Fun Boy Three

Besides a new title and a reshuffled song order, this EMI CD reissue of Fun Boy Three's eponymous 1982 debut stays true to the original. And if this gives a new crop of listeners a chance to hear one of the most incredible and distinct releases of the '80s, then this is very good thing. While extra tracks certainly would have been nice, the now digitally enhanced album sides should still enthrall even the most crusty of FB3 veterans. Some fine guest spots by Bananarama aside, song highlights include such Halloween-issue, Afro-percussion classics as "Faith, Hope, and Charity," "The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum)," and "The Telephone Always Rings." Combining eerie harmonies, primitive drum beats, and minimalist production -- not to mention Terry Hall's wistful wail and Neville Staples' ganja-infused drone -- FB3 created a timeless album amongst the frost and shine of new wave's ascendancy. ~ Stephen Cook, All Music Guide