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

Well as we reach the last day of the year, it's time to take stock of what a year it's been and as no-one else appears to have kicked off a thread on such a theme, I'll start.

Call me the forum curmudgeon but I've found the past year to be a disappointing one for John Foxx fans like myself. I know this may go against the general consensus, but my overall feeling is that, while there've been some positives, they've been outweighted by the negatives.
In my opinion, here's the good and bad;

Good

1. The 2CD rereleases of John's 3 classic albums. For a fan since 1980 like myself, the bonus tracks have been fascinating; some new classics, intriguing alternative versions and a sense of finally "joining the dots" that determined the progression from one album to the next.

2. The "Quiet Man" project finally starting to bear fruit. Okay most of us are familiar with the extracts we've read, but it's fascinating to see and hear them with the new visuals and music. Call me a traditionalist however, but I'd still like to see the novel (if indeed it is a novel) released as a conventional book.

Bad

1. The unnecessary "new" releases.
Again I may be on my own with this one, but this is the first year I've viewed a new John Foxx release as a non-essential purchase.
“Neurovideo”, from the extracts I’ve heard, is very much a “you had to be there” memento of a one-off live gig, but comes across to me as a little lazy. Few of the new arrangements seem to have developed from the original versions; indeed many sound like they’ve just sampled the original backing track. And call me an heretic, but it also showed that John’s voice isn’t quite as powerful as once it was.
Likewise “Impossible”; reworked versions are fine if they’re radically different and bring something new, but again from what I’ve heard, few tracks on this album do. Furthermore, sticking two new tracks on the album, forcing fans to buy a whole album just to hear them, is a bit of a cynical marketing exercise. If ever an album could have been made available for download on a track by track basis, this was the one.

2. Needless compilations
Regarding “Glimmer” – I think I made my feelings known elsewhere on this one; too much overlap with “Modern Art”, a lack of cohesion and again throwing in “exclusive” versions of tracks to make fans buy an album they don’t really need.
As for “Cinemascope”, I really don’t get it. Yes, new artwork and a pretty box is all very nice, but why on earth would I want to buy again six albums I already own?

3. Terrible remixes
I’m not going to have a go at Juri Holkonnen again, but his remixes and the Karborn version of “Burning Car” failed, in my opinion, to bring anything new to John’s work. Okay, so I’m in my forties now but I still like some modern dance music. What I don’t like however is dance music that just takes one short section and loops it over and over again without developing an idea.
I really don’t see the point of this obsession with bringing John’s music to a teenage audience. For me John’s best work is timeless; by attempting to follow the latest dance trends you run the risk of being dated when fashions move on.

4. A lack of development
A final moan is that I’m starting to suspect that John and Louis are running out of ideas. You could guess exactly how “Walk This Way” and “Adult Concerns” would sound before hearing them and I can’t help feeling that the limitations of the sound palette used are starting to show. Yes, we all like analogue synths and drum machines, but with a modern computer based set up to just limit yourself to such sounds is such a waste! I’d like to hear guitars (acoustic and electric), big choirs (vocodered or otherwise), real (sampled) drums, even orchestral timbres!


Sorry to have to end the year on a downer; I’m fully aware that many newer fans may view 2008 as one of John’s best and most prolific. But if, as has been hinted at, John is nearing musical retirement, I’d like him to round off his career with music as challenging and innovative as that which attracted us to his music in the first place.

Happy new year all!

I'm sure there will be a lot of responses on this one, let me try to be first.

2008 was the best year on record as a JF fan, for very simple reasons:

1. After a 25 year break, I saw him play live again. The two nights JF and LG did out here in Tokyo were fantastic because they had power, energy and the crowd were hungry.

2. I met him! After liking his music for so long, I actually had the chance to say "hello" after the Tokyo gig on the second night.

3. Walk This Way - the opening track at Tokyo. We were probably the first to hear it. I loved it.

4. Early version of "No-one driving" - If only that had been released as the single way back!

5. Discovering TCM - this has me fascinated and I would love to see more than the stuff available on YouTube. I'm hoping that is his next tour material for Japan!

6. The Quiet Man stuff - Like you I am enjoying the flood of materials coming out now. Unlike you though, I am hoping that it doesn't come out in novel form. I think that is quite a limiting media (although of course it is dependant on the imagination of the reader, which in many ways is infinite), and JF has really made pioneering steps into multimedia and it is more inspiring for me.

7. Discovery of this forum! It was here that I learned about the Japan dates, and started to rediscover the lost period (basically the time I have been in Japan - 15 yrs) where I lost contact with his new stuff. It is still an interesting journey for me as I catch up! Also, the members contributing are all very frank and post things from the heart (yourself included )


Where I find common ground, and the word you used was spot on, is that the palette of sounds is quite narrow. I haven't found it limiting yet though - but I haven't caught up with all the "lost period" stuff yet.

So, I am so very pleased about 2008, and I suspect that 2009 could be even better. Good on you for posting your feelings in the raw, and have a Happy New Year (I have two hours left to go!!)

2009 for me as a Foxx fan has been overwhelmingly positive.

Glimmer like it or not was needed.It helped introduce quite a lot of casual fans who had hardly heard of John to the breadth & depth of his music.

I saw as many shows as I could this year.

Starting with the dazzling Cathedral Oceans @ Durham,then TCM @ the Apple store in June.

Then the live show @ Cargo & finally The QuietMan @ Leeds.

I've enjoyed every show & enjoyed meeting people off the forum.

As for the remixes you cant please all of the people all of the time so I accept that.I dont like every mix either.

As for the 3 re-issues they were fantastic.
IMW for some reason I like more than I thought I should.

This was the year I finally met John & shook his hand @ Leeds.

This is the year that I won a signed copy of the remixed burning car.

This is the year that I had to get the record player ouf of the loft & play Burning car then all of my records for the first time in years.

2008 will probably not be beaten as a Foxx fan for me.

Happy new Year

Brian

Just quickly giving some thought to this subject, I would say that as an old fan from 1980 myself, I also think that the classic album re-masters have been extremely fascinating. I’ve enjoyed the good, the bad, and the ugly (well, maybe its not quite that bad or ugly, as John’s work is sincerely full of careful consideration and quality, whatever my misgivings about some of the production behind it).
It’s been a very illuminating year, and so far I’ve only fully listened to two out of the big 3, there’s been so much to play around with these re-masters, and I’ve loved so many of the early/alternative versions, these albums really have been a vital addition for me.

Neuro Video I’ve enjoyed playing, though I consider Impossible to be the one out of these two to really have, and I can see myself returning to it often.

I don’t play Glimmer as a whole, just really for selective tracks, and I do like the Dubterror/Karborn, and particularly the Free Robot remix, and the Hulkkonen collaboration also, I’d really like an album like this (if it were as good). I don’t think these are as boring as so much looped dance or techno can be, and I’m also not so convinced that it is actually aimed at a younger audience, it’s hardly a full on assault. These particular tracks bring another perspective, surely it’s better than an unnecessary 12” extended mix of an original, and for me they’re totally miles better than any of the original tracks on Nation 12 :rolleyes:

I’ve also enjoyed taking part in the forum, instead of just reading it, and I’d encourage all others out there to post more

Maybe the musical palette has been a bit similar for the last few albums at least, and I would be interested in seeing John going off tangent a bit more, as long as the electro remains at the heart of it, and I’d really love to hear big choirs on new songs, c’mon John get the Human Host out, take it to the max and blow us all away in an orchestral sunset…

But I thought that I held that title!

I love you, Herbert, for daring to voice contrarian opinions — and I happen to agree with you on almost all of them.

I am pleased with the fact that the John Foxx brand has been so active in 2008, but I did find much of the output frustrating. The extra material on the reissues was in many cases fascinating and quite revelatory, so I have tried not to complain too much about having to rebuy three discs I already own to get the bonus discs . I also wound up buying Cinemascope because it was cheap and I didn't already have COIII, Electrofear or the DVD. The package is lovely, but the random choice of items in the box still baffles me. It's not a career overview and it's not cohesive — it's just a hodgepodge of stuff with NO LINER NOTES for newbies who might need some info to put things into proper context (and there is plenty of room in the box for a booklet). I maintain, cynically, that its intended audience, like that of Glimmer (which I also bought), is existing fans like me who will rebuy things they already have just to get the extras they might not have. As for the art prints, why not save the photos for a coffee table book or a proper display-sized art print? They will never leave the box, so I'm not sure why I have them — are people actually framing them, or even taping them on the walls?

The "new" releases (Impossible and Neuro Video) have extremely limited appeal for me, and I don't find any reason to jump up and down with excitement about either of the two brand-new songs because, as you say, they are predictable. I too have concerns about the limited scope of the palette for the electronic pop aspect of John Foxx's career. I don't mean he has to jump on a new trend, but in the coming year I hope he gets involved with some new collaborators who have some fresh perspectives and bring some new vitality to his work — both to entice new people into the fold and to prevent old faithful fans from getting bored with the formulas.

Of course, I am hopeful that many of these releases that I find so exasperating or unnecessary are in fact SELLING in sufficient numbers to provide the financial windfall that Dennis Leigh needs to grant him the freedom to create something new and different in 2009 . . .

I find it interesting that two of the people (so far) who have come to the defense of 2008 mentioned that part of the reason they think it was a great year was they got to see live gigs and meet their hero in person. I am very happy for them, but we longtime John Foxx fans in North America have been waiting for thirty years for our opportunity to do so. But maybe we'll get our chance in 2009 — hey, it's a new year, full of promise and hope!

I would like to add my wishes that everyone who participates in this forum has a wonderful, healthy, happy, rewarding 2009. The information and entertainment this site provides, and the exchanges of ideas even when there are disagreements, are always interesting and enjoyable. Best wishes for all things good, Foxxian and otherwise, in the new year!

I'm sure we all will be happy of John's collaboration work with Robin Guthrie next !

And there shall be more new stuff released in the near future with Steve Jansen.

I think these both works will be totally different to what we had heard before from John.

As the work with Louis; I think it is John and Louis style to make music together. For my opinion John had a lot of different music released the last years - and the stuff with Louis is only one part of it. But there were not many " real "instruments used until yet. It's more electronic music - and I have to admit I like this more than the stuff of Golden Section or In Mysterious Ways ( what not! means they are bad!). These are John's years of pure electronic music - and I love it!!!

I'm glad he makes music today and hope he is going on for many years. Sure - he is no 20 or 30 years old and his voice sounds a bit older today, but hey - he is making great stuff these days! You don't have to love every track of him. For my opinion some stuff is better than the other but I never found bad stuff of him. I'm not a big fan of the remix thing too. But for me this all is much better than the guys who do a comeback only to play their best of hits and make some money for their pension!

I'm sure 2009 will be great , with NEW stuff of John!!

Couldn't have put it better myself, Andreas. Although, the remix thing does appeal to me.

Thank you Herbert for your interesting thoughts.

The thoughts that came into my mind has I was reading your post, I have known some lean years in John's career but 2008 seemed to me to be a year of, using Johns owns words "repurposing" with no new material except Adult Concerns and Walk This Way. Again my opinion only, all the bonus material on the new remasters was already in "the can" and just needed remastering. From my view point being a Foxx die hard, hearing all the unreleased tracks was well worth the money but the "man on the street" probably not. Looking forward to Shifting City remaster.

I managed to see John 3 times last year.

It was nice to see how Johns projects TCM at the Apple store and Quiet men at Leeds had grown beyond all recognition.

Cargo, it was well worth the money for the extended show and to hear John and Louis do The Garden and Young Savage live. That was a fantastic night.

GLIMMER
I only brought this for previously unreleased tracks. I thought Glimmer was well packaged with some nice photographs but oh dear, the CD notes were heavy going.

NEURO VIDEO
Well produced CD of the free concert held in 2007 although it's another live album, I enjoyed it especially as I was at the concert.

IMPOSSIBLE
Nice to have 2 new tracks on this CD albeit one instrumental and one song. Again for me a studio reworking of old material but a must have.

CINEMASCOPE
I can't justify spending the money on this CD as I already own the disc's and £20 for a set of cards is expensive.

REMIXES
Not a lot I want to add as I'm not a fan of remixes.

2008 Was also another great year for meeting other like minded Foxx fans again around the country. I'm not alone LOL

To sum up, I enjoyed the last Foxx year and it's nice to know John's still about with Louis as I know one day he'll retire.

I do hope 2009 will be as productive but with some brand new material.

Peter

2008 seems to have been largely a year of consolidation, along with boosting the profile.

The reissues of The Garden onwards were long-awaited, at least by me, and I was very pleased that they were finally released.

The showing/performance of the Quiet Man films was breathtaking.

In my opinion, these two items could not possibly give rise to a disappointing year.

The reissues still are a joy, and I did buy Cinemascope for prosperity's sake if nothing else (it cost as much as a couple of rounds down the pub!)Jury's still out on Glimmer, some remixes work, some don't.

I think the great thing about 2008, as always, is that we get differences of opinion and freedom of speech on the forum, and when it's taken constructively they really do enliven the day. That said Herbert, if you ever darken this forum again..........
Cheers