Fine Young Cannibals (album)

Template:Use dmy dates Template:More citations needed {{safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst-infobox||$params=italic_title,name,type,longtype,artist,cover,border,alt,caption,released,recorded,venue,studio,genre,length,language,label,director,producer,compiler,chronology,prev_title,prev_year,year,next_title,next_year,misc|$extra=italic_title,longtype,border,caption,language,director,compiler,chronology,year,misc|$aliases=italic title>italic_title,Italic title>italic_title,Name>name,Type>type,image>cover,Cover>cover,Border>border,Alt>alt,Caption>caption,Longtype>longtype,Artist>artist,Released>released,Recorded>recorded,Venue>venue,Studio>studio,Genre>genre,Length>length,Language>language,Label>label,Director>director,Producer>producer,Compiler>compiler,Chronology>chronology,Misc>misc|$flags=override|$B={{#ifeq:{{#invoke:Is infobox in lead|main|[Ii]nfobox [Aa]lbum}}|true|{{#if:Template:Has short description | |{{#if: 9 December 1985<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | Template:Short description}}}}}}{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Category handlerTemplate:Main other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox album with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y|italic_title |type |name |image |cover |border |alt |caption |longtype |artist |released |recorded |venue |studio |genre |length |language |label |director |producer |compiler |prev_title|prev_year|next_title|next_year|chronology|year|misc}}{{#if:{{#invoke:String|match|error_category=Music infoboxes with Module:String errors|A|1=The Raw & the Cooked1989studioFine Young CannibalsFine Young Cannibals - Fine Young Cannibals.jpgEuropean cover. The North American release features the design behind the band's name colored blue.Fine Young Cannibals9 December 1985<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>1985Power Plant Studios and Sound Suite Studios, London* Pop<ref name="AllMusic Rock 1997">Template:Cite book</ref>

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• London* Robin Millar
• Mike Pela
• Alvin Clark
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Fine Young Cannibals is the debut studio album by the band of the same name, released in 1985.

The album features the band's debut hit single "Johnny Come Home", which reached number 8 on the UK Singles Chart. This success did not continue with the next single, "Blue", which peaked at number 41 in the UK. The version of "Blue" on the original US and Canadian vinyl LP and cassette was re-mixed and edited in an attempt to boost its commercial appeal. The re-mix version features additional electronically processed percussion overdubs, giving it a sound more typical of 1980s synthpop hits. Later CD pressings feature the re-mix version of "Blue" in place of the original US album version.Template:Citation needed

Critical reception

Record Mirror critic Stuart Bailie praised "the variety of emotional shades" in Roland Gift's singing on Fine Young Cannibals, adding that the group "are one of the few bands to realise the value of a sparse presentation" and "have an emotional charge that's sorely needed just now".<ref name="recordmirror"/> In Rolling Stone, Mark Coleman highlighted Gift's "casual authority" as a vocalist and said that the lyrics "strike a fine balance, noting the subtle and not so subtle toll politics and economics take on relationships. That forecast may be bleak, but Fine Young Cannibals displays a healthy optimism that's as irrepressible as the seamless beat beneath it."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> SpinTemplate:'s Annie Russo wrote, "The lyrical content on most cuts isn't terribly complicated, one thought turned around a few times; but the sparseness lays snug next to the inlays and wrap-arounds of Gift's voice, along with the more than competent instrumental work, forever keeping the vocals buoyed up."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Stewart Mason, in an AllMusic retrospective review, commented that Fine Young Cannibals "is a powerful and satisfying debut" with "uniformly strong" songs.<ref name="allmusic"/> Nigel Williamson called the album "an artful soul-pop concoction loaded with hooks and hits" in Uncut,<ref name="uncut"/> while in Classic Pop, John Earls said that it was a testament to the group's reputation as "the soul band even the indie kids love".<ref name="classicpop"/>

Track listing

Songs composed by Roland Gift and David Steele except where noted.

1. "Johnny Come Home" – 3:35
2. "Couldn't Care More" – 3:30
3. "Don't Ask Me to Choose" (Andy Cox, Gift, Steele) – 3:05
4. "Funny How Love Is" (Cox, Gift, Steele) – 3:28
5. "Suspicious Minds" (Mark James) – 3:56
6. "Blue" (Cox, Gift, Steele) – 3:31
7. "Move to Work" – 3:26
8. "On a Promise" – 3:06
9. "Time Isn't Kind" (Cox, Gift, Steele) – 3:12
10. "Like a Stranger" – 3:28

Additional tracks on 1986 edition

11. "Johnny Come Home" (extended mix) – 5:43
12. "Suspicious Minds" (Suspicious mix; Mark James) – 7:52

Personnel

Fine Young Cannibals

• Roland Gift – vocals
• Andy Cox – guitar, organ on "Time Isn't Kind"
• David Steele – bass, piano, keyboards

Additional musicians

• Martin Parry – drums
• Graeme Hamilton – trumpet, piano solo on "Time Isn't Kind"
• Gavyn Wright – violin
• Saxa – saxophone on "Funny How Love Is"
• Beverlei Brown, Gloria Brown, Maxine Brown – backing vocals on "Like a Stranger"
• Jimmy Somerville – backing vocals on "Suspicious Minds"
• Jenny Jones – drums, backing vocals on "Couldn't Care More"

Technical

• Alvin Clark – engineering
• Mike Pela, Robin Millar – mixing
• Anton Corbijn – front cover photography

Charts

Weekly charts

Template:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chart

Chart (1985–1986)	Peak position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	2
US Billboard 200<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	49

Year-end charts

Chart (1986)	Peak position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	15