Metamatic Forums John Foxx John Foxx In Mysterious Ways 2008 re-master

With this track it isnt their voices, which are both fine, but the actual song itself. Maybe it is the silly lyrics. Definitely not my favorite track though.

I wouldn't say I'm completely opposed to backing vocals if they provide sufficient counterpoint. As Steve Roby accurately pointed out in this thread, John Foxx's own background vocals on some of TGS were at least as problematic as Eddi Reader's on IMW. Unless it’s a shoop-shoop call-and-response type of Motown pop chorus or well-blended harmonies, throwing another voice in – whether female or male – just to fill space rarely adds anything but an annoying distraction. Sorry, but I'm afraid that often applies to Louis's voice, too!
Frankly, I don’t think Liz Fraser’s high sweep and airy gloss would have provided an interesting enough counterpoint to John Foxx’s vocals either. If he must have someone sing with him I think he would benefit from someone with a more languid, less urgent voice than his own, and maybe a deeper, huskier range than his, too – there needs to be a good contrast to make it work. Otherwise, why not just stick with the synthesizer?

On giving this more thought, I could be persuaded to do a 360 on this subject.
I think the sole reason I’m opposed to backing vocal’s male or female is down to the fact that the additional voices John has used just do not feel inspiring enough for me, and have stuck out rather than fuse with or enhance the work, but I think you are right in suggesting that John would benefit more from having a counterpoint to him.
Enter the Angel is a track I do like on original IMW, but it’s Eddi's presence on it that prevents me from loving it as much as I’d like to. There is too much of her actually singing along with lines like: “What’s your name…” I don’t mind her going “Ah ah ah…” or “Wah, Haaaaa…” it just adds a texture, however her repeated “Enter, enter the Angel” is more than I need to hear.

John tends to do this sort of thing in gig’s with certain songs: “I remember your face”, “I remember your face” times 10 at the end of Plaza, and of course the "Shifting City Endless-vocally climatic-technicolour festival-extravaganza bonanza bonanza"

The use of a female vocal on Enter the Angel still leaves me feeling undecided if Eddi is there as the actual presence of the Angel itself, or if the dual male and female voices of John and her are representing the androgyny and completeness of an Angelic messenger.

Hmm… ‘Young Man’ has great music, I love the choral part with John towards the end, but maybe he was again just ‘too happy’ here, as one tiny part makes me cringe slightly…


Quote: “Five high school students, all different stereotypes, meet in detention, where they pour their hearts out to each other, and discover how they have a lot more in common than they thought”

Aw, don’t you think that ‘Lose all sense of time’ would have fitted very well in Hughes 'Breakfast Club' in the long scenes of the growing bond between the princess, jock, criminal, brain, and basket case

Great review, it’s very fair, and represents very well one side of the divide in the differing perspectives of opinion in the IMW debate.

I’m still pondering it all…

Out of all the extra tracks across the three bonus discs, I have to say I'm enjoying "To Be With You" and "Magic" the most!

Originally Posted by Alex S
You're not suggesting that I should actually go out and buy the album are you?

I think I hear what you say there also, and reflecting on Peter’s album of ’86 I started thinking what if John had brought out an album in ’87? with producer Daniel Lanois at the helm, bringing his delicate ambient touch to a follow-up to (whatever was in essence good about) IMW…

That was an unexpected 'new' classic for me too.

The version on the Metamatic bonus cd is a new favorite of mine.

A belated contribution from me, as one who has always felt much of IMW is remarkably underrated compared to John's other work.

I have to say the album itself is lifted massively by the replacement of TSOP by "Spin Away". Yes, it's very derivative of Van Morrison, yes it's only got two chords, but it's got a rush of joy and excitement and a wonderfully enthusiastic vocal that transcends all that and places it as a new entry in my top 10 JF songs. It's also soundtracked my autumnal holidays this year and will, for me, always be associated with a good and happy time.

As for the other bonus tracks, well I'm perhaps less enthusiastic. I half suspect that a more bombastic album had been originally planned along the lines of what the likes of Simple Minds, Then Jerico etc were doing round about that time and it just sounds so wrong to hear John suffering the indignity of having to go down that road. The alternative versions of "Shine On" and "Enter The Angel" just sound so lumpy and plodding that I doubt I'll have recourse to listen to them again.

Most bizarre of all of course is "Magic". Enough has been said about this one already, but am I the only one distracted by the sampled backing vocals at the start that sound like they're signing "Hedgehog! Hedgehog-hedgehog!" ??????

Less is often more. I like Bob Dylan's quote, something about you can play a song with one chord, or even with one note.

I look forward to listening out for the Magic hedgehogs next time I feel in a Foxxy mood.