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Fegmania!

 
Album Review: Fegmania!

Review

After the stripped-back collection I Often Dream of Trains, Robyn Hitchcock slowly formed a backing band called the Egyptians with ex-Soft Boys Andy Metcalfe and Morris Windsor, and keyboardist Roger Jackson over the course of the next year. Fegmania!, the Egyptians' first album, was a distinct departure from both the Soft Boys and Hitchcock's previous solo work, featuring layered, intertwining guitars and keyboards that created lush and thick sonic textures. Even with the more detailed arrangements, the songs remained twitchy and off-kilter, with melodies that usually went in willfully unpredictable directions, yet remained catchy all the while. Fegmania! was Hitchcock's most consistent work to date, featuring such highlights as the Eastern-tinged "Egyptian Cream," and the creepy "My Wife & My Dead Wife," and the relatively straightforward "The Man with the Lightbulb Head." [In 2008 Yep Roc released a new version of Fegmania that included the original album re-mastered, eight bonus cuts (three of which were previously unavailable) and expanded packaging.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Egyptian Cream Robyn Hitchcock Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians (3:31)
Another Bubble Robyn Hitchcock Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians (2:44)
I'm Only You Robyn Hitchcock Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians (4:26)
My Wife and My Dead Wife Robyn Hitchcock Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians (4:16)
Goodnight I Say Robyn Hitchcock Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians (3:12)
The Man with the Lightbulb Head Robyn Hitchcock Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians (3:03)
Insect Mother Robyn Hitchcock Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians (1:52)
Strawberry Mind Robyn Hitchcock Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians (2:48)
Glass Robyn Hitchcock Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians (3:11)
The Fly Robyn Hitchcock Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians (3:48)
Heaven Robyn Hitchcock Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians (4:40)
Bells of Rhymney Pete Seeger, Idris Davies Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians (3:29)
Dwarfbeat Robyn Hitchcock Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians (2:58)
Some Body Robyn Hitchcock Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians (3:19)
Egyptian Cream [#][*][Demo Version] Robyn Hitchcock Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians (4:34)
Heaven [Live][#][*] Robyn Hitchcock Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians (4:53)
Insect Mother [Smithsound Demo][#][*] Robyn Hitchcock Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians (1:40)
Egyptian Cream [Live][#][*] Robyn Hitchcock Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians (5:33)
The Pit of Souls: The Plateau/The Descent/The Spinal Dance/Flight of ... Robyn Hitchcock Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians (9:57)

Credits

Robyn Hitchcock (Bass), Robyn Hitchcock (Guitar), Robyn Hitchcock (Keyboards), Robyn Hitchcock (Vocals), Robyn Hitchcock (Main Performer), Ken Perry (Remastering), Pat Collier (Engineer), Bill Inglot (Remastering), Andy Metcalfe (Bass), Andy Metcalfe (Percussion), Andy Metcalfe (Keyboards), Andy Metcalfe (Vocals (Background)), Matthew Seligman (Programming), Matthew Seligman (Engineer), Morris Windsor (Percussion), Morris Windsor (Drums), Morris Windsor (Vocals (Background)), James Fletcher (Saxophone), Justin Grimaldi (Conga), Roger Jackson (Keyboards), Roger Jackson (Vocals (Background)), John Kingham (Drums), Jim Neill (Reissue Producer), Ian OHiggins (Engineer), James Smith (Guitar), Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians (Performer), Grant Alden (Liner Notes)
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Wikipedia: Fegmania!
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Fegmania!
Studio album by Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians
Released March 1985
Recorded Alaska Studios
Genre Rock
Length 73:54
Label Midnight Music
Slash
Rhino
YepRoc
Producer Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians
Professional reviews
Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians chronology
I Often Dream of Trains
(1984)
Fegmania!
(1985)
Gotta Let This Hen Out!
(1985)

Fegmania! is a 1985 album by Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians.

Fegmania! was Robyn Hitchcock's first album with his new backing group, the Egyptians, which included former Soft Boys Andy Metcalfe and Morris Windsor.

"The Man with the Lightbulb Head" was conceived on London's Archway Road and provided a springboard for Hitchcock's first attempt at film making for a promo video. Stills from the video were reproduced as cover art for the front and back of the LP sleeve.

The album was quickly followed by the live album, Gotta Let This Hen Out!, much of which was recorded on the Egyptians' tour in support of Fegmania!

Eight bonus tracks are added to the subsequent Rhino CD reissue of the album, including an acoustic demo of "Insect Mother", which had been recorded for possible inclusion in the earlier I Often Dream of Trains, and "The Pit of Souls", a lengthy psychedelic instrumental in several 'movements'. Two alternate versions of "Egyptian Cream" also appear as bonus tracks.

The 2008 YepRoc reissue added seven bonus track to the original album. Unlike the Rhino reissue, "The Pit of Souls" is the full "I-IV" version. The outro which previously appeared as hidden track after "Heaven" is now included as separate, twelfth untitled song. This reissue was also included in the retrospective Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians boxset Luminous Groove.

Contents

Track listing

All songs written by Robyn Hitchcock except as indicated.

Side one

  1. "Egyptian Cream" – 3:33
  2. "Another Bubble" – 2:46
  3. "I'm Only You" – 4:28
  4. "My Wife & My Dead Wife" – 4:19
  5. "Goodnight I Say" – 3:14

Side two

  1. "The Man with the Lightbulb Head" – 3:05
  2. "Insect Mother" – 1:54
  3. "Strawberry Mind" – 2:50
  4. "Glass" – 3:12
  5. "The Fly" – 3:50
  6. "Heaven" – 4:41

Midnight CD Bonus Tracks

  1. "Bells of Rhymney" (Davies / Seeger) – 3:30 (single)
  2. "Dwarfbeat" – 3:00 (b-side from "Heaven" single)
  3. "Some Body" – 3:24 (b-side from "Heaven" single)

Rhino CD Reissue Bonus Tracks

  1. "Bells of Rhymney" (Davies / Seeger) – 3:30
  2. "Dwarfbeat" – 3:00
  3. "Some Body" – 3:24
  4. "Egyptian Cream" [Demo] – 4:35
  5. "Heaven" [Live]
  6. "Insect Mother" [Demo] – 4:53
  7. "Egyptian Cream" [Live]
  8. "The Pit of Souls [Parts I-IV]" – 1:41

YepRoc CD Reissue Bonus Tracks

  1. "Bells of Rhymney" (Davies / Seeger) – 3:30
  2. "Some Body" – 3:20
  3. "Heaven [Live]" – 4:55
  4. "The Pit of Souls [I-IV]" – 9:59
  5. "The Drowning Church" – 3:12
  6. "The Man with the Lightbulb Head [Instrumental]" – 2:52
  7. "Lady Obvious" – 3:21

Note: "Dwarfbeat" dropped from this release.

Personnel

  • Robyn Hitchcock - Vocals, guitars, bass on "The Man with the Lightbulb Head"
  • Morris Windsor - Drums
  • Andy Metcalfe - Bass, keyboards on "I'm Only You", "My Wife & My Dead Wife", "Goodnight I Say", "Insect Mother" & "Heaven"
  • Roger Jackson - Keyboards on "Strawberry Mind", "Glass", "The Fly" & "Heaven"
  • John Kingham - Drums on "The Man with the Lightbulb Head"

 
 
Learn More
Fegmania! [Bonus Tracks] (2008 Album by Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians)
Heaven (1985 Album by Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians)
Gotta Let This Hen Out! (1985 Album by Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians)

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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Fegmania!" Read more

 

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