Metamatic... Plus [Remastered] - John Foxx

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Groundbreaking
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	Classic electro album, remastering adds a real boost
Disadvantages:	None

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Metamatic was the first solo outing from John Foxx after he split with Ultravox! Ultravox! went on to rather greater fame with the replacement lead singer, some Midge Ure guy but for Ultravox! fans, John Foxx was the real deal.

Metamatic deals with many themes and obsessions such as car crashes, Europe, relationships and too much J G Ballard and Philip K Dick which were bouncing around Foxx's head at the time as well as having elements of a story he was working on (and still is!). The lyrics are often full of grey cold imagery but all laced with an almost minimalist electro sound that was years ahead of it's time. It has to be said, he does also write some plain out and out baffling lyrics too - perhaps he uses the old Bowie 'cut up words' technique sometimes?

Unlike the previous CD release which was fine but sounded like it was a bit of a rush job sound wise, this one has been remastered and benefits from a far tighter sound, particularly the lower end where Foxx does like to crank it a bit. WIth a suitably decent HiFi there are some nice noises here to excercise your system but everyone should benefit from the improved quality.

A further bonus is the inclusion of extra tracks in the form of singles and B-sides from around the Metamatic era although some start to lean towards the rather different sound he adopted with the next album, The Garden.

For anyone who was around between the mid 70's to late 80's and has an interest in the roots of electro, this is a must have purchase. Foxx seems to be going the way of Numan from a few years back i.e. long forgotton but suddenly being namechecked by the great and the good and in Foxx's case, whether it's the three Ultravox! albums he sang on or his own efforts such as Metamatic, it's well deserved. Better yet, he's still cranking out the albums and does a mean live performance.