The 1981 Listening Post - Matthew Fisher - Strange Days

 Reviewed by Jim Coursey

Released: 1981 Matthew Fisher Strange Days Genre: Pop Rating: 3 out of 5 Highlights: Something I Should Have Known Why Can’t You Lie To Me Matthew Fisher was the keyboardist for Procol Harum, responsible for one of the most memorable rock organ parts of the 60s in “Whiter Shade of Pale" (with a little help from Bach perhaps). On his fourth solo album, 1981’s “Strange Days”, he packs in all the wistful yearning of that song, with none of its soul or fire. His sound isn’t bad – Fisher brings together the ubiquitous Rhodes piano of the era’s syrupy soft rock sound with a fairly tasteful smattering of synths, keeping up with the trends without sounding too trendy. If the album falls short, the fault lies with the other elements. The album kicks off with a wild card, “Something I Should Have Known”, a lumbering, paranoid, dystopian synth song that would not have sounded out of place on a sci-fi soundtrack of the era. But it’s out of place here, a fantastically Eurotrashy opening act for a parade of goopy romantic numbers. Too bad because I would have preferred to hear a full album in this vein. For better or worse, Fisher finds his bearings with the following track, “Without You,” a testament to the power of love that emerges from its meandering verses with a chorus so confident that its power-chords could blast from a boombox held above John Cusack’s head. That is, if only Fisher were Peter Gabriel. It’s a fine song but would it win Ione Skye back? Fisher's shortcomings are in full focus with track 3, lone single “Living in a Dream.” It sounds like he’s trying to re-write “Pretty In Pink” for the American charts, but neither the stock 80s sax lead nor the retro 50s piano obscure the weak strain in Fisher’s vocals. He sings about “waiting for the lucky break” but His voice is better suited for the moony self-reflection on “Why Can’t You Lie To Me?,” which might have been a better choice for a single. Maybe it’s the electric sitar talking, but this one reminds me a bit of George Harrison. The vocal style as well, although even the Beatles’ third string vocalist would have brought more natural charm to the part. Still, Fisher does well with the gentler fare, and shows a real knack for lyrics. Down about his partner’s cheating, he offers the following clever (and refreshingly self-aware) couplet: “Why can’t you lie to me? Cause I can’t take the truth.” The remainder of the album is less memorable, barring the title track and closer “Strange Days”, which brings us back to the wistful vibe of “Why Can’t You Lie To Me?” and might almost be a highlight if it didn’t inject another ominous left field synth voyage into the middle of things. The brief, pompous electronic symphony spoils the moment, but at the end of the day it’s not like the album was on the verge of success anyways. The two songs that preceded it were as forgettable as they come, and sadly that is the verdict on the album as well.