Icehouse

Flowers - Icehouse

Icehouse
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Music CD Cover

Artist: Flowers
Edition: Music CD
Format: Extra tracks, Import, Original recording remastered
Published: 2002
CD Release Date: 2002-10-21
Music Label: Wea Int'l
Soundtracks:
  1. Icehouse
  2. We Can Get Together
  3. Fatman
  4. Sister
  5. Walls
  6. Can't Help Myself
  7. Skin
  8. Sons
  9. Boulevarde
  10. Nothing to Do
  11. Not My Kind
  12. Send Somebody
  13. All the Way
  14. Paradise Lost [Instrumental]
  15. Love in Motion [Original Single Mix][*]
  16. Goonight, Mr. Matthews [B-Side][*]
  17. Can't Help Myself [Original 10" Single Mix][*]

Free Music Notes for Icehouse

Free Music Review: Perhaps the greatest debut in pop/rock history
Hit: 5 Stars


Icehouse, or "The Flowers" as they were known for this, their debut album, have always had much radio airplay in Australia, on all sorts of music station-contemporary and classic pop/rock stations. The reason I say that this album is perhaps the greatest debut album in pop/rock history is because there are around 3 or 4 songs from this album which still get played on FM radio here in Australia today, and I really like those songs. What makes this cd even more attractive is that it bundles a few more songs onto this album, including one of my other favourite Icehouse songs, "Love in motion".

The Icehouse/Flowers sound basically consists of great, catchy, pop/rock tunes, usually featuring a synthesiser, and occasionally grunty, rock guitar and rock drums. Lead singer Iva Davies is occasionally joined by other band members on vocal duties.

I'll list the songs that get played on radio here, more or less:

Icehouse - you hear this song, but very rarely. Maybe once a leap-year, if you're lucky. Features synthesiser and a moody, slow tempo.

We can get together - a classic from this album and a song that you'll hear on "classic pop/rock" stations regularly. If you've heard Van Halen's "Why can't this be love", the synthesiser intro for this song will ring a few bells. Icehouse had the basic sound years before Van Halen though. Van Halen prettied it up though. There is also a cool guitar effect in this song, not too dissimilar to good Australian band's Mental As Anything's "The nips are getting bigger". Rock guitar is a highlight, along with the very catchy and sing-a-long-able chorus.

Sister - the other classic from this album. Listening to the lyrics, I was surprised at its subject matter...a bit futuristic...about an android woman. There is a cool guitar and drum interlude in this song, a cool rock riff, fast tempo, and, again, catchy lyrics. The early synthesiser sound is not a million miles away from the synthesiser sound of Jean Michael Jarre [I've reviewed his classic album Oxygene here. It's pure instrumental though].

Walls - you occasionally hear this song on commercial radio. It's a lot more common than the song "Icehouse", in any case. Features synthesiser, rock riff, rock beat, bass and mysterious lyrics. Has a very cool 'schizophrenic' singing bit in it...different voices overlaid at one point in the song. Terrific.

Can't help myself - the last classic from this classic album. Features a cool keyboard sound, delicate guitar work, rock drumming, cool guitar riffing and a catchy chorus.

There really aren't any other songs that you hear on the radio over here, but I'm sure that there are songs here you will enjoy, whether they be more synth pop orientated, or more rock in nature. Perhaps the weakest of these is "Fatman" which has a pretty simple chorus and isn't that inspiring for it.

There is a nice instrumental called "Paradise lost". It's practically an instrumental...just the occasional line uttered every now and again...so, not really an instrumental, but described as such. Mellow in any case, with some nice clapping noises and delicate lead guitar work.

Some of the other tracks which I don't mind include: Skin [featuring rock beat, riffs and keyboard]/Sons [featuring synthesiser, slower tempo, broody sound and a nice piano melody in the background]/Not my kind [featuring snare drums, I think, bass, uptempo sound, and a VERY jarring/jangly guitar sound.

"Nothing to do" reminded me of Lou Reed, in so far as Iva Davies singing was concerned.

Of the BONUS tracks, "Love in motion" is a huge addition. Features synthesiser, cool guitar plucking, whistling and, as usual, catchy lyrics and chorus. The 'B' side to that single is also included, which isn't bad...has nice, delicate string sounds.

There is also a 10 inch single mix of "Can't help myself". Really, if I hadn't noted the time length of the original and this version, I really couldn't have picked these two versions apart. Anyway, if "Can't help myself" is one of your favourite songs from this album [and why wouldn't it be?], you'll enjoy the extra half minute of it in this version.

Just by the by, listening to a couple of these songs, I was reminded of a terrific instrumental by the heavy metal band Metallica..."Orion". This album preceded Orion, but in tracks like "Icehouse" and "Can't help myself", you can hear elements which "Orion" would later have. Nice, in any case.

All in all, a true classic of pop/rock. Not that I'd know, but I suspect that this album went totally unplayed in the US. And it's a real travesty of justice that absolute rubbish like "Crazy" and "Electric blue" got Icehouse top 40 hits in the US.

Icehouse Poster

2002 remastered reissue of the Aussie alternative act's 1998 album that's unavailable domestically. Includes three bonus tracks, 'Love In Motion (Original Single Mix), 'Goodnight, Mr. Matthews' (B side to Love In Motion) & 'Can't Help Myself' (Original 10 Inch Single Mix).

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