Orchestral Manouevres Up Your Nose

From 1984, here's Freur and a live version of their astonishing "Doot Doot."



I have absolutely adored this song since the day in the late 80s I heard it on somebody's mix tape at a bar I frequented. So I am thrilled beyond words to finally find this video and see what the band looked like.

Seriously, this is pretty much the only synth pop record of the era that I think really holds up. It's like an aural dreamscape combining the baroque magificence of a Bach chorale with the pop simplicity and guitars of a Buddy Holly song. Only thing keeping it from being an absolute unqualified masterpiece is -- IMHO -- the singer, who has a bit more of that affectless (then fashionable) croon than is really healthy. On the other hand, he seems to be having an infectiously good time in the clip, so I'm willing to cut him some slack.

Anyway, a great song, unjustly forgotten. I would have put up an audio clip of the studio version but I don't know how to link to a zip file (hint hint). In any case, if you want it, e-mail me and I'll send you the mp3.

Ars Gratia Pecuniae

Well, another one of my -- what I thought were private -- obsessions has gone public. Specifically, the only 80s synth pop record I ever really loved, which I posted about back in January, has just showed up in a Palm Pre commercial.



That's Freur's magnificent 1984 "Doot Doot," in case you were wondering. Back in January, I didn't really think it was kosher to put up an audio link, but now that the guys in the band are (one hopes) making some dough from the use of the song in the ad, I think it may be okay.





If another obscure fave of mine shows up in an ad, though, I swear to god I'm gonna take a hostage.