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| Fad Gadget - Gag Classification: Rock Band: Fad Gadget Tracks: - Ideal World - Collapsing New People - Sleep - Stand Up - Speak To Me - One Man's Meat - Ring - Jump - Ad Nauseam The darker side of synth pop The listener knows he or she is in for a surprise after seeing singer Frank Tovey covered in feathers on the front cover. It says something about insanity and madness, yet Tovey stands there with his arms up, embracing it all. And he does Embrace everything on Gag with a wit and humor all his own. The opening track Ideal World is a great synth romp with its loud roar of synthesizers and politically charged vocals. "The sun never shines in an Ideal World" is just a taste of Tovey's cynical verbatim that intrudes in nearly all of Gag's tracks. Highlights include Ideal World, Collapsing New People, Jump, and the infectious Ad Nauseum, the album's finale, delivering a series of sick, twisted synthesized arrangements (recognizeable in many modern industrial recordings) mixed with Tovey's sardonic commentary about society, aptly summed up by one of Tovey's best lines on the album: "I choke on the gag, but I don't get the joke." This one's worth it, not only for Tovey's true talent, a mixture of social illness and true ingenuity, but also for the influence this album and Fad Gadget's other works have had on other artists. A spectacular album This is one of the most lovingly crafted albums ever produced and is the climactic culmination of Frank Tovey's late 70's-early 80's electronic, orchestral experimentation. Beautiful piano segments intertwine with hauntingly grating electonics and guitars to make each and every song a true gem. The vocals are reminiscent of Peter Murphy (although I think are even better). Lyrics Focus on the plight of the little man, commiseration with his plight and spite for his lack of ability or will to do anything to Change it. Like other eccentric artists, Fad Gadget transcends genres-to label this as industrial, goth or new wave would be missing the point entirely. Unlike some other eccentric artists (Peter Murphy, David Bowie for instance) Fad Gadget is entirely unrecognized for their genius. To be sure, this was never geared for radio airplay, guess the little man doesn't want to hear it as it is. I suggest buying this and any other of their albums (esp the Singles Collection to witness the origins of this masterpiece) as they are long since out of print and may well disappear forever. His strongest and best album. Fad Gadget (Frank Tovey) is at his artistic peak with this collection of richly textured lively but dark-toned songs. "Ad Nauseum" is My Favorite with its nagging dissonant riff and perfect-tone words delivered in tight rhythm. Other records by him are OK, but this is clearly the strongest. This is the closest any Band has come to the sound of Wall Of Voodoo's "Seven Days in Sammystown". But, as another reviewer said, this has somewhat experimental musical portions that could be considered eccentric or eclectic and non Top-40 indeed. All songs are good. Definitely in the Top 50 records of New Wave but not thin synth-pop in the least. Buy Fad Gadget Gag at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.comJamster - the latest ringtones for your phone! |
