Reach the Beach

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Quirky keyboards, quirky new-navey hooks, quirky showman of a lead singer (the yelp-throated Cy Curnin)--in its mid-'80s heyday, few bands captured the fleeting tenor of the chart times better than the Fixx. A poor man's Duran Duran, the group was perfect for the nascent rock-video age, perfect for the just-got-its-wings MTV, and it worked its datestamped shtick well into the '90s. But the Fixx's defining album/moment had already occurred in '83, with the breakthrough "One Thing Leads to Another" smash, from a fairly solid sophomore album, Reach the Beach. Although critics today might pan the record as fey and mawkish, it won headline concert billing for an otherwise unknown London outfit. --Tom Lanham --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Average customer rating:

A Perfect Fixx

The Fixx-Reach the Beach-CD

Excellent Bonus Tracks Included!!

One Of My Favorite Albums Of All Time

Best album by the Fixx!

Reach the Beach
The Fixx
Manufacturer: Mca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000088E6N
Release Date: 2003-02-11

Tracks:

One Thing Leads To Another
The Sign Of Fire
Running
Saved By Zero
Opinions
Reach The Beach
Changing
Liner
Privilege
Outside
Saved By Zero (Extended Version)
One Thing Leads To Another (Extended Version)
Deeper And Deeper (Long Version)
Going Overboard

Customer Reviews:

A Perfect Fixx.......2007-07-09

Quite simply put the best Fixx album and a must have for all 80's fans. The music is crisp and relevant to this day. Remastered and with bunus tracks I highly recommend this CD.

The Fixx-Reach the Beach-CD.......2007-06-18

I liked Shuttered Room better but this one is my second favorite CD of The Fixx. If you like The Fixx, you'll most likely like this CD.

Excellent Bonus Tracks Included!!.......2006-08-07

The remastering job on this sounds exceptional, but it's the bonus tracks that make this a worthwhile purchase. The slightly longer version of "Saved By Zero" was often the version that I heard on the radio in the 80's (remember listening to the radio?). "Deeper and Deeper" of course is here in the definitive long version, but it's the extended version of "One Thing Leads To Another" that is the real catch. Clocking in at a whopping 8 minutes, this extended version rides one of the 80's best grooves into sweet bliss. If you remember the original album at all, then this bonus version should push you over the edge and into this very worthy purchase. You know you want it!

One Of My Favorite Albums Of All Time.......2005-08-02

Don't let anyone tell you touring incessantly doesn't help album sales. The Fixx are scheduled to play here in Salt Lake City soon, and seeing their name on the billboard got me to pull out my old copy of this album. Holy Cow, this is a great album! Very few albums in my collection do I like EVERY song on, and this is one of them. From the first "One Thing Leads To Another" to the last "Outside", the Fixx just personify the best tones and hooks of the Eighties (although I'd like this album anytime). Oh, by the way, guys in Fixx; I went out immediately after hearing this album on my old cassette copy and bought a brand-new copy of this album on CD! Keep touring and rocking!!

Best album by the Fixx!.......2004-10-25

I thought that Reach the Beach was the best Fixx album. I would still get it on CD if I wanted to. The first three songs, One Thing, Sign of Fire and Running sound strong back to back with its guitar sections and rhythms! Saved By Zero has some smooth bass guitar on it and nice bridges. The sparse Opinions is another surprise. That title song, Reach the Beach is still in my head as I speak with its keyboard-heavy sound. Privilege, Linear and Outside are also well done songs. The writing was very good, very intelligent in most places. This was one of the best albums of 1983 in the same year that Michael Jackson's Thriller album was huge. This was the band's highest and most creative, artistic point.

Average customer rating:

Truly A Masterpiece
Masterpiece
Swimming the Atlantic
The finest rock album of the 80's!
VERY UNDERRATED

Reach the Beach
The Fixx
Manufacturer: Mca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000002PAZ
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

One Thing Leads To Another
The Sign Of The Fire
Running
Saved By Zero
Opinions
Reach The Beach
Changing
Liner
Priviledge
Outside

Amazon.com

Quirky keyboards, quirky new-navey hooks, quirky showman of a lead singer (the yelp-throated Cy Curnin)--in its mid-'80s heyday, few bands captured the fleeting tenor of the chart times better than the Fixx. A poor man's Duran Duran, the group was perfect for the nascent rock-video age, perfect for the just-got-its-wings MTV, and it worked its datestamped shtick well into the '90s. But the Fixx's defining album/moment had already occurred in '83, with the breakthrough "One Thing Leads to Another" smash, from a fairly solid sophomore album, Reach the Beach. Although critics today might pan the record as fey and mawkish, it won headline concert billing for an otherwise unknown London outfit. --Tom Lanham

Customer Reviews:

Truly A Masterpiece.......2002-03-12

In a time when music all sounded like a soundtrack to a film version of Orwells 1984, very few bands stood out. The so-called second British Explosion that occurred in the early 80's was a sham. Most of these bands made throwawy LPs that did little for anyone who looked for a decent bonafide reason to like this new wave. Duran Duran were exceptional musicians making mostly mildly remarkable music. Culture Club did little to shed the stigma of 'packaged muzak' (not a swipe at them, just a fact of the time), Gang Of Four already made their mark and left us, XTC were creating music that in another time would have been Beatles frenzy material and the band that would dominate the next 20 years were still struggling with their christian beliefs on October and had only begun to record their masterpiece of War. In this huddled mass of Import bands, one band stood out. A band that musicians could sink their teeth into and lovers of great music could get excited about too.

"Reach The Beach" is an unheralded masterpiece that STILL has not been given its due respect. The funny thing is, this band just got better after this release (see "Phantoms"). BUt on to the cd at hand....

Sure this cd has the only two high charting singles of their career (at least here in the states), but this album is from beginning to end....incredible. From West-Orams beautiful guitar work to Cy's cold, yet still very emotional vocal delivery...this cd still holds up after almost 20 years. It has everything you could want in an album....good stories, emotional rescues, uplifting climaxes, magical instrumental breaks, dynamic song delivery, heartfelt vocals, technically brilliant guitar work and near King Crimson level musicianship all around.

Every single song is a standout here, not one minute of dead music space.
I dare anyone to listen to this cd and not fall in love with it!!

Masterpiece.......2001-09-28

Probably one of their greatest works. Title track have a incredible movement. Vocals and instruments blend to create an encompasing sound.

Swimming the Atlantic.......2001-09-19

.
In 1995 A friend of mine shoved an old cassette tape into my hand and said 'just put this on will you'.
It was one of those moments that, as you get older become more and more rare.
That moment when you hear something for the first time and it seems to fill a gap in your quest for something new or different, sonically.
I was in fact listening to Reach the Beach, and track after track played with no thought to hit the FF button once. I was hooked.
I was struck by the intelligent, brittle strat playing of guitarist Jamie West-Oram, the wonderful sweetness of that compressed and agile sound is in my mind totally underated. I have since seen him play session for various other well-knowns, but he carries a distinct sound that belongs to him, and him only (how many other non-lead guitarists of today can boast that?).
There is a sense that the keyboard player doesn't do much, with most of the sounds used for simple effect or as an underlying wash. But this is thoughtful playing with some interesting techniques employed to change the sounds in realtime.
Most of the upfront sound is carried by guitar, drum, and bass. The bass player, again an underated musician. locked dead tight to the drums but he plays with real confidence and fluidity.
Cy's vocals can at times be harsh to the ears but there is a real sense of conversation in the lyrics, almost as if he needs to sing because the music is there in the background.
Now it may be that if you visit this bands music you'll just hear the slightly dusty production of an eighties band. But if you wind this up or listen to it through headphones, I promise you that you'll find some hypnotic gems that for some reason the UK audience just didn't take to.
Maybe this was the record companies fault, maybe they just didn't know where The Fixx fitted to be able to market them properly, but when they toured the States it was a different story altogether.
They became much bigger there then in the UK.
If you want something that is vibrant, has width and depth, feels slightly unsafe, but is totally radio friendly try it out, and if you can get hold of it, 'Reach the Beach' captures The Fixx at their most agile, spirited and 'tuned in' as a band.

The finest rock album of the 80's!.......2001-08-17

This album changed my life. It was the first album I ever purchased that felt like one complete work of art from beginning to end, not just a couple of good songs and some filler. Even if "One Thing Leads To Another" is the only song you know from this band, you should still pick this up. Every song is brilliant. "The Sign Of Fire" is my favorite, but "Outside" still gives me chills 18 years later! An absolutely stunning album.

VERY UNDERRATED.......2001-05-26

I am not sure why the Fixx was always so despised by critics. They made smart, energetic, moving music and I think they are one of the best 80's bands. This release is thier best. Dark and moody, the tunes stay with you a long time. I still love to listen to this cd.