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

Cheers for the kind comments Core Memory,

I’ve been listening to it more than the other re-masters! Strange how things turn out eh?

Some time around the JuJu album in ’81, Siouxsie and the Banshees were asked to fill out a questionnaire. When asked the question What happens when you fall in love ?, Sioux simply replied “I go blind and walk into walls”.

In Mysterious Ways is The Love Album – and you should only listen to it if you’re prepared to open its door and accept it unconditionally for what it is.

In Mysterious Ways is the soundtrack of someone going blind and walking into walls. There’s little or no point now tuning in and saying “That Simmons pad sounds well iffy”. You might as well of asked Picasso “Go on Pabs – a little splash of colour here or there will bring it out nicely “whilst he was working on Guernica.

In Mysterious Ways is a place you have to go and stay in for awhile and let all its wonders and woes just wash over you.

When Stars on Fire goes supernova, make sure you have a big, widescreen grin on your face – after that, 100% blissful satisfaction is guaranteed.

C'mon everyone, on 3;

1-2-3 ALL THE STAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARS!

were on fire

Yes! This is a strange one for me also, IMW has now become of great interest to me, it was the ‘one’ I tried hard to get into for some time back in the day. In 'some mysterious way' it’s now John’s most intriguing album for me, like discovering that your best friend had a secret affair all those years ago, and you never even noticed

I wouldn’t lie and say that I’ve been revisiting All of the CD1 remaster post my ‘cathedral’ experience, since meeting with it after 23 years last week, but one thing in particular has very much hooked me.
I’m inspired to say more about original IMW, but time, and that thing called work, are conspiring to snatch me away from my favourite pastime right now of languishing in Foxx world

And here revealed is the heart of IMW

SUPERBLY put.

Incredibly enough, I still haven't played this yet!

It remains for me definitely that - John's most interesting and least understood album. Furthest from the mainstream of his output, the worst-selling and oft-dismissed of them all - which I personally find irresistible.
Core, your review is exceptional, because you asked Why? That's the key to it - why indeed? What is it all about - and how comes its all so, well, so - different?

It offers more to me every time I hear it and draws me in despite myself. I love it, and feel really encouraged that (at least some) others are now giving it another) chance.

I agree very much with the arguments that IMW demonstrates John losing himself in love. But I also think it is singular in revealing his creative heart being torn in two. On the one side there's the pull of what he instinctively wants to do (and despite Cupid's arrow the lyrics are still uniquely Foxxian) and on the other there are the nagging concerns of men in red braces luring him from this side of paradise. The result is an awkward compromise which the substitution of 'Spin Away' attempts to redress a little.

IMW nonplussed me when it first came out, but it gradually grew on me. It's a strange and flawed creature, but I'm also glad it's receiving a reappraisal in a new kind of light.

Perhaps IMW should now, and forever more, be refered to as John's 'Marmite' album
Cheers

Impression 1 (extra tracks only):

WOW! "Magic" will need a couple more plays but is certainly interesting. The alternate "Shine On" is far superior to the LP version, as is "To Be With You" compared to the Metamatic version. "Spin Away" is just gorgeous.

Well its a strange kind of marmite album for me. Ive never disliked it, but ive always thought of it as John's least classic of the early four. This time round i like it even more. It has a lot to do with the new tracklist and flow, but maybe its also knowing its the definitive version with all the extra (commercially) available tracks included. Could that help in liking an album.....i think it has for me.

Aaaaaagggggghhhhhh!!! I don't like to feel left out!

I'm delighted finally to have received the remastered The Garden and The Golden Section in today's post, but I've enjoyed reading the reviews/reassessments of In Mysterious Ways so much that even though I wasn't going to cave in, I have just broken down and ordered IMW after all!

Well, after my first 'complete' hearing of IMW the original suite, since '86, I was soooooo glad to get out of the Cathedral where I had sat listening to it for an hour, and out into the fresh air, and ironically, I left because the organist appeared and started playing

But...
I've been thinking a lot more since about what IMW means for me now in the overall scheme of things, a lot more...

make sure you don't hit anybody with it if you throw it again this time...

Cheers for your reviews Gary.

Actually I'm playing it today & its started to melt my cold dark heart

Give it a few more plays & I'll be there.