Reviews

Artist:Fashion
Album: Fashion Music
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 33 2xcd
Website: https://easyaction.co.uk/product/fashion-fashion-music-2x-cd/

Fashion Music contains some of the first and last music recorded by the original lineup of Birmingham’s Fashion. Between 1978 and 1980 Luke Sky, Dik Davis and Jon Mulligan blended guitar rock, electronica and reggae. The fact that they signed with IRS and toured with The Police a band who made a much much bigger splash is interesting. “Steady Eddie Steady” the trio’s first single is terse guitar and vocals. “Killing Time”and “Wastelife” blend in a reggae rhythm, a wonderful post fade dub section and with with a Rats feel to the vocal are to these ears the stronger tracks. Compare to the tighter 78 demo version that closes the first disc. Looking back Jon’s vocals on second single “Citinite” have a touch of early 70s louche Roxy Bryan Ferry or even Robert Calvert. With a hypnotic trance guitar the track shifts into Calvert era Hawkwind territory. “Silver Blades” and its lively deeper cut b side, another single gem sounds like Blur produced by Lee Scratch playing 80s electronica. “Sodium Pentathlon Negative” and “The Innocent” has the energy of punk carried on a precise drum and guitar beat in a way that seems to have mass appeal written all over it. “Red Green and Gold” is another looser track with a strong lyrical and sonic link to the reggae of James’ native Handsworth. Some of the 1980 demos are murky documents, “Fiction Factory” is very full sounding. Dark and very atmospheric, Luke’s vocals, savouring every word are a triumph with an explosive ending. “Do It In The Dark” is sharp guitar reggae protest and “Let Go” is hypnotic, a surprising mix of Ashra guitar, electronica and punk energy. “I Don’t Take Drugs I Don’t Tell” a 78 demo is an edgy mostly instrumental with some sharp lyrics. “We’re The Fashion” a 78 demo first heard on an Easy Action Birmingham compilation sounds even more vital in this context. “Bike Boys” nods agreeably to Spiders Bowie, before veering equally agreeably into a reggae groove.

The second disc of this double, unavailable on the streaming version, if you needed any persuasion to buy the physical release, is mostly given over to a live set. Live at the Airforce base at Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, Fashion are a taut but precise machine. The studio trickery is absent, but the dub reggae element melds with Punk energy and it sounds tight and vital. Live “Don’t Touch Me” “I Don’t Take Drugs” and “Sodium Pentathlon Negative” are run together with Mulligan’s monster bass and Davis’ drums having more power and atmosphere live. In front of a mostly quiet auddience there is more life to Luke Sky’s vocals too. Full of atmosphere and great keyboard sounds is the “Big John /Hanoi Annoys Me /The Innocent” set. The set closes with an incendiary 78 version of “Sodium Pentathlon Negative” and the best version of “Steady Eddie Steady” layered in reverb and absolutely vital

Others may have taken the New Wave Punk Reggae template further in terms of sales and profile, but as a document and a glimpse into what might have been this double disc set from the earliest incarnation of Fashion is well worth spending time with.

Marc Higgins

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