Blow Monkeys

Animal Magic (Reviewed by Flix):

Artist: The Blow Monkeys
Album: Animal Magic
Year: 1986
Genre: Pop
Label: RCA
Tracklist:
Digging Your Scene 4:13
Animal Magic 3:07
Sweet Murder 6:31
Wicked Ways 4:14
Aeroplane City Lovesong 4:52
I Nearly Died Laughing 3:37
Don’t Be Scared Of Me 3:29
Burn The Rich 3:05
I Backed A Winner (In You) 2:39
Forbidden Fruit 3:59
Heaven Is A Place I’m Moving To 3:05

Debut album from UK quartet The Blow Monkeys. The Blow Monkeys were singer/songwriter/producer Dr. Robert and Neville Henry, Mick Anker and Tony Kiley.

This album started one of the strangest cult followings of the 80’s in the UK. The single “Digging Your Scene” was the first in a long line of single-hits from The Blow Monkeys. Dr. Robert understood how to mix the melodic pop-song with the beats and brass from Ska, which was inspired mainly by The Specials and Madness.

Although this is a very obscure album, it is worth checking out for real fans of the 80’s. It has everything from the sing-a-long karaoke friendly Digging Your Scene to the more soulful ballad Heaven Is A Place I’m Moving To.

Response to this review by Recker: What ever became of the Blow Monkeys anyway? They appeared very breifly in NZ, had a couple of hits and were never heard from again. Nice review Flix. You and Trixter should go into an partnership as Album Reviewers.

Response to this review by Flix: Thanks, Recker. Dr. Robert is still out there making music. His solo stuff should be available in NZ. Obviously not with the same success as back in the 80's. Blow Monkeys still re-unites for single shows in England, Japan and Australia. They are a interesting experience live.

Response to this review by xistenza: Animal Magic is also a song by Belouis Some. "....it's...animal...it's magic....the way you make me feel...animal....animal...." - just thought I'd share that.

Response to this review by Iluvthe80s: I have this album on vinyl. It is pretty good. I always really liked "Digging Your Scene" the best off of the album.

Response to this review by SurlyOne: This is one of my favorite albums of the 80's. However, it's not really their debut - their first album is Limping For A Generation from 1984 (never released in the USA) followed by the Forbidden Fruit EP from 1985 (with some of the songs that ended up on Animal Magic). I was very happy when the greatest hits CD Atomic Lullabies - The Very Best Of was released in 1999, as it includes one of my favorite songs by them: "Walking The Blue Beat." This song was the B-side for the American single of "Wicked Ways," and was also a bonus track on the Animal Magic cassette.

When I was in London a few weeks ago, I found a copy of their greatest hits VHS at a record show. It made me go out and buy a VCR that plays video tapes from around the world! (OK, so I found a few other music videos there as well!)

I saw The Blow Monkeys open for The Psychedelic Furs in 1987, it was amazing!

Response to this review by Flix: I apologize for my lack of research. I do remember the first album, but the EP is hardly an album. The first album was only released in Australia/UK. Since there are a billion different Greatest Hits, I can recommend the Japanese versions. They can be picked up fairly cheap used and has all their singles. Some European versions doesn't include It Doesn't Have To Be This Way for some strange reason.