London Triad, 1987: Sigue Sigue Sputnik, The The, Fuzzbox

We’ve Got A Fuzzbox And We’re Gonna Use It, Bostin’ Steve Austin

Of the three albums, this was my favorite at the time, and still is. I read about the group in another import magazine, and the general idea was that they were totally raw and unproduced, but that they had a great look and fun music. That was what I wanted, and that’s exactly what I got.

The producer did just enough polishing to make the songs organized and clear, but let the band play exactly what and how they wanted. The result is straight off the streets of Birmingham, telling you what these girls are thinking about: relationships and freedom.

It wasn’t until recently that I realized how many of the songs are about subjects that are much darker than the music itself, especially “You Got Me,” sung to the boy who assaulted the singer. Before the Spice Girls, Fuzzbox (as their name became known in the US) were presenting us with real girl power, stripped of the processed commercialism and studio fakery. The songs are simple but catchy, with the namesake fuzzbox turning the guitars into buzzing rock drones and the pounding drums adding a tribal beat to the mix.

I can remember with absolute clarity walking across campus in the rain with this album playing on my Walkman, feeling like the only person in the country who knew about this band. The music had a confident attitude that provided a spring for my step and an unpretentious sound that I connected with. Their follow-up album, Big Bang, was slickly produced and worlds away from the debut, but still had some of the same honesty. I’ll always prefer Bostin’ Steve Austin, though. In 1987 I saw Fuzzbox at One Step Beyond in Santa Clara, and found myself at the front of the stage watching the girls play their tunes live. They had the same energy as they did on the album, and it was a joy to see them perform. I think I still have the set list from that gig. They were living proof that you don’t have to be a superstar musician to write songs, you just need to write them. Your preconceptions have gone astray/Don’t look at how I look, listen to what I say.

In the mid-80s, there were still ways for bands to get record deals even if they weren’t Top 40-sounding, but their records were hard to find. I was fortunate enough to be able to travel to the source of what I considered to be “my” music, and I came home with ample fuel for my fevered brain. It was difficult to know what unknown bands sounded like, so you had to rely on third-party reviews or snippets from other albums, and in most cases you ended up disappointed. That winter in 1986, though, I hit the jackpot.

Click to read about. . .

Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Flaunt It
The The, Infected
We’ve Got A Fuzzbox And We’re Gonna Use It, Bostin’ Steve Austin

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