Felt - Albums Collection 1982-1992 (6CD)

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Felt - Albums Collection 1982-1992 (6CD)

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Felt was the project of Britain's enigmatic Lawrence Hayward, a singer/songwriter who transformed his long-standing obsession with the music of Tom Verlaine and Television into an impressive catalog of minimalist pop gems and, ultimately, cult stardom. The first Felt single, "Index," was produced by Hayward alone in his bedroom on a portable cassette player; released in 1979, its primitive, impressionistic sound stood in stark contrast to the sleek solemnity of the new wave (as did Hayward's much-discussed "new puritan" stance, a rejection of alcohol, smoking and drugs), and as a result the record became the subject of lavish critical praise, leading to a contract with the Cherry Red label.

Hayward then set about assembling a band, although Felt was clearly his project and his alone; in fact, his control was so absolute that according to legend, original drummer Tony Race was fired primarily because he had curly hair. After a series of roster shuffles, a steady group including guitarist Maurice Deebank and drummer Gary Ainge began to take shape in time to record 1981's Crumbling the Antiseptic Beauty EP. The addition of the classically-trained Deebank allowed Hayward to realize a level of guitar interplay similar to the twin attack of Television's Verlaine and Richard Lloyd; Hayward's understated vocals brought comparison to another downtown New York icon, however – Lou Reed.

After one more EP, 1984's The Splendour of Fear, Felt issued its long-awaited full-length LP The Strange Idols Pattern and Other Short Stories, in 1984. The group's ranks swelled to include keyboardist Martin Duffy prior to recording 1985's Ignite the Seven Cannons with producer Robin Guthrie, whose fellow Cocteau Twin Liz Fraser guested on the single "Primitive Painters," a major British indie chart hit. Despite their success, internal friction plagued the group – Hayward and Ainge were once forced to mount an infamously disastrous two-man improvisational festival performance after Deebank and Duffy abruptly walked out – and finally Deebank left for good prior to the release of 1986's Ballad of the Band EP, Felt's first effort for the Creation label.

In the wake of the guitarist's exit, the group's next album, 1986's Let the Snakes Crinkle Their Heads, became a brief instrumental outing, but its follow-up, Forever Breathes the Lonely Word, was acclaimed as Felt's masterpiece. Mayo Thompson produced 1987's Poem of the River EP, while Guthrie returned to man the spartan mini-album The Final Resting of the Ark. Two dramatically different LPs, The Pictorial Jackson Review and Train Above the City – the latter of which did not even include Hayward – followed in 1988, and upon issuing 1989's Me and a Monkey on the Moon, Felt announced its break-up. Hayward soon resurfaced in the 1970s revivalist project Denim.

Biography by Jason Ankeny, Allmusic.com

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Felt - Albums Collection 1982-1992 (6CD)

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Felt - Albums Collection 1982-1992 (6CD)

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On Crumbling the Antiseptic Beauty, there are hints of Felt's later English pop grandeur – on the instrumental opener "Evergreen Dazed," for example, which (sans rhythm section) pits guitarist Maurice Deebank's cascading, euphoric noodlings against Lawrence Hayward's clear acoustic strums – but overall this is a fairly primitive affair. There is a stripped-down psychedelic feel to certain tracks, with drums pounding out a tribalistic, rolling beat beneath Deebank's complex guitar runs and Hayward's obtuse vocals. Later in their career, particularly on 1985's The Strange Idols Pattern and Other Short Stories, Felt would finally curb all that minimalist atmosphere into three-minute pop gems (while maintaining their skewed, unconventional palette); here, however, the pieces are in place but the overall vision is still rudimentary.

Review by Erik Hage, Allmusic.com

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Felt - Albums Collection 1982-1992 (6CD)

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On Ignite the Seven Cannons, Felt brings in Cocteau Twin Robin Guthrie to produce. While Guthrie brings along bandmate Elizabeth Fraser to add her typically ethereal vocals to "Primitive Painters" – earning Felt a minor U.K. hit – the collaboration doesn't work as well as one would hope. John Leckie's clear, simple production on the group's previous album, The Strange Idols Pattern and Other Short Stories, highlighted the shimmering guitar work and infused the album with odd yet breathtaking beauty. However, the guitars are deeper in the mix here, at times buried beneath Guthrie's atmospheric production and the addition of keyboardist Martin Duffy (later of Primal Scream). Lawrence Hayward has noted that this album sounds different than other Felt albums because Guthrie simply did what he did with the Cocteau Twins. And, while there is a new urgency to Hayward's singing – bringing him even closer to the anti-vocals of his hero Tom Verlaine – and some gorgeous guitar moments from the classically trained Maurice Deebank, this album falls short of the high-water mark set by the group's previous effort.

Review by Erik Hage, Allmusic.com

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Felt - Albums Collection 1982-1992 (6CD)

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Felt's other instrumental album, Train Above the City, was created without the involvement of frontman Lawrence (beyond the naming of the songs), but with Let the Snakes Crinkle Their Heads to Death Lawrence got in on the act, authoring or co-authoring nine of the ten brief instrumental tracks and playing guitar. Without a doubt the most minor, disposable record in Felt's catalog, Let the Snakes… sounds like backing tracks awaiting vocal overdubs. No memorable melodies or interesting textures fill the void created by the absence of vocals, and as a result most of the compositions seem unfinished or simply unremarkable. Leave this one for the completists.

Review by Greg Adams, Allmusic.com

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Felt - Albums Collection 1982-1992 (6CD)

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Words like "shimmering" and "jangling" seem like such rock clichés, but if any guitars ever deserved the term, those on Forever Breathes the Lonely Word certainly do. The album is almost too perfect a pop masterpiece – upbeat, succinct, and wildly catchy – with the only out-of-place element being Lawrence Hayward's Tom Verlaine-esque vocals. That's not a drawback, though – the imperfect vocals give the album just the kick it needs to stand apart from the rest of the flock (much like their contemporaries, the Smiths, come to think of it). It may be overstating the case to say that the album laid the groundwork for a lot of pop music that followed, but the sound was certainly influential in certain quarters, and considering the success of some of those followers, the fact that this album wasn't a hit may be all the proof you need of the injustices of the music industry.

Review by Sean Carruthers, Allmusic.com

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Felt - Albums Collection 1982-1992 (6CD)

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Felt's main man, Lawrence, had a plan. Ten years, ten records, then break up the band. This is that tenth record and Felt goes out on a high note. Me and a Monkey on the Moon is the most musically accomplished and personal record of the band's career. It is emotional, funny, and loaded with memorable melodies, some of Lawrence's best. Felt always came across as incredibly remote and icy. The sound was sparse and jagged, the lyrics – when not vague – were hostile and acerbic, and Lawrence's vocals were pitched somewhere between Lou Reed and talking in his sleep. Me and a Monkey on the Moon is so intimate and personal that it almost sounds like a different band. The record sounds like Lawrence's autobiography, with songs about childhood, family, lost love, and the end of Felt; eight of the ten songs have "I" in the first line and they are all sung in a voice aching with loss and regret. The emotional nature of the lyrics and singing is bolstered by the lush and autumnal musical backing provided by the band. Martin Duffy is amazing here; he plays a wide range of keyboards from piano to mellotron to ARP string ensemble with just the right notes and feeling. The record is filled with instrumentation that was totally new to Felt, like long rock & roll guitar solos, pedal steel guitars, and female backup vocals. It all works to create a rich and heartfelt farewell to Felt, full of sentiment but not sentimental – the sound of a band reaching its potential and kissing it goodbye. As great as Lawrence's next band, the glam and novelty rock-inspired Denim, was, it is too bad he didn't further explore the adult and emotional sounds of Me and a Monkey on the Moon.

Review by Tim Sendra, Allmusic.com

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Felt - Albums Collection 1982-1992 (6CD)

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Absolute Classic Masterpieces documents the dark jangle pop of Felt between the years of 1979 and 1985; it's a best-of collection for a band that always deserved more attention. The tracks run in reverse chronological order, starting with "Primitive Painters," a song that charts the territory where the Cocteau Twins, the Fall, and the Smiths overlap, and ending with the very first demo single "Index." The order of the tracks means that you are listening to the band devolve into its influences, and the effect is enjoyable. "Primitive Painters" is a lost treat if ever one existed; along with the next three tracks, it was produced by Robin Guthrie of the Cocteau Twins. "Primitive Painters" also features Elizabeth Frazer of the Cocteau Twins on vocals. Guthrie is not the only famed producer whose work appears here; three John Leckie tracks are also included, from the Strange Idols Pattern & Other Short Stories album. While most of the slower songs appear toward the end of the album, making it a somewhat sleepy affair as it winds down, there are charms like "The World Is as Soft as Lace" to liven things up. "Penelope Tree" sounds a bit like Lou Reed fronting the Cure. There's great material to be found throughout the work of Felt, so this collection would work regardless of its running order. Newcomers looking for their first Felt album should start here, with the knowledge that there is quite a bit of dark atmosphere layered over the pop charms within. While these songs might not be masterpieces, as the album title would have you believe, there are many near-masterpieces of moody jangle pop just waiting to be rediscovered.

Review by Tim DiGravina, Allmusic.com