Search - Icehouse :: Flowers

What a debut!

Johnno | Australia | 10/29/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I threw this on my CD again 26 years after hearing the original and it's still as fresh as I remember. Flowers as they were known then became Icehouse and this was in a time when Australia was going through a real splintering of musical styles. And even then, this album was like a breath of fresh air. Much like U2's Boy album.



It's good to see that young bands are are re-discovering and citing early Icehouse as an influence."

Fantastic debut

Gregory T. Ralls | Philadelphia, PA USA | 06/30/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What a way to start a career! The fully integrated blend of synths & guitars make this album sound ahead of its time, and it seems surprising that Icehouse didn't have a huge worldwide hit off this album. Each song sounds like it was written with the intention of being a single, and that is certainly not a bad thing in this case.



Sure, there is a bit of spot the influence going on here, as many of the songs sound a bit like David Bowie, Bryan Ferry & Ultravox, but it's still a very rewarding listen. The bonus tracks are perhaps even stronger than any of the original album tracks. If you like the blend of keyboards & guitars in a rock music setting, you will probably find this CD enthralling."

Perhaps the greatest debut in pop/rock history

dfle3 | Australia | 04/22/2008

(5 out of 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."