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

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

At no time in this thread has anyone with an opinion contrary to the majority suggested that the work the John Foxx team put forth in 2008 was in vain or that those behind the scenes, or Dennis Leigh himself, should stop what they have been doing and throw in the towel just because something they did might not have made everyone equally happy.

For example, I am delighted that there were so many John Foxx gigs this past year! But I am nevertheless disappointed that none of those shows were anywhere I could afford to get to. That is a legitimate emotional response to my personal experience. It is not in any way intended to diminish the pleasure others got from attending shows they could get to, nor is it a dismissal of the hard work that went into planning and coordinating the shows. Furthermore, it is not — as has been suggested elsewhere — moaning for the sake of moaning. My reaction is selfish only insofar as it is my opinion because one's opinion pertains only to one's self.

I was under the impression that this forum welcomed differences of opinion, but based on some of the comments in this thread I'm not so sure anymore. Are we only allowed to post if we are cheerleaders for the standard bearers who say everything is peachy, and dissenters be damned? People aren't always going to agree, but that doesn't mean one person's subjective responses are any less valid than another's. Get over it, guys! :rolleyes:

Nicely put, Alex. I agree with you on both counts.

Well said, Martin.

Well, on Saturday, 10th May 2008, I travelled most of the day to get to the Sydney gig for what I considered to be my once in a lifetime opportunity of getting to see John (& Louis) live. Not only that, I got to meet John in person, have a chat and buy him a well-deserved beer. So, I'd have to say that, for me, 2008 was a 'pretty-good' year.

John: In case you read this ... I lost my bloody 'fan photo' with you. My computer went up in smoke in September and I lost absolutely everything, although I've still got my specially autographed copy of the A New Kind Of Man CD as a souvenir. I'm coming to the UK in April, so hopefully I might be able to catch you and Louis gigging again, maybe? I've got to have a couple of more beers with Chris 1, at least!

Thanks for that Aussie tour last year, and as far as the various CD releases go ... I still remember how I felt when I got my first copies of Metamatic and The Garden way back then, so I'll buy everything of your material that gets released, I don't care if it's a repackaging or remix collection. Until I get to hear it for myself, how do I know what I might be missing out on, eh? Hopefully, the various 'live' CDs will contain all of the tracks played on the Aussie tour, so I'll now be able to compile my own 'Aussie Tour' compilation.

I'm looking forward to the remaster of The Pleasures Of Electricity though!

All the very best to you and everyone else in the extended 'family' for 2009.

Regards,

Rod (the Kiwi fan base ).

One of the reasons I like the Metamatic forum is that, unlike some artists' forums I could name, one can express an honest opinion rather than blindly praising the artist regardless of the quality and quantity of the material he or she puts out. I'm sure we've all seen forums where, as soon as you say "actually I didn't much like the last album" several posters immediately jump down your throat with "call yourself a fan?" flaming that only serves to push the non-obsessive fans away.

I started this thread because in my opinion several (but by no means all) of the releases that came out under John's name in 2008 weren't up to the standards he's previously set himself. I also queried the cynical marketing tactic of forcing fans to buy whole albums worth of new material just to get a new track or two when it would have been more fan-friendly to have made the new tracks downloadable for, say, 79p each. This doesn't make me "wrong", "moaning" or "talking bollox", it means that I prefer to judge each CD John releases on its own merits rather than buying it regardless of the material within.

Whilst I'm glad that the thread has provoked an interesting debate, I don't much care for those who throw insults at those who dare to offer a contrary opinion. Sycophancy is never a good thing; if people aren't prepared to come out and say "Sorry John, I don't think your recent music is as good as it could be", where is his incentive to make the effort? He might as well just release a CD of him brushing his teeth and several people would rush out and buy it.

So no, I stand by my opinion in the opening post. 2008 was in my opinion a disappointing year for fans of John Foxx. Nevertheless, I'm interested enough to hear what John has planned for 2009 and hope it's better.

Got to agree with Alex - this is a healthy thread; and people should have the right to air their views - my only concern is how they air those views.

We're all adults on here - some detatchment and maturity wouldn't go amiss; whatever your view.

Be happy, be well and look forward to the future

[controversy_mode]
NO NO NO NO NO.

If I want guitars, I'll listen to Numan.
Real drums? NOOOOH!!!! Bloody Ting Tings?Orchestral? Cathedral Oceans Surely..

It was adding guitars etc that buggered up John's music in the first place (for me). I left after Metamatic.
I came back when "pleasures" showed a return to the electronica fold.

I'd like to see more in the Pleasures/Trash/Crash vein, please..

So, maybe there were too many releases. But then, we don't have to buy them all.

[/controversy_mode]

My apologies if I'm out of synch here, but I was reading the thread from the start, and HAD to respond!!

No offence intended to anyone. (Unless they're French.)

Any Foxx fan from the first time around is now getting on a bit, and therefore entitled to be a "Grumpy". And I include myself in that!
I hereby launch the Metamatic "Grumpy" club, and nominate Herbert as a fellow founder member.

Aye - Well said that man. Maturity - yes, Respect - absolutely. Lets not destroy what we have here!

Given the enormous tide of opinion (both ways) listed above, would it not be fairer to add the word "some" inbetween the words "for" and "fans" in the portion of your last paragraph that I've cut out? Hopefully some of us have conviced you that not all of us are disappointed?

Probably a different thread that we shouldn't start, but my disappointing year was 1986, then '87, '88.......

Anyone who knows me will know that I really don't like arguments. And so I was very reluctant to add my voice to a thread which has produced some strong and heartfelt opinions for fear that it may be taken the wrong way.

I can only speak personally when I say that I've found 2008 to a very interesting and exciting year to be a fan of John Foxx. Irrespective of my involvment with this website and the recent batch of releases I'm still a fan first and foremost.

Debate is fine and healthy - and that's a point that I really thought didn't need to be made here as this Forum has always been run with what I hope is seen as a 'light touch'. I've been told (on several occasions) that this is one of the friendliest forums around - and that makes me very happy indeed.

I completely agree - 1986 wasn't so much a 'disappointing year' as the start of a 'disappointing decade'.

Ultimately, we're not all going to like everything that gets released - but so what? It's not like there's any shortage of material. Surely it's every bit as good to be presented with a choice. In short, there's heaps of things going on in the world of John Foxx - some of it will please people and some of it won't. And we will all have our view on what happened in 2008, but that's been and gone now...

Here's to 2009...

Rob

Indeed! 2008 was one of the worst years I've ever endured for other reasons, so I'm all for '09!!

Happy New Year Rob, by the way; and thank you for keeping us all up to date and your continued hard work on all things Foxx.

My personal gripes aside, I do appreciate that John has done a lot more (and much needed) work outside the UK this year and that must have been such a pleasure for the fans, especially those who had waited decades to finally see him live - for them I guess there could be no greater thrill.

I'm certainly looking forward to what John may produce this year, since most of the back catalogue stuff was dealt with last year, clearing the way for new and exciting things.....

Rodney,
I wish Zaine Griff had had a year half as disappointing with regards to releases, don't you agree?
Paul

As a Foxxhead I can't decided whether the glass is half full or half empty Having got to see John in Genoa I have now seen Dennis in his various phases Singer with the exclamation mark appendaged Ultravox back in 78 , never to be surpassed , twice with Louis Gordon and last June as pianist/performance artist All sterling performances What I really like about Mr Leigh is his quality coupled to elusiveness almost aloofness I have not bothered getting Glimmer or any other of the 2008 releases . IMHO 2007 was his "Annus mirabilis" with the various releases
Even though I can't stand the drink ,John could be compared to a fine whiskey He should never be diluted Much as I love music and I place JF at the top of the pile ,I've got too many other interests to waste time obsessing over whether one particular version or mix is better than another.Life's too short basically . Please feel free to agree , disagree with or disregard my point of view

G'day, Paul! It's nice to see you still contributing to the forums.

Yes, it certainly would be nice to see something done about Zaine's catalogue. Where would the master tapes be ... who has all of the Polydor stuff these days? Perhaps Zaine has his own copies? But, at any rate, surely they must be nearing the end of their 'use by' dates as far as remastering goes? It would be nice to see something happen in this regard, but given the last run of interest in his material, it might as well be handed over to the likes of Cherry Pop!

What I'd really like to see, though, is another Messengers album!

Cheers, Paul. All the best for the new year.

Rod.

Ok well I'll add my voice and confirm that 2008 was in no way disappointing for me as a JF fan. Apart from all the various releases which may not have been new material but were well worth the money spent and I finally manged to appreciate those 'difficult' 80s albums. Yes I was also one of the priveleged ones to have seen him live and meet him once more afterwards.
Plus of course The Quiet Man project finally taking shape and all the web activity which for someone living abroad is so essential, not least this excellent and intelligent forum which is indeed a surprising rarity.

Disappointed? Try being a Human League fan!

Just to confirm that I'm in the "extremely positive 2008" camp.

Looking forward to more of the same (or even better) in 2009.

Alex: You are too young to be a "Grumpy".

Yeah, I've only been a fan for nearly thirty years, and John's only 60 or so now, no rush getting over here before he retires.

Quote:

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.

Ah. I didn't realize it was selfish of me to hope for something that most of the people here on the forum have experienced often enough that they can take it for granted. Something that was finally raised as a possibility a couple of years ago only to go unmentioned again since. I hope my wanting to see John Foxx perform live some day hasn't offended him unnecessarily.

I think the only thing I would take issue with in Herbert's well-argued, reasonable and perfectly justified comments is the use of that one word: 'disappointing'. If anyone can be disappointed or satisfied with the year's work, it's John; he knows where he wants his career to go, and only he can say whether this year's output genuinely furthered that direction. The rest of us can say what we like - and, lest we forget, that's exactly what this forum's for - but ultimately, whether or not we were happy with this year depended solely on our personal preferences. I don't see how anyone on this thread, whatever 'side' they were on, could be described as talking 'bollocks', however you choose to spell it; quite apart from the totally unjustifiable level of offence words like that give, what gives any of us the right to dismiss an inoffensive and mature post like that? I don't happen to share Herbert's opinion of this year's events, but I completely respect his views and his right to air them.

To address the question, I'm personally very happy with what we got in 2008. Several great gigs, with the sole personal disappointment of missing CO at Durham (nobody's fault but my own), very satisfying reissues and an excellent compilation, plus something which, for me, made this year very special indeed - the ongoing development of the Quiet Man project. I don't share the cynicism over the 'repurposing' of this year's material. None of us has to buy anything John releases, and for all the disapproval surrounding Cinemascope in particular, it certainly seems to have delighted those who did choose to go for it - job done, then.

Missing out on seeing John play live is obviously a shame, and I don't think any of us could fail to accept how annoying the situation is for overseas fans, Steve. UK fans know exactly what it feels like to go without gigs for a long time; in the early '90s, a tour looked like a distant dream. I've never seen or heard any comment from John that suggested he *didn't* want to play in North America. Surely that decision is dependent to a large extent upon finding promoters/venues? John's played in Australia, Japan and Europe recently, in addition to his UK shows; fairly impressive, I think, for someone who has another career that presumably places demands on his time. I hope you do get to see John live soon - I know lots of other people in Canada who would love that to happen.

Problem 1: Many North Americans are disappointed that they can't easily see John Live.

Problem 2: Some people don't like buying CDs which are primarily reissues or alternate versions.

Problem 3: John needs income to fund future recordings.

Solution to 1-3: Release a different kind of product in 2009, a Foxx/Gordon Live DVD.

Or a Kraftwerk fan ...

The quote mentioned above was this one by 'D':

Disappointed? Try being a Human League fan! [/QB][/QUOTE]

Absolutely! What the hell happened to Der Katalog? I was really looking forward to finally getting a remastered copy of Computer World.

At least Ralf now says "Goodnight!" at the end of the gig and they all take a bow as they leave the stage. Perhaps they're finally warming up to audience interaction.

The only thing he'll be saying after the current tour is ‘So long, farewell, Auf wiedersehen, adieu, Adieu, adieu, to yieu and yieu and yieu.’

http://www.metamatic.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=7;t=000496

Thanks very much for that, Garry. Sorry, I wasn't aware of that Kraftwerk-dedicated thread you'd started.

I knew that Florian had finally pulled the plug, so you do have to wonder how long Ralf will continue to keep the power on, eh?

Cheers ...