Fischer Z

[brock]

My preferred band of the past few weeks is Fischer Z, and I'd be interested to read the opinions of you knowledgeable fans of the Outpost. After all, this is the place I first heard of them.
So, does Mike Watts' voice drive you Crazy (Girl)? Allmusic.com has some good info on them (reviews written by Spaz[8D]).
I find I like almost all of their tunes, whether the beat is slow (Cruise Missiles, Worker) or fast (In England, Wristcutter's Lullaby).
I don't have [i]Going Deaf for a Living[/i], so would appreciate views on it, too. So what's your favorite album? Cut?
TAI--

[Minty]

A fantastic band. Never got the chance to see them live even though I wish I had. Haven't got a clue what Watts is up to these days.

I have all their studio albums except "Fish's Head". "Going Deaf for a Living" is good stuff, definitely worth your money, but not as good as the debut "World Salad" or, my fave, "Red Skies Over Paradise" which is one of my all-time favourite albums by any band.

In terms of songs, "The Perfect Day" is what got me into them when it came out (a little late), but I still love that tune. My all-time favourite however is "Marliese" off the "Red Skies" album, which is also one of my favourite songs of all-time.

Has anyone on here ever seen them live?

[Spaz]

I'm still a huge Fischer Z/John Watts fan. Their first three albums are classic...but Destination Paradise is my ultimate fave.

After the first three albums, FZ split and John put out two excellent solo albums.
He then formed The Cry, who put out one album. Then, in the late '80s, he reformed FZ (actually, he was the only original member) and put out another five albums or so under the band name (the previously mentioned Destination Paradise was '92, I believe).
Then, back to releasing albums under his own name, but with a little variation. One was released as J.M. Watts, then one as Watts. Then a remix of the Watts album under the name Spiritual Headcase. Then back to John Watts. Then John Watts and Fischer Z. Then back to John Watts again. Confused? And believe it or not, every album is different to the one before and after and each are completely worth your time to track down.

John Watts is a unique talent. He's been in the business for 30+ years and continues to surprise with each release. Some folks who love the first three FZ albums don't care for the later stuff but you really need to look at each release as a separate building block to a career that is amazing.

Here's a link to his website:

http://johnwatts.co.uk/?c=home

And go to youtube.com and type in John Watts. There's plenty of live performances and videos...

SPAZ
www.princess-inc.com

[Bitter Almonds]

<p align="justify">I've only heard "So Long," which was included in the [i]Just Can't Get Enough[/i] New Wave compilation. I like the song. The vocalist sounds a bit like The Alan Parsons Project...

[geoffolehane]

I like them. I remember back in the day a local bar band in upstate Vermont used to play "Nice to Know" during their regular concerts. It was the only local band I ever saw that covered a Fischer Z tune.

[brock]

D'oh! Make that John Watts, not Mike.

Thanks for the replies. Spaz, you're like a NW encyclopedia.

[DJ Phoenix]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Spaz[/i]
<br>I'm still a huge Fischer Z/John Watts fan. Their first three albums are classic...but Destination Paradise is my ultimate fave.

[/quote]

Are these still available, or OOP?

"Keepin the '80s alive!"