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Flesh For Lulu - Plastic Fantastic
(Capitol, 1989) |
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 FLESH FOR LULU were one of my
favorite rock bands-EVER! These valiant Guns Of Brixton emerged
from the British Batcave goth-scene that spawned groups like
Specimen, Alien Sex Fiend, Bauhaus, and the Lords Of
The New Church, but by the late eighties, had grown into a pure,
classic power pop group, that kinda DEFINED eighties rock to many
of us New Wave Babies-equal parts Flash Metal
and New Wave, kinda like a cross between Love & Rockets and solo
Billy Idol. In fact, their whizbang producer, Mark Opitz, gave
this classic album a pulsating plastic punk-metal dance sheen very similar
to Keith Forsey's work with Idol and Simple Minds. Lotsa
fans swear by "Long Live The New Flesh", but to your
late-night ranter here, "Plastic Fantastic" was rivaled only
by Hanoi Rocks' "Back To Mystery City" and
Generation X's "Into The Valley Of The Dolls" as an
ideal proto-type blend of sunny melodies and sleazy guitars!In their prime, FLESH FOR LULU had a surplus of songwriters in the band, and I believe the guy who penned many of my most beloved lyrics was former Specimen bassist, Kevin Mills, who replaced Glen Bishop in the band. Derek Greening from Peter And The Test Tube Babies (gtr., keyboards) and drummer James Mitchell also starred. Romantic, Bubblicious songs like "Time & Space" and "House Of Cards" pull my bleeding heartstrings to this day. "Decline & Fall" was one of the most scathingly right-on lyrical indictments of capitalist imperialism and the jaded malaise of brainwashed American suburbanites ever penned. Singer, NICK MARSH was a black leather-clad, charmingly devilish entertainer, with a decadent croon made famous by their classic videos for their U.S. singles, and by their various soundtrack appearances. Both "Postcards From Paradise", and "I Go Crazy" were all over MTV and appealed to fans of the Psychedelic Furs and N.Y. Dolls. ROCCO BARKER, also once a member of Wasted Youth, was one of the coolest guitar heroes in the history of rawk, and clearly influenced lots of contemporary underground guitar stars, check 'im out in the "I Go Crazy" vid, then think of Ratboy from Motorcycle Boy, f'rininstance!!! Yeah, I know, many of you reading this were indoctrinated in the nauseatingly loathsome Metal-Heads Versus Culture Club climate of American high school musical segregation, and are thus, leery of anybody with synthesizers and spiky hair, and part of you still clings to your adolescent drawing of lines in the sand, but hey bro, YOU can KEEP your Saxon records, me, I'm appallingly unashamed of my 80's |
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goth 'n' new wave
roots, and this album, along with their break-through, "Long Live The New
Flesh!" are highly recommended, for sober reassessment, by anybody with a
penchant for melodic, summery pop with giant Johnny Thunders/Steve Stevens
guitar riffs, and razor smart, heart-felt lyrics ! |
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