Robyn Hitchcock And The Egyptians
"They come bursting out like speeded up film of a tropical forest."
That's one way Robyn Hitchcock has described how his ideas arrive. He alternately fires and floats them at listeners from all angles on Fegmania!, now available in America on Slash Records. The record officially reunites him with Andy Metcalfe and Morris Windsor, former bandmates in the delightfully skewered British group, The Soft Boys. Keyboardist Roger Jackson completes the lineup of The Egyptians.
"The return of the greatest brain ever to implode," is the way Sounds describes Fegmania!. Melody Maker commented that it "re-establishes Hitchcock's bewildering vision of Psychedelic Pop with great vengeance and dexterity." Often cited as an early catalyst for the current psychedelic resurgence, Hitchcock has been recording since 1977. He released three LPs from '77-'80 with The Soft Boys, all musically mischievous endeavors. While building a dedicated cult following in both England and the U.S., Hitchcock's Soft Boy songs garnered widespread critical praise for showcasing an encylopedia of twisted Pop ideas. Hitchcock himself wanted no reserved seat on any music critic's mantle, however. His musical movements are far too random and rapid-paced to occupy any one convenient spot for long.
With a professed appreciation for the idiosyncratic styles of Syd Barrett, John Lennon and Bob Dylan, Hitchcock is not your everyday Pop pathfinder. "I've got a lot of tendrils in my mind," he's said. Fegmania!, his fourth and friskiest post-Soft Boys LP, captures the full spectrum of his quicksilvery Pop style. Like the contents of a thermometer broken loose, the mercurial music of Hitchcock and The Egyptians is constantly changing its shape. Like those previously mentioned "tendrils" in his mind, the Hitchcockian solo song catalog -- which encompasses four albums and two EPs -- curls and twists in many directions.
His first solo effort, the much-acclaimed Black Snake Diamond Role, was made up of material originally meant for Soft Boys release. It featured contributions by Thomas Dolby as well as members of The Psychedelic Furs. Solo album number two, Groovy Decay, produced by Steve Hillage, includes his most straightforward approach, a direction that Hitchcock later regretted.
A retirement of almost two years followed Groovy Decay's release in 1982. Hitchcock's only musical output during that period involved working as chief lyricist for ex-Damned bassist Captain Sensible. The release of the primarily-acoustic I Often Dream Of Trains album in '84 marked Hitchcock's return to recording. That LP was soon followed by a four-song EP highlighted by "The Bells Of Rhymney" song. The disc was especially noteworthy for two reasons: its royalties were donated to the Women's Support Group for families of striking miners in England, and it reunited Hitchcock with Metcalfe and Windsor.
Now, with the American release of Fegmania! on Slash, and an impending U.S. tour, the Western Hemisphere can finally feel the full force of Hitchcock's rare wit and intriguing melodies. So do try not to blink. Multi-colored music that comes at you like "speeded up film of a tropical forest" is not something one gets to bask in every day.
Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians
Fegmania!
Slash Records 1-25316
COPYRIGHT NOTICE