[All the Fegging Time] -- I have no idea what Fegmania might be or mean outside of Robyn Hitchcock's discography, nor am I really all that curious about it. So, in this post, I'll be focused on Hitchcock's fourth studio album, Fegmania!, which was also his first with his backing band, The Egyptians. But you might have expected that from an 80s Flashback, right?
Released in March 1985 – quite possibly on March 1 per several sources – Fegmania! either has turned, or will turn, 40 years old as of this month. It is considered one of Hitchcock's best releases, and I'm inclined to agree. Not that you have to take my word for it. AllMusic retroactively gives Fegmania! 4 ½ out of five stars, saying the songs are "twitchy and off-kilter, with melodies that usually went in willfully unpredictable directions" and that the record was Hitchcock's "most consistent work to date." The Chicago Tribune rated it a solid 4 out of 4 stars, calling it "Hard pop with a twist." While Spin said the album had "unpredictably brilliant songs, synapse-bending lyrics, and vigorously inventive guitar" (Spin issue 3, p. 32, July 1985).
Despite garnering such critical acclaim, Fegmania! doesn't seem to have charted all that well; as far as I can tell, it didn't launch any singles either. That's weird to me. Even now, I feel that this album, with its post-punk pop and smattering of psychedelia, was perfect for the mid-1980s. I'm particularly fond of "Goodnight I Say," "The Man with the Lightbulb Head," "Egyptian Cream," and "Glass."
Flashback: "Fegmania! (March 7, 1985)
And that's all till next week. Dedicated 80s-philes can find more flashbacks in the Prophet or Madman archives or via Bookended's 80s Flashback tag. As always, your comments are welcome on today's, or any other, flashback post. And if you like what I'm doing here, please share the link with your friends. If, however, you don't like the flashback, feel free to share it with your enemies.
See you in seven!