Butler and John Ashton on the back), taken by photographer Brian Griffin. There are actually a few minor differences to the album cover in some territories. With the UK and European releases, the band and album names and the outlines of the stars have a light purple/blue color, and with the US and Canadian releases the band name, album title and stars are yellow, and "The Psychedelic Furs" is repeated again above but in a different font. The design of the album artwork was a tribute to Colin Fulcher, aka Barney Bubbles, who passed away a year before Mirror Moves came out. Colin designed many album covers, with one of them being Forever Now (the original UK artwork, not the US one).

There's one more thing about Mirror Moves that I want to discuss, and it is the introduction of an important and great musician who became a member of The Psychedelic Furs. The one and only Mars Williams.

Mars Williams first joined The Psychedelic Furs during the Forever Now Tour after when his former band The Waitresses (known for their hits "I Know What Boys Like" and "Christmas Wrapping") split up. The interesting thing is that Keith Forsey was at one of The Psychedelic Furs' shows and when Keith saw Mars, he wanted Mars to play on Billy Idol's song "Catch My Fall" on Rebel Yell, because Billy wanted a saxophonist to play on the song.

On Mirror Moves, Mars played saxophone on the songs "Here Come Cowboys", "Heartbeat", "My Time", and "Like A Stranger". I absolutely love the intro of "Heartbeat" and I'll never forget when The Psychedelic Furs opened with that song when I first saw them in 2015. It was so incredible. "My Time" and "Like A Stranger" have great saxophone solos and I feel lucky to experience the latter song live in 2016. I wish The Furs played "Here Come Cowboys" and "My Time", I bet they would be amazing live.

Mars Williams during "Like A Stranger", 2016. Photo by me.

After Mirror Moves Mars would eventually play on the 1986 rerecording of "Pretty In Pink", and two more PFurs albums, Midnight To Midnight (1987) and Made Of Rain (2020). He also played on two b-sides, "Another Edge" (b-side of "The Ghost In You") and "New Dream" (b-side of "Heartbreak Beat"), and in the 2010s worked with Satellite Paradiso, John Ashton's band.

The way Mars Williams played the saxophone on Mirror Moves and those two albums was magical, and I like to imagine there were stars, sparkles and glitter coming out of the saxophone every time he played. And after hearing Mars he made me appreciate and become interested in the sound of the saxophone. But out of all the saxophonists I've heard so far (and that includes original PFurs sax player Duncan Kilburn), Mars Williams was the one who truly shined for me, like a shining star.

I know I already had written a tribute to Mars Williams back in November when he died but I wanted to talk about him again for Mirror Moves' anniversary because that was the first appearance of Mars and his brilliant music with The Psychedelic Furs. I want to keep his memory alive and I want people to know more about him and the impact he made in the music world.

I'm getting teary-eyed right now typing this because it hit me pretty hard when Mars Williams passed away, especially when it happened a month after I saw The Furs in concert. Even though it's almost a year it still doesn't feel real. This October I will be seeing The Furs for the sixth time but sadly it will be my first concert without Mars being there. I honestly don't know how the show will be like, but the best things I can do are having a good time and keeping Mars in my thoughts.

In closing, I would like to say thank you so much for reading, and happy anniversary Mirror Moves. <3

Love Spit Love: 30th Anniversary

I'm currently writing about Mirror Moves' 40th anniversary but I want to give a quick shout out to the first self-titled album by Richard Butler's side project Love Spit Love, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this month.

The album, released in 1994, was produced by Dave Jerden (who worked with Alice In Chains and Jane's Addiction) and had Richard Butler on vocals, Tim Butler on bass, Richard Fortus on guitar, and Frank Ferrer on drums. Richard Fortus and Frank Ferrer would eventually join Guns N' Roses in the future, and Fortus became the producer of The Psychedelic Furs' eighth album Made Of Rain in 2020.

The music on Love Spit Love is very different from The Psychedelic Furs. It has a grunge feel to it and it is more dark and mature. The album contains the two singles "Am I Wrong", which was a hit on the alternative charts and appeared on the soundtrack to the movie Angus in 1995; and "Change In The Weather", one of my favorite songs of all time and my favorite song from Love Spit Love. Love Spit Love also has the beautiful "Half A Life", the cabaret sounding "Jigsaw", the fast-paced "Seventeen", and other great songs like "Superman" (I love the sound of Tim Butler's bass guitar in the verses), "Wake Up", "Green", "Please", "Codeine", "St. Mary's Gate", and "More". There's another song called "All She Wants" but it was only available on the British version of Love Spit Love.

If there are any of you who never listened to Love Spit Love, I highly recommend checking it out. Happy 30th to this great album!

Photo: Michael Halsband

Mirror Moves Japanese Ad #2

Here's another Japanese advert for Mirror Moves. I love how the ad looks.

Autumn Tour 2024

Last week The Psychedelic Furs announced new tour dates this Fall and it will be a co-headlining tour with The Jesus And Mary Chain, plus special guest Frankie Rose.

To my delight The Furs are coming back to the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon on October 30th. The last time The Furs went to Portland was back in 2019, and the last few shows they did in Oregon were in Forest Grove and Jacksonville in 2022, and Eugene in 2023. I'm happy they are returning to Portland, and I'm glad they chose a venue that I'm familiar with. I already bought the tickets and I can't believe it will be my sixth time seeing The Psychedelic Furs, which is so hard to believe.

Although what's disappointing is that my brother is unable to go with me this year. Before the tickets went on sale I texted my brother and asked him if he would like to go with me again and if his fiance would want to go too. If that happened then I would get three tickets for us. My brother replied and said that he would ask his manager at work (my brother works in retail) if he can get the day of the concert and the next day (Halloween) off, and would let me know if he got those days.

Unfortunately my brother replied again and said with that week being Halloween and his store getting ready for Christmas, he would be unable to get those days off. I'm really disappointed it didn't work out, but either my mom or dad will go with me instead. If one of them went, it would be their first time seeing The Psychedelic Furs in 37 years, which is really interesting. They saw The Furs during the Midnight To Midnight tour in 1987.

Last year in Eugene. Photo by me.

Update on John Ashton #3

Today on the PFurs Facebook fan page someone shared a post from Satellite Paradiso and their post was an update on John Ashton. It has been over a year since I heard anything about him and his health but thankfully the band had good news. They said that John is officially in remission!! I'm so happy John is doing okay now and I want to congratulate him and his family. I hope there will be brighter days ahead for John and that he will continue to feel better. Wishing him all the best.

On Satellite Paradiso's post they included a message from John Ashton himself.

"June 3, 2024

Dear Friends,

As many of you may know, in June of 2021 I was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer. This coming on the heels of Covid was an unwelcome surprise. However, I was lucky enough to receive treatment through MSK in NYC & Westchester.

After 50 doses of radiation, (25 in one treatment, followed by 25 daily radiation treatments over the course of the following five weeks) 2 years of hormone therapy and a daily study medication, I am thrilled to report that the treatment was a success and I am currently in remission.

I could not have done this without the help and support of my family and friends and for them and to you, I will always be truly grateful. I was one of the lucky ones, we have all lost too many friends to this disease.

I really appreciate all the positive messages and my hope is that my experience will give others fuel to carry on the fight.

However, I cannot lie, despite the positive health outcomes, it's been a rough couple years. There has been little to no music or film work during this time and the wolves are constantly at the door. Hopefully this will change and the universe will bring new energy to tap into.

Thanks again for the outpouring of love and support. It has meant the world to me and my family. It has changed my life for the better and for this, I am truly grateful.

Peace

John Ashton"

My Psychedelic Furs CDs #16

Richard Butler – Richard Butler (2006) (Koch Records KOC-CD-9987)

The very first solo album by Richard Butler. The musician on this album was Jon Carin, who handled all the instruments. The songs were written by Richard and Jon, but Tim Butler got two writing credits on the songs "Broken Aeroplanes" and "Last Monkey".

It's such a shame that this album is mostly unknown. It deserves to be heard because it is a beautiful album and I'm really disappointed it's not on Spotify. I want it to get a reissue, and maybe hopefully The Furs' current label Cooking Vinyl will acquire the rights to this album and rerelease it. I hope something like that will happen in the future.

One more thing I want to mention, today is Richard Butler's birthday. Happy birthday Richard!

Track Listing:

1. Good Days, Bad Days

2. California

3. Breathe

4. Satellites

5. Broken Aeroplanes

6. Milk

7. Nothing's Wrong

8. Second To Second

9. Last Monkey

10. Sentimental Airlines

11. Maybe Someday

My Psychedelic Furs CDs #15

Love Spit Love – Trysome Eatone (1997) (Maverick/Warner Bros. 9 46560-2)

The second and final album by Love Spit Love. Tim Butler didn't play on Trysome Eatone because he left shortly after the first album came out; but he got a writing credit on "It Hurts When I Laugh".

Trysome Eatone is a really good album but I have to say I prefer Love Spit Love more. I love the grunge sounding music on the latter and to me it fits the Love Spit Love band name perfectly.

Track Listing:

1. Long Long Time

2. Believe

3. Well Well Well

4. Friends

5. Fall On Tears

6. Little Fist

7. It Hurts When I Laugh

8. 7 Years

9. Sweet Thing

10. All God's Children

11. More Than Money

12. November 5

My Psychedelic Furs CDs #14

Love Spit Love – Love Spit Love (1994) (Imago 72787-21030-2)

The first album by Richard Butler's other band Love Spit Love.

Track Listing:

1. Seventeen

2. Superman

3. Half A Life

4. Jigsaw

5. Change In The Weather

6. Wake Up

7. Am I Wrong

8. Green

9. Please

10. Codeine

11. St. Mary's Gate

12. More

May 29: In Remembrance

Remembering Mars Williams on his birthday today and he would have been 69 years old.

Even after all these months I still can't believe he's gone. And although Mars is sadly not here anymore, his music will always be with us to keep his memory alive forever.

We all love and miss you Mars. <3

The Ghost In You Ad

Here's an advertisement for the Psychedelic Furs' "The Ghost In You" single, with lyrics included.

Blog Of Days: Fifth Anniversary Special [Part 2]

Photo: Matthew Reeves

This is the second and final installment of celebrating the fifth anniversary of my blog. This one is going to be very special because there is another anniversary I want to celebrate. In 2014, ten years ago, something happened that would change my life. I became a fan of The Psychedelic Furs.

Well, actually, it happened in November of that year but I want to talk about it right now because it is so important to me. I never thought I would find a band that would have an impact on my life and made me who I am today.

On one of my previous posts I wrote about how I discovered them but I will talk about it again here. Growing up my parents would play 80s music and I think the first Psychedelic Furs song I ever heard when I was a kid was "Heaven". Then, when I was about 14, I remember hearing "Love My Way" and loving it, and in my late teens to early 20s I started liking "Sister Europe" and "The Ghost In You". In the Autumn of 2014, all of a sudden, The Psychedelic Furs entered my mind and I decided to check out their other music. I bought a greatest hits album, and after two listens, I fell in love and became a fan. After when it happened I never knew what it would bring for me in the coming years, and I realized I had finally found a band that gave me a special connection.

The first Psychedelic Furs CD I listened to.

So years before I got into The Psychedelic Furs, the first band that I became obsessed with was Green Day. Nowadays I still love them and they are my second favorite band (the first being The Furs of course!). But the thing is, I got into them at the wrong time. I was 12 to 13 when American Idiot was extremely huge, and my parents wouldn't let me get that album and the previous ones. The three ways to listen to Green Day's music were the radio, watching the music videos on TV, and downloading songs that were safe to listen to. Eventually years later I was allowed to get their albums and hear the songs I wasn't able to listen to before. I thought to myself that if I was an adult during that time I think Green Day would be my main favorite band. Or not, who knows.

From my teens to early 20s there are a few other bands I got really into, like 30 Seconds To Mars, The Smiths, and Tears For Fears, but here's the thing: With Green Day and those other bands, even though I loved their music (and still do), they didn't give me that connection I mentioned. You would hear people say a certain band changed their lives but it wasn't happening to me. And then The Psychedelic Furs appeared. They are the only band that changed my life and even helped me in so many ways. Before I got into them, I felt like I was not good enough and stupid at times. And me being the youngest of three, I had always felt my older siblings were the perfect ones and I'm the messed up one. Even though it's not really true, I couldn't help feeling like that. But after I got into The Psychedelic Furs, their music made me feel better about myself and gave me so much comfort throughout the years. I honestly don't know what my life would be like if I never found them, and I can't imagine it at all. And not only did The Psychedelic Furs change my life but through their music so many special moments happened as well, which I'd never thought would ever happen to me. As of today I saw The Furs five times in concert and they are the number one band I've seen the most. And at those concerts I was lucky enough to meet guitarist Rich Good twice and was able to give The Furs a letter. They were the happiest times of my life and I will always cherish those wonderful memories.

Photo: Peter Noble

Even though I'm absolutely proud to be a fan of The Psychedelic Furs, I have to admit, as a fan in my 30s, there are days where I would question myself if I am really a true fan or not; because I feel like you have to be a true fan if you discovered The Furs during the '80s. Even when I went to those concerts or me being on the PFurs fan page on Facebook I felt like I'm the only young fan out there in the world, and I get worried there would be some older fans who look down on the younger fans such as myself. But why should I worry about it? The important thing is that I love The Psychedelic Furs and their music is timeless. It has no expiration date, and I know the band loves seeing a new generation of people discovering their music. It's the only thing that matters.

I can't believe it's been ten years now and it doesn't even feel like it was that long ago. But they were such incredible years and I will never, ever forget them. With all my heart, I want to thank The Psychedelic Furs for being a part of my life all these years, for their music, and for all the fantastic memories they have given me. I wish I can think of more words to say but I am absolutely grateful. <3

Thank you for reading part 2.

Photo: Matthew Reeves