"THE GHOST IN YOU" THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS (1984)

It’s time to get back to my favorite decade. For the month of March, I’ll be looking back at some of my favorite jams from the 80s. These songs often came to me via MTV or the radio. NYC-area stations WDRE, WPLJ, WNEW, K-ROCK and Z100 introduced me to everything from irresistible pop confections to under-the-radar post-punk anthems. I would not be who I am today if it weren’t for the 80s. It was the decade when I discovered music can be a truly powerful thing. #31DaysOf80sSongs

Listening to Mirror Moves so many years later, it sounds to me like a near-perfect musical interpretation of the times. The baritone delivery of Richard Butler is one of the period’s most ownable voices. A warm assurance that there were probably few better decades than the 80’s to grow up in and grow in our love for music. While “Pretty in Pink” got all the soundtrack glory, Mirror Moves, in many ways, captured the essence of the Brat Pack era better than any other Psychedelic Furs album. It all started with the album opener “The Ghost In You”.

This is my favorite Psychedelic Furs track and one of my favorite 80’s songs period. I can listen to it over and over again, getting swept up in those euphoric arpeggios on the keyboards and a melody that’s one for the ages. For me, “The Ghost In You” seems to exist in a time capsule. Locked away to preserve its beauty and form, it seems like it hasn’t aged one bit. But every once in a while, you have to pull it off the shelf, give it a good dust-off, and play it to remember just how good we had it.

“Inside you the time moves, and she don't fade.”

"HEAVEN" THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS (1984)

For the month of October, I’m selecting a song each day from the decade that has the most meaning to me: the 80s. It was the decade that I grew up in. The period of time where I discovered my love for music — and explored many different genres. For the next 31 days, I’ll highlight a handful of songs that I truly loved and that were representative of the decade. #31DaysOf80sSongs

So many new wave bands, so little time. Decades after the fact, I’m still sorting through which ones were the great ones, and which ones were simple just good. The Psychedelic Furs were one of the great ones. They didn’t sound like anyone else, because Richard Butler gave them a truly unique baritone voice that was rich and raspy. One note and they were instantly recognizable. Robert Smith once said Mirror Moves was one of his top five albums. On it, you could hear a sampling of some of the band’s best songs, including “The Ghost in You”, “Heartbeat” and my personal favorite: “Heaven”.

Like many of the singles over the course of the band’s career (“Pretty in Pink”, “Love My Way”, “Heartbreak Beat”), the hooks are simple here. The slo-mo guitar riff flirts playfully with the mid-tempo synth arpeggios. They form an instrumental bed to showcase Richard Butler’s iconic vocal performance. The melody was made for his voice. And his voice was made for the melody. In an age when many new wave bands sang with either a detached or robotic approach, Butler brought a unique style with his intensity and emotion. It was pure heaven.

“Heaven is the whole of our hearts.”

"THE GHOST IN YOU" THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS" (1984)

Listening to Mirror Moves so many years later, it sounds to me like a near-perfect musical interpretation of the times. The baritone delivery of Richard Butler is one of the period’s most ownable voices. And “The Ghost in You” was one of the album’s best. While “Pretty in Pink” got all the soundtrack glory, this minor hit, in many ways, captures the essence of the Brat Pack 80’s era better than any other Psychedelic Furs song.

“A man in my shoes runs a light. And all the papers lied tonight.”