The 1981 Listening Post - The Freshies - London Plays

 The Freshies - London Plays 

#223

1981 Housekeeping LISTENING POST DISCOVERY

The Freshies

London Plays

Genre: Power Pop

4.75 out of 5

Highlights:

If You Really Love Me…Buy Me a Shirt

My Tapes Gone

Wrap Up the Rocket/Gonna Get Better

I'm In Love With The Girl On The Manchester Virgin Megastore Check-out Desk

I say this all the time but I really need to learn more about Chris Sievey. I had Frank in my queue for the longest time but I just couldn’t seem to find the right moment to watch it. 

I know so precious little about Frank Sidebottom and Sievey and The Freshies but, dammit, I think I love him (them). 

This is listed on Wikipedia as a “demo” but the songs are one delicious piece of confection after another, so much so that you really don’t care about the thin production. 

Do people who love The Freshies also love They Might Be Giants? Cuz I think that’s the same wheelhouse, no? I mean, I love a LOT of TMBG and I’m feeling the similarities. Maybe that’s just me. 

Imagine being such a good songwriter that you can put a cassette only demo like this out, not give it a proper release and still make something that is better than 90% of what’s out there.

On “Wrap Up The Rocket…” You can hear how The Freshies influenced (were completely copied by Weezer (Especially on the Everything Will Be Alright in the End album) and Nerf Herder. 

Conceptually,  “I Can’t Get Bouncing Babies By The Teardrop Explodes” is a magical piece of genius. 

As is Sievey. 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0bLG9cNLt7E2dDpb8MCa9Z?si=ox-WoUcSSFuPEr-f1BnaPw

The 1980 Listening Post - The Freshies - Rough n' Ready

The Freshies - Rough n' Ready

#208

1980 Housekeeping LISTENING POST DISCOVERY

The Freshies

Rough ’N’ Ready

Genre: Power Pop

4.5 out of 5

Highlights:
Yellow Spot

Oh Girl

House Beautiful

We’re Like You

I am loathe to admit that I know so little about Frank Sidebottom. I never saw the movie, Frank. I never listened to any of his music. But this is one of the reasons that I still want to get a turntable. So I can get my hands on this spinner. 

This is one solid Power Pop gem after another. (duh, 1980) What it immediately brings to mind is a Power Pop supergroup from the mid-00s called Tinted Windows, an Adam Schlesinger group that featured Bun E. Carlos, Taylor Hansen and James Iha and was one of the more fun records to come out that year. There is no doubt in my mind that Adam heard all these records growing up, especially The Freshies. This album is excellent, so of course…it doesn’t stream. 

The tracks we are missing are also the tracks that are missing from the Best of album so if you want, hit that up cuz, wowza is that good. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-very-best-of-the-freshies/202924646

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPJGwFfpDV0&list=PLlvn8uktX5LthIDWghTDlrnWgVmrZkumu  (Missing x tracks - Yeah-No-I Know, Yesterday/Tomorrow, Photograph, and New Edition)