Hello,
Today's artists are an Amsterdam rock band, active between 1984 and 1990. They were seen as one of the best Dutch bands of the 1980s. The use of blues and rock riffs set them apart from the punk and new wave bands of the time... ......N'Joy
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Fatal Flowers is a must hear for music fans who are even slightly interested in Nederbeat (or Dutch rock music from the late '60s). Since Rhino included some of these gems on their More Nuggets, Vol. 2, people outside the Netherlands should be aware of the existence of bands like the Outsiders, the Motions, and Golden Earring. To a certain extent, they proved an influence on the ambitious and short-lived Fatal Flowers. At first it seemed Dutch critics had difficulty reaching a unanimous verdict, but by the time the band split they had to agree: Fatal Flowers were in fact the country's most important band of the '80s.
One of the first bands to evolve from the Dutch punk scene, together with likewise legendary and still existing Claw Boys Claw, Fatal Flowers belonged to what was then called the "Amsterdam school of guitar". Core members Richard Janssen and Henk Jonkers formed the band in 1984, after recruiting bass player Marco Braam and Erwin Wolters on guitar. The latter remained only temporarily, and was soon replaced by Dirk Heuff. Shortly thereafter, the band got signed by major Warner, and in the summer of 1985, released their mini-album Fatal Flowers. On account of Heuff's exceptional guitar playing and the punk-inspired rhythm section of Jonkers and Braam, the debut earned them some fair reviews. Together with Braam, Wolters was credited for "Crying over Sin," arguably the best song on the album, and the one which earned them a contract in the first place.
After releasing the second album, Younger Days, the band's popularity grew on a national scale. Especially live, Fatal Flowers were practically invincible and made endless appearances on Dutch radio broadcasts. In 1987, they were the opening act of the renowned Pinkpop Festival and received an Edison (Dutch equivalent to a Grammy Award) for their second album. Although their full-time commitment to touring and practicing bettered their skills, in the end it would also kill the initial enthusiasm of some of the members. Braam was the second to leave, shortly after the title track "Younger Days" hit the Dutch singles chart in early February 1987.
After replacing Braam for Geert de Groot, Fatal Flowers left for Woodstock to record with admirer Mick Ronson. The outcome, Johnny D. Is Back!, was the first record to capture some of the energy of their live performances. A little help from John Sebastian (adding acoustic guitar and harmonica on a couple of tracks) and the backing vocals of Ann Lang helped Fatal Flowers to enlarge their reputation as the best Dutch band of the moment. Critics and music fans alike called 1988's Johnny D. Is Back! a Dutch classic. Sadly though, upon returning to the Netherlands, Heuff quit the band. René van Barneveld of Urban Dance Squad filled in for him at the remaining Dutch gigs.
Near the end of 1988, a more permanent replacement for Heuff was found in the promising, young, self-taught guitar player Robin Berlijn. His contribution made the fourth Fatal Flowers album their ultimate statement. Again with Mick Ronson in the producer's seat, elements of the new wave like Younger Days and the soulful Johnny D. Is Back! were combined with a more aggressive playing style. Through 1990's Pleasure Ground, Fatal Flowers had plans to make it outside of the Netherlands as well. Unfortunately, singer Janssen left the band in the summer of 1990, disillusioned about their new label Phonogram's neglect in properly promoting the band abroad. One of the most promising Dutch bands of the era fell apart. Separate members remained active within the music business, with Janssen forming Shine in mid-‘90s.
Not much was heard of Fatal Flowers until July 2002, when the band re-formed for the first time in 12 years to promote a greatest-hits album Younger Days: The Definitive Fatal Flowers. There appeared to be no upcoming reunion plans.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Around the release of Younger Days, Dutch music critics were arguing whether Fatal Flowers or Claw Boys Claw were Holland's hottest band of the moment. In doing so, they ignored each band's distinctiveness. Although both evolved from the local punk scene of Amsterdam (known as "Amsterdam School of Guitar"), their musical approach sounded very different. Beside that, they went along fine and respected each other's work. Competition probably only existed in the heads of self-consumed journalists. On Fatal Flowers' second album the lineup consisted of Richard Janssen, Marco Braam, Henk Jonkers, and Dirk Heuff, who had just replaced Erwin Wolters on guitar. Upon entering the music scene, they all had agreed to put all of their time and effort exclusively into the band, something which was not regarded as common practice by most of their colleagues. Their iron discipline resulted in a repertoire of catchy rock songs and an exciting live performance. With Younger Days they did more than improve upon their debut mini-album, Fatal Flowers. Although the sound is at times a little over-produced -- Vic Maile wasn't able to catch their energetic live appearance -- it still offers the blueprint for the band's creativity. Part of Younger Days reminds of the Dutch "Nederbiet" movement. However, the influence of the '60s shouldn't be overexaggerated, for their sound showed just as much familiarity with the '80s. For instance, the classic rock of the title track (a minor hit in the Netherlands) is placed beside the new wave bliss of "Ballroom." The latter is among the best tracks on this album, which further includes the desperate plea of "Nowhere to Lay My Head" and the "murder-ballad" "Well Baby, Pts. 1 & 2," a second single drawn from Younger Days which failed to make the charts. Much like Daryll-Ann during the '90s, Fatal Flowers made Dutch rock music exciting and most relevant outside the Netherlands.
Fatal Flowers - Younger Days (Definitive Fatal Flowers Studio Tracks) (flac 489mb)
01 Fatal Flower 3:05
02 Billy 3:15
03 Deep Inside 3:09
04 Good Enough 3:46
05 Well Baby - Part 1 & 2 4:36
06 Nowhere To Lay My Head 4:45
07 Younger Days 3:07
08 Johnny D. Is Back! 3:11
09 Moving Target 4:38
10 Rock 'N Roll Star 4:46
11 There Were Times 6:28
12 How Many Years 4:16
13 Some Day 3:19
14 Better Times 5:15
15 She's Doin' Fine 3:11
16 Pleasure Ground 4:11
17 Speed Of Life 5:22
Fatal Flowers - Younger Days (Definitive Fatal Flowers Studio Tracks) (ogg 174mb)
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Fatal Flowers - Sessions & Demo's (flac 348mb)
01 Moving Target 4:59
02 Tell Me That It Isn't True 2:56
03 How Many Years 3:14
04 Funky Street 3:25
05 Mmm Mm (Demo) 3:59
06 6th And Main (Demo) 3:12
07 Burning 2:02
08 Little Drummer Boy 2:59
09 Halfway (Demo) 2:55
10 Pleasure Ground 3:34
11 Just A Girl (Demo) 3:37
12 Sweet Virginia 3:28
13 Better Times 4:15
14 Garden Party 4:33
15 Speed Of Life (Demo) 1:48
16 Heroes 4:49
Fatal Flowers - Sessions & Demo' (ogg 144mb)
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No expense was spared for the third Fatal Flowers album. Under the leadership of Mick Ronson, Johnny D. was recorded in Woodstock. The result sounds extremely professional and confirms the not insignificant qualities with which the team from Amsterdam acquired a prime spot in the Dutch music scene. The rock and pop songs and the rhythm & blues-like songs have beautiful melodies and are performed with verve (guitarist Heuff!), Where guest musicians create atmospheric accents. Good old John Sebastian, not to be burned out of Woodstock, was taken out of the stable for a single guitar part. But especially to play the harmonica in the title track and Second Chance, which, like Too Free, has swirling choirs. Unfortunately, the song material is not always consistent. The difference between a notorious stamper like Johnny D. Is Back! and There Were Times is the difference between good time music and absolute world class. In There Were Times, which is as retrospective as Flowers' only Top forty-hit Younger Days, the band experiments with atmosphere for six and a half minutes. The wistful sax of guest Howie Brownie, the inspired singing of Richard Janssen and sensitive strings lead to broken hearts. Another highlight is the bluesy Too Free, which has the lyricism of Roy Buchanan. The texts are still meager. Rock & roll star Johnny D. runs through the songs like a worn-out thread, struggles with rock & roll clichés and only becomes stingy on Dear Friends, in which he adds the visitors of his funeral: I'm sure that my funeral is going to get a bad review. A paranoid sneer to the hell that broke loose among journalists as a result of Younger Days. Everything else seems like hunky and dory, because this picture, their best so far, shows that these Flowers also love people.
Fatal Flowers - Johnny D. Is Back! (flac 246mb)
01 Johnny D. Is Back! 3:19
02 Round And Round 4:52
03 Second Change 4:35
04 Moving Target 6:25
05 There Were Times 3:18
06 The Dance 3:41
07 Rock And Roll Star 4:52
08 Too Free 5:09
09 Dear Friends 4:52
Fatal Flowers - Johnny D. Is Back! (ogg 100mb)
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After the unanimously hailed Johnny D. Is Back! from 1988 it took Fatal Flowers awhile to record a follow-up. First of all, the Dutch division of their record company closed down. Secondly, upon completing Johnny D. Is Back! they were faced with the departure of distressed guitar player Dirk Heuff. The latter was solved at the end of 1988 when 19-year-old Robin Berlijn joined the band. Without a contract, the new lineup started working on a new album in Switzerland. Again, Mick Ronson was asked to oversee production, since Richard Janssen wanted to improve the sound of Johnny D. Is Back! Eventually, a new recording contract was secured with Mercury. The release of Pleasure Ground was eagerly awaited by the music press. The album showed a more direct and aggressive approach and was regarded as a definitive Fatal Flowers statement. Among others, it featured a cover version of soul legend Arthur Conley's "Funky Street" on which René van Barneveld appeared on slide guitar. In 1989 he was already a member of equally promising Urban Dance Squad. Earlier, Barneveld had helped Fatal Flowers by replacing Heuff during the 1988 tour. The first single to be drawn from Pleasure Ground was a breathtaking version of Roxy Music's "Both Ends Burning" which rendered the original superfluous. On Pleasure Ground Janssen's vocal performance was at its peak, carefully balancing on the verge of sheer madness and rock & roll cliché. The critics loved it and nobody doubted the band's chances of making it big internationally. It therefore came as a complete surprise when in the summer of 1990 the singer announced he would leave Fatal Flowers. The many changes in the lineup had finally taken their toll on the unity of the band. Janssen thought it best to quit at the top of their career. A closer inspection of the lyrics to "Speed of Life," Pleasure Ground's (near) closing piece could have provided an omen: "I'm no fool/I know where I'm going/I'm just bad company sometimes/But if you think you got me all figured out/Well, I guess you're in for a surprise/Time takes a toll on me sometimes/And I know all the reasons/But I just can't make it rhyme/My time runs out/And I could scream and shout/I'm getting strangled by the speed of life."
Fatal Flowers - Pleasure Ground (flac 298mb)
01 How Many Years 4:15
02 Some Day 3:19
03 Funky Street 2:45
04 Better Times 5:13
05 Pleasure Ground 4:09
06 A Real Good Life 2:43
07 She's Doin' Fine 3:11
08 Rage Out 3:42
09 Burning 3:57
10 Speed Of Life 5:19
11 Both Ends Burning 5:47
Fatal Flowers - Pleasure Ground (ogg 103mb)
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Today's artists are an Amsterdam rock band, active between 1984 and 1990. They were seen as one of the best Dutch bands of the 1980s. The use of blues and rock riffs set them apart from the punk and new wave bands of the time... ......N'Joy
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Fatal Flowers is a must hear for music fans who are even slightly interested in Nederbeat (or Dutch rock music from the late '60s). Since Rhino included some of these gems on their More Nuggets, Vol. 2, people outside the Netherlands should be aware of the existence of bands like the Outsiders, the Motions, and Golden Earring. To a certain extent, they proved an influence on the ambitious and short-lived Fatal Flowers. At first it seemed Dutch critics had difficulty reaching a unanimous verdict, but by the time the band split they had to agree: Fatal Flowers were in fact the country's most important band of the '80s.
One of the first bands to evolve from the Dutch punk scene, together with likewise legendary and still existing Claw Boys Claw, Fatal Flowers belonged to what was then called the "Amsterdam school of guitar". Core members Richard Janssen and Henk Jonkers formed the band in 1984, after recruiting bass player Marco Braam and Erwin Wolters on guitar. The latter remained only temporarily, and was soon replaced by Dirk Heuff. Shortly thereafter, the band got signed by major Warner, and in the summer of 1985, released their mini-album Fatal Flowers. On account of Heuff's exceptional guitar playing and the punk-inspired rhythm section of Jonkers and Braam, the debut earned them some fair reviews. Together with Braam, Wolters was credited for "Crying over Sin," arguably the best song on the album, and the one which earned them a contract in the first place.
After releasing the second album, Younger Days, the band's popularity grew on a national scale. Especially live, Fatal Flowers were practically invincible and made endless appearances on Dutch radio broadcasts. In 1987, they were the opening act of the renowned Pinkpop Festival and received an Edison (Dutch equivalent to a Grammy Award) for their second album. Although their full-time commitment to touring and practicing bettered their skills, in the end it would also kill the initial enthusiasm of some of the members. Braam was the second to leave, shortly after the title track "Younger Days" hit the Dutch singles chart in early February 1987.
After replacing Braam for Geert de Groot, Fatal Flowers left for Woodstock to record with admirer Mick Ronson. The outcome, Johnny D. Is Back!, was the first record to capture some of the energy of their live performances. A little help from John Sebastian (adding acoustic guitar and harmonica on a couple of tracks) and the backing vocals of Ann Lang helped Fatal Flowers to enlarge their reputation as the best Dutch band of the moment. Critics and music fans alike called 1988's Johnny D. Is Back! a Dutch classic. Sadly though, upon returning to the Netherlands, Heuff quit the band. René van Barneveld of Urban Dance Squad filled in for him at the remaining Dutch gigs.
Near the end of 1988, a more permanent replacement for Heuff was found in the promising, young, self-taught guitar player Robin Berlijn. His contribution made the fourth Fatal Flowers album their ultimate statement. Again with Mick Ronson in the producer's seat, elements of the new wave like Younger Days and the soulful Johnny D. Is Back! were combined with a more aggressive playing style. Through 1990's Pleasure Ground, Fatal Flowers had plans to make it outside of the Netherlands as well. Unfortunately, singer Janssen left the band in the summer of 1990, disillusioned about their new label Phonogram's neglect in properly promoting the band abroad. One of the most promising Dutch bands of the era fell apart. Separate members remained active within the music business, with Janssen forming Shine in mid-‘90s.
Not much was heard of Fatal Flowers until July 2002, when the band re-formed for the first time in 12 years to promote a greatest-hits album Younger Days: The Definitive Fatal Flowers. There appeared to be no upcoming reunion plans.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Around the release of Younger Days, Dutch music critics were arguing whether Fatal Flowers or Claw Boys Claw were Holland's hottest band of the moment. In doing so, they ignored each band's distinctiveness. Although both evolved from the local punk scene of Amsterdam (known as "Amsterdam School of Guitar"), their musical approach sounded very different. Beside that, they went along fine and respected each other's work. Competition probably only existed in the heads of self-consumed journalists. On Fatal Flowers' second album the lineup consisted of Richard Janssen, Marco Braam, Henk Jonkers, and Dirk Heuff, who had just replaced Erwin Wolters on guitar. Upon entering the music scene, they all had agreed to put all of their time and effort exclusively into the band, something which was not regarded as common practice by most of their colleagues. Their iron discipline resulted in a repertoire of catchy rock songs and an exciting live performance. With Younger Days they did more than improve upon their debut mini-album, Fatal Flowers. Although the sound is at times a little over-produced -- Vic Maile wasn't able to catch their energetic live appearance -- it still offers the blueprint for the band's creativity. Part of Younger Days reminds of the Dutch "Nederbiet" movement. However, the influence of the '60s shouldn't be overexaggerated, for their sound showed just as much familiarity with the '80s. For instance, the classic rock of the title track (a minor hit in the Netherlands) is placed beside the new wave bliss of "Ballroom." The latter is among the best tracks on this album, which further includes the desperate plea of "Nowhere to Lay My Head" and the "murder-ballad" "Well Baby, Pts. 1 & 2," a second single drawn from Younger Days which failed to make the charts. Much like Daryll-Ann during the '90s, Fatal Flowers made Dutch rock music exciting and most relevant outside the Netherlands.
Fatal Flowers - Younger Days (Definitive Fatal Flowers Studio Tracks) (flac 489mb)
01 Fatal Flower 3:05
02 Billy 3:15
03 Deep Inside 3:09
04 Good Enough 3:46
05 Well Baby - Part 1 & 2 4:36
06 Nowhere To Lay My Head 4:45
07 Younger Days 3:07
08 Johnny D. Is Back! 3:11
09 Moving Target 4:38
10 Rock 'N Roll Star 4:46
11 There Were Times 6:28
12 How Many Years 4:16
13 Some Day 3:19
14 Better Times 5:15
15 She's Doin' Fine 3:11
16 Pleasure Ground 4:11
17 Speed Of Life 5:22
Fatal Flowers - Younger Days (Definitive Fatal Flowers Studio Tracks) (ogg 174mb)
xxxxx
Fatal Flowers - Sessions & Demo's (flac 348mb)
01 Moving Target 4:59
02 Tell Me That It Isn't True 2:56
03 How Many Years 3:14
04 Funky Street 3:25
05 Mmm Mm (Demo) 3:59
06 6th And Main (Demo) 3:12
07 Burning 2:02
08 Little Drummer Boy 2:59
09 Halfway (Demo) 2:55
10 Pleasure Ground 3:34
11 Just A Girl (Demo) 3:37
12 Sweet Virginia 3:28
13 Better Times 4:15
14 Garden Party 4:33
15 Speed Of Life (Demo) 1:48
16 Heroes 4:49
Fatal Flowers - Sessions & Demo' (ogg 144mb)
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
No expense was spared for the third Fatal Flowers album. Under the leadership of Mick Ronson, Johnny D. was recorded in Woodstock. The result sounds extremely professional and confirms the not insignificant qualities with which the team from Amsterdam acquired a prime spot in the Dutch music scene. The rock and pop songs and the rhythm & blues-like songs have beautiful melodies and are performed with verve (guitarist Heuff!), Where guest musicians create atmospheric accents. Good old John Sebastian, not to be burned out of Woodstock, was taken out of the stable for a single guitar part. But especially to play the harmonica in the title track and Second Chance, which, like Too Free, has swirling choirs. Unfortunately, the song material is not always consistent. The difference between a notorious stamper like Johnny D. Is Back! and There Were Times is the difference between good time music and absolute world class. In There Were Times, which is as retrospective as Flowers' only Top forty-hit Younger Days, the band experiments with atmosphere for six and a half minutes. The wistful sax of guest Howie Brownie, the inspired singing of Richard Janssen and sensitive strings lead to broken hearts. Another highlight is the bluesy Too Free, which has the lyricism of Roy Buchanan. The texts are still meager. Rock & roll star Johnny D. runs through the songs like a worn-out thread, struggles with rock & roll clichés and only becomes stingy on Dear Friends, in which he adds the visitors of his funeral: I'm sure that my funeral is going to get a bad review. A paranoid sneer to the hell that broke loose among journalists as a result of Younger Days. Everything else seems like hunky and dory, because this picture, their best so far, shows that these Flowers also love people.
Fatal Flowers - Johnny D. Is Back! (flac 246mb)
01 Johnny D. Is Back! 3:19
02 Round And Round 4:52
03 Second Change 4:35
04 Moving Target 6:25
05 There Were Times 3:18
06 The Dance 3:41
07 Rock And Roll Star 4:52
08 Too Free 5:09
09 Dear Friends 4:52
Fatal Flowers - Johnny D. Is Back! (ogg 100mb)
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
After the unanimously hailed Johnny D. Is Back! from 1988 it took Fatal Flowers awhile to record a follow-up. First of all, the Dutch division of their record company closed down. Secondly, upon completing Johnny D. Is Back! they were faced with the departure of distressed guitar player Dirk Heuff. The latter was solved at the end of 1988 when 19-year-old Robin Berlijn joined the band. Without a contract, the new lineup started working on a new album in Switzerland. Again, Mick Ronson was asked to oversee production, since Richard Janssen wanted to improve the sound of Johnny D. Is Back! Eventually, a new recording contract was secured with Mercury. The release of Pleasure Ground was eagerly awaited by the music press. The album showed a more direct and aggressive approach and was regarded as a definitive Fatal Flowers statement. Among others, it featured a cover version of soul legend Arthur Conley's "Funky Street" on which René van Barneveld appeared on slide guitar. In 1989 he was already a member of equally promising Urban Dance Squad. Earlier, Barneveld had helped Fatal Flowers by replacing Heuff during the 1988 tour. The first single to be drawn from Pleasure Ground was a breathtaking version of Roxy Music's "Both Ends Burning" which rendered the original superfluous. On Pleasure Ground Janssen's vocal performance was at its peak, carefully balancing on the verge of sheer madness and rock & roll cliché. The critics loved it and nobody doubted the band's chances of making it big internationally. It therefore came as a complete surprise when in the summer of 1990 the singer announced he would leave Fatal Flowers. The many changes in the lineup had finally taken their toll on the unity of the band. Janssen thought it best to quit at the top of their career. A closer inspection of the lyrics to "Speed of Life," Pleasure Ground's (near) closing piece could have provided an omen: "I'm no fool/I know where I'm going/I'm just bad company sometimes/But if you think you got me all figured out/Well, I guess you're in for a surprise/Time takes a toll on me sometimes/And I know all the reasons/But I just can't make it rhyme/My time runs out/And I could scream and shout/I'm getting strangled by the speed of life."
Fatal Flowers - Pleasure Ground (flac 298mb)
01 How Many Years 4:15
02 Some Day 3:19
03 Funky Street 2:45
04 Better Times 5:13
05 Pleasure Ground 4:09
06 A Real Good Life 2:43
07 She's Doin' Fine 3:11
08 Rage Out 3:42
09 Burning 3:57
10 Speed Of Life 5:19
11 Both Ends Burning 5:47
Fatal Flowers - Pleasure Ground (ogg 103mb)
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Thanks, I'm enjoying the 80's dutch posts.
ReplyDeleteMaybe an idea to do a belgian one in te future?
There are some great labels like Les Discques Du Crepuscule or Factory Benelux and great bands like Marine, Lavvi Ebbel, Soft Verdict/Wim Mertens, Arbeid Adelt etc..
Cheers,
Ben
Hello Ben, its not as ive ignored Belgian Aetix, you'll find some on my Belgium Eurotour furthermore there's TC Matic, Front 242 to name some. Discques de Crepescule don't have many Belgian artists neither do Factory benelux btw i did post The Names. Wim Mertens is a Sundaze artist. Marine released just one compilation album. In fact there's only Telex that iveheld back thusfar. So there's no boycott here the thing is the Aetix music scene was heavily dominated by the British, getting hold of obscure artists from any European country is nigh impossible-as it was at the time. That said after more then a decade i'm nearing the end of the Aetix road.....
ReplyDeletethank you so much
ReplyDelete