The Fixx is one of those new-wave bands that has had quite some succes in the US, but never really made it in Europe, even though they hail from London. Where “Saved by Zero” their 1983 single is probably still their greatest hit, they are still active and tour the US several times a year.
This however seems to be only the first tribute-cd for The Fixx. Filled by mostly synthpop bands. Because I don’t know the tracks of the Fixx by heart, in fact I only know the original versions of a few tracks that are covered, I can hardly judge whether these tracks add something to the original. I can however conclude that what I hear on this cd is good new-wave music, produced by several well-known bands (Gene Loves Jezebel – who surprise me by still being active – , Tristraum, Glow). Another conclusion can be that the songs clearly belong together and are not haphazardly chosen at all.
The tracks themselves are strong, both in structure and in performance. They are also produced the way a new-wave album often is, overproduced for my ears, but for certain to the liking of fans of this musical era.
The only thing left is to name two tracks that deserve special attention. First one “Deeper and deeper” by Monolithic, especially because it is the one track on this album that has a little more raw sound in it, something I like a lot. Second is “Are We Ourselves” by Astromill. The very strange and strong vocals take this song to a new level, great.
Overall this album is a good album for synthpop-fans to get acquanted to The Fixx and just enjoy good music, as this album certainly is good. For those who buy their album through the official site www.fixxtribute.com, another 3 tracks will be available for downloading.
