Artist: The Feelies

CD: "Crazy Rhythms"

Label: Bar None


Here it is: The Great Lost Geek Rock Album reissued by Bar None.

Originally released in 1980 "Crazy Rhythms" is a collection that does more than "hold up". It pops & crackles with a freshness (and a Wire-like weirdness) that could leave one to believe that it was released any time in the last 30 years.

Sure you can spot influences when you listen to the 9 songs presented here: They obviously dug the Velvet Underground, but The Feelies didn't seem so focused on being Serious Artists (at least not on this first album). Their cover of the Beatles' "Everybody's Got Something to Hide (Except Me and My Monkey)" is possitively Devo-esque. One of the singers sounds very reminiscent of Iggy Pop (a very maudlin Mr Pop on "Loveless Love").

Intentionally or not I'm primarily reminded of one of the New York greats when listening to these songs...
On "Crazy Rhytms" the Feelies come across like Television if Television had taken lessons in awkwardness and brevity.

In fact The Feelies could be the Stooges to Television's MC5, the dorky kid brother to the serious cool older brother. And I love them for it.

I'll admit that it's possible that the geekiness of this album was more than a little self-conscious (their college rock follow up "The Good Earth" finds them looking distinctly more southern art-rocky) but I don't care. The angularity of this album sticks in my head, I find myself singing along and cursing the world for not leading me to "Crazy Rhythms" years and years ago.

Personal favorite track: "Raised Eyebrows"


Please note: unlike a previous reissue this version does not contain the band's recording of "Paint It Black". But that song wasn't on the original album and was recorded by a different version of the group 10 years after the debut was released so, like, why should it be?

The Feeles:

Bar None: