Vinyl of the Week - 27 September 2020

The Raw & The Cooked, Fine Young Cannibals

This week takes us back to 1989 and the final studio album for British band Fine Young Cannibals. ‘The Raw & The Cooked’ topped the UK and US charts, containing the two number one singles ‘She Drives Me Crazy’ and ‘Good Thing’. The title was borrowed from anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss book of the same name, the album having two distinct sides - ‘The Raw’ with its unpolished feel and Mowtown influences; ‘The Cooked’ a more refined, produced collection of pop/ rock tracks. The FYC had made half the album themselves before teaming up with producer David Z. (They originally wanted Prince but he wasn’t available so they chose David who was the next best thing, having produced many albums for Prince). David Z is actually credited with the distinctive snare sound on ‘She Drives Me Crazy’ which he created by taking the head off the snare, recording it being hit with a wooden ruler, then playing it back through another speaker. I love this album for that reason. It has such a unique sound and really showcases the band’s range and talent. Each song is its own thing and yet they all fit together so perfectly. It was considered a triumph when it was released and still stands up today. A great band and a brilliant album - DS