Metamatic Forums John Foxx John Foxx 2008 - a disappointing year for Foxx fans?

Not the first time i've noticed... but Herbert does talk a lot of bollocks.
2008 was a great year for Foxx fans.
TCM at the apple store was just one of the many highlights.
Quiet Man at Leeds and John & Louis at the cargo, made it a bumper year and I've not even mentioned the plethora of quality CDs (Impossible and Neuro Video are a delight, the remasters were of course sublime).
Some people just like to moan for the sake of it :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Impossible, Neuro Video, and the reissues are, for the most part, stuff we already had. I'm happy to have them, but not terribly excited about the first two.

As for TCM at Apple, Cargo, Quiet Man, etc, let me remind you of something: not all John Foxx fans live in the UK, or close enough to be able to travel there affordably. I have been a fan since 1980 but have never been within a thousand miles of the guy and have to pay significantly more for CDs because of international shipping, etc. If I say 2008 wasn't all that it could have been, that's not moaning for its own sake.

I don't agree with everything Herbert says (I liked the Dubterror/Karborn remixes, for example), and in fact I feel rather more positive about the year overall than he does, but he's hardly talking bollocks.

No Sir, he's talking bollox.
That Neuro Video and Impossible may be "songs" we already have in one form or another, is as may be, they are a welcome addition to the Foxx canon as far as i am concerned.
The remastered reissues contained a plethora of unissued tracks, that many Foxx fans have been waiting years to have.
The only non essential release was the Cinemascope boxset (which I still bought).
So as far as i am concerned 2008 was a good year.

Hi all....this is a interesting and somewhat amusing thread. Personally i welcome any new John Foxx release. Not because im a groupie or that John is above critique. I know that like many of you, i played my vinyl until they were worn smooth, over and over only hoping that John might release something new. For years this was the case. Then the internet happened and i realized that i was not the only Foxx fan on the planet. Then, like a miracle....the new releases started coming. New music, new partnerships, new artwork....i welcome all of it. I am glad to own the library that have. Each new release brings me closer and closer to understanding more about the man and artist. Are there some redundant tracks, sure, but you cant please everyone all of the time. If you are a collector or completist you should buy everything. If you are more particular about the music, then read the reviews by fans and critics and buy only what makes sense. I think it is overlooked that many of the new releases are limited to 1000 copies. These will all sell out to loyal and hardcore fans, and that is who John is targeting. In the old forum here on Metamatic we used plead often and ask John for more and more new and previously unreleased material as well as live shows. He listened, and now it seems funny to complain about it. John is banging his head against a wall i am sure.....David

He wouldn't be the only one.
Yep, the Australia and Japan tours were very well received.
Seems to be an English trait.

Personally, the classic rerelease made my year.

Genuinely worth the price and the extras made them fascinating to this Foxx fan.

So that puts 08 definitively in the 'Plus' column for me

I agree with the above for 99 %!
Yes, I also waited years and years for some JF stuff to appear. Now it comes on like a flood, and everyone's free to pick out what they like. Me, I like just about everything, so I buy a lot!

I think a thread such as this is heatlhy. Why bother being here if we "can't" post opinions and feelings, good and bad.

Personally I found 2008 to be a disappointing year to be a Foxx fan, largely due to the lack of new material.

I "only" got to see John live once, but I was happy to see The Quiet Man live - that was the highlight of my year, no doubt.

It was more important for John to play more overseas gigs, which he did, in Italy, Australia and Japan. That was good, and reassuring to know John has a dedicated audience outside of the usual UK haunts.

Terrible remixes - yep, can't disagree there. I've never really been a fan of remixes to begin with and my opinion on that isn't going to change just because it's JF.

Unnecessary "new" releases. 2008 was definately the year for recycling. Great to see those early albums back on the shelves with bonus tracks, that's for sure, but as for Neuro Video and Impossible, these both have their moments, but if I'm totally honest, I was only truly impressed with 3 or 4 songs on Impossible. Both releases seemed a bit rushed and not really necessary to me. Both had wonderful, wonderful artwork, but it would have been so much nicer to see these ideas used on proper new releases.

While it's good to have the Metamatic tour documented on the ANKOM CD, I have to say after one or two plays, it went on the shelf and stayed there since. Just doesn't work live for me, but as a ltd edition run, I wouldn't let it pass me by, unlike Glimmer which held nothing of interest to me and the Cinemascope set, which I think, despite its price, wasn't for me, since I had everything, and I don't think it was released at the right time either - a bit premature IMO.

Personally I think it didn't make much sense to release that set before the reissue of TPOE and SC. It's lost any chronology that usually holds such a set together. On the other hand, it's great for those people who couldn't get Crash & Burn etc. But I still maintain they should have waited on this release. One of many realeases that ought to have Steve's name on the front as well as John's maybe...

I would say that '08 was the year for the new fan or for those still catching up with John's releases. For those of us craving something new and some progression, I guess we'll have to wait a little longer.

For me, the best year to be a Foxx fan was 2006...

I've been watching this thread develop, quietly seething...

I think that whether we like or approve of John's 'output' or whether we managed to attend the live shows in 2008 is immaterial. To suggest its been a disappointing year is selfish b*llocks and risks upsetting and offending those who have worked so hard to continue the renaissance.

The way some people are talking here would justify those involved throwing in the towel. and then where would we be?

I'm not going to rant any more, but instead thought I would let 2008 speak for itself.
Here's what happened:

Burning Car on OK_Computer - Foxx among contemporary artists

Never Been Here Before - new single release, inc four remixes

News that John is working on a collaboration project with Paul Daley, aka Leftfield

A New Kind of Man META16CD - live metamatic album and new photography

Four live electro-gigs in Australia, and associated media coverage

Two performances of Tiny Colour Movies in Australia

An exclusive T-shirt

Four exclusive live session tracks

Interviews and anecdotes in the Brian Eno biography by David Shepard

Running in Traffic download single

Tiny Colour Movies performance in Barcelona

Interview and anecdotes on Radio 2's guide to musical genres

Cathedral Oceans performance in Durham

The Quiet Man performance in Genoa

Timon of Athens publication with cover artwork

Tiny Colour Movies performance in Apple Store, Regent Street

Burning Car 12" vinyl single (META17) and associated artwork

Here We Go tribute project - The Other Side of Metal Beat

New website thequietman

Exclusive artwork via the quietman.co.uk

The Quiet Man extracts re-published via thequietman.co.uk

Two live electro-gigs in Japan

First live performances of The Garden and Young Savage for thirty years

Glimmer - a 2CD Best of compilation inc. exclusive artwork and photographs

Three double CD definitive remastered albums, including five new tracks and previously unreleased material

Live show accompanied by analogue gear and live VJ presentation at Cargo

Impossible (META18CD) - repurposed material, inc two new tracks and exclusive artwork

Neuro Video (META19CD) - exclusive live recordings, inc new and exclusive artwork

Live electro-gig in Venice

Several extensive press interviews

The Quiet Man performance in Leeds - inc live VJ presentation

Live From A Room (META10CD) released via download

Memories of Hiroshima cut-up via thequietman.co.uk

Two exclusive and free Jori Hulkonnen remixes

The Unfinished Boy via thequietman.co.uk -previously unpublished

Cinemascope (META20BX) - box set inc. five albums, one DVD, and six art prints

The first ever post from John Foxx to the forum at metamatic.com, thanking his fans for their support and encouragement

Disappointing, my a*se

Well done for remembering all the stuff I'd forgotten Martin.

As I've already said above,best year ever