by Dave Gil Di Rubio
It took 29 years for last year’s “Made of Rain” to officially make it to the psychedelic Furs’ seventh studio album, the follow-up to 1991’s “World Outside”. During that time, grunge, rap-rock and many other music scenes emerged and perished, the five US presidents served and the Internet turned the music industry and the world inside out.
And while Furs founding member/siblings vocalist Richard and bassist Tim Butler spent much of the ’90s making music as Love Spit Love, they resurrected their original group in 2001. When asked why it took the band so long to record their eighth studio effort, younger brother Tim gave a straightforward answer.
“When we got back together, we were talking about doing a new album, but we were a little shy about coming up with an album that would stand out with ‘Forever Now’ or ‘Talk Talk Talk. Could,” Butler said, referencing the group’s 1982 and 1981 albums, respectively. The band is also part of the Cruel World Festival with Morrissey, Bauhaus, Blondie, Devo, Echo and The Bunnymen at Brookside at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on May 14–15.
“We had what we considered good songs and had a band that was playing really well together,” he continued. “We felt the timing was right – and it was.”
The two-week recording session ran from January–February 2020 after Christmas 2019. And then the pandemic hit, forcing the furs to close like the rest of the world. For the bass-playing British ex-pat, this meant going home to his family in Kentucky, despite plans for an extended jaundice to hit the road.
Butler said, “When the new album came out, we had planned to do a big tour with new material and everyone was up for it.” “And then the whole world shut down and it was a huge disappointment. [The album] Was supposed to release early last year as we thought COVID-19 was going to be under control, which it certainly wasn’t. It was a day to day thing. You weren’t sure what was going to close next. It was very nerve-wracking to see the news and see how many people got [COVID-19] that day. It was perhaps a bad thing to see the news daily clinging to the governor’s four o’clock news conference. so the journey came down [being staged] In 2022, didn’t play for almost two years. We’re really excited to go out and play the new album. ,
The wait paid off. Produced by Richard Fortus, formerly of Love Spit Love and currently part of Guns N’ Roses, “Made of Rain” seamlessly slides along the likes of “Forever Now” (1982) and “Mirror Moves” (1984) . Richard Butler’s measured baritone ranged from the nostalgic swoop of irresistible baroque New Wave earworms “Hide the Medicine” and “Stars” to the artificially surreal opener “The Boy That Invented Rock and Roll” and the sinister “Come All Ye” in nuggets set the tone. Faithful,” both inspired by longtime saxophonist Mars Williams.
It’s a long way from when the Butler brothers formed a band after seeing the Sex Pistols at London’s famous 100 club on Oxford Street.
Butler recalled, “We were so blown away by that Sex Pistols that Richard and I were talking one night about what it would be like if we had a band.” “Then he said we should make a band and I told him I couldn’t play anything. He asked what I wanted to play and since recently I was blown away seeing John Burnell playing with The Stranglers , I said bass. So they said I should save up for bass and we’ll make a band. And the psychedelic part of it was because at the time, there were bands with names like Sex Pistols, Venus and Razor Blades and The Clash. They all We’re putting on psychedelic bands and we wanted a name that would show more of our influence. Plus, people would see our name on a marquee and wonder what a psychedelic fur was and want to see it.
After the Psychedelic Furs released their self-titled debut in 1980, it would not be long before their art rock sensibilities saw them join the emerging new wave movement with peers such as Echo and the Bunnymen, The Cure and the Siouxsie and The Banshees. First found. , A healthy presence on MTV and filmmaker John Hughes’ decision to use the band’s 1981 UK hit “Pretty in Pink” for their 1986 film of the same name helped boost the band’s popularity as they traveled to their British homeland. continued to achieve mainstream success with “Hit Like”. The Ghost in You,” “Heaven” and “Love My Way.”
Fast forward to the present, and with former David Bowie/Bruce Springsteen drummer Zack Alford to have time for the Furs, Butler the Bassist is eager to bring his band’s recent material to the masses.
“We’re very excited to play for all the guys, so expect a very excited band,” he said with a laugh. “With the final release of an album that, despite not having a record since 1991’s ‘World Outside,’ seems current, shows we still have something to say for the music. Not only for us, but For the audience, who have been coming out to see us loyally since we’re back with us, it’s really exciting to finally be out playing new songs. Now we have a new album for them to play.”
cruel world
with: Morrissey, Bauhaus, Blondie, Devo, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Psychedelic Furs, Violent Fames, English Beat, The Damned, Black Audio and more
When: May 14 at noon-11 and May15 at noon-10:45
Where: Brookside at the Rose Bowl, 1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena
Ticket: $159-$179 general admission; $349 VIP; $549-$799 Clubhouse; $25-$75 parking. All passes are available at cruelworldfest.com