Freur was a Welsh band in the early 80s that started it’s career as a squiggle! Yes, unlike the guy from Minnesota who went from “Prince" to a sign, Freur started as symbol and only named itself after they got a record deal and had to have a name. An art school synthpop duo of Karl Hyde and Rick Smith - that expanded to five to make the record - Freur didn’t release much material. Their first album got a global release and their second very limited. It was their very first single in 1982 that was their one & only hit.
The soaring, ethereal Doot Doot is their masterpiece. It’s a timeless song that incorporates all kinds of sounds into an atmospheric wonder. Layered vocals, odd drum rhythms, synthesized sounds, birds chirping, laughter …and do I hear dogs barking? Yet it comes together wonderfully, evoking a feeling of rising above everything else. If there is anything to criticize about Doot Doot,it is that it is only 3:45 long - it ends just as you’re really getting into it. Thankfully this is the 1980s we’re talking about here, so an extended mix is available, which clocks in at a more appropriate 6 minutes. I would actually suggest listening to it on repeat for an hour (or more) to best appreciate it’s subtle sounds & complexities!
So join Freur, Marc D & I … as we go DOOT! DOOT DOOT !
-WAS
Wasn't a huge fan of this song in the 80s but it has grown on me since. After listening to it six or seven times since last night, into my personal playlist it goes! DOOT DOOT!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely agree - some songs improve with age and this is one of them! Others not so much. Good example is much of the Prince catalog. Watching "Purple Rain" in one sitting in the present day can only be done by subjecting yourself to the eyelids-forced-open technique in "A Clockwork Orange".
ReplyDeleteTrue! One of the few Prince songs I'm not sick of is "U Got The Look". That one never gets old.
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