The Fixx - Ultimate Collection

Long before the idiom "talk to the hand" entered public discourse, Cy Curnin was singing to his, a melodramatic tic that made Fixx videos and live shows seem pretentious, or at least odd. But beyond their frontman's Bowie affectations, the Fixx showed a consistent pop sensibility that earned them a loyal fan base in the United States, despite little success in their native England. And while early collaborations with producer Rupert Hines may have yielded their best work ("Stand or Fall," "One Thing Leads to Another," "Red Skies," "Saved By Zero"), this generous collection shows the band was capable of cooking up hooks throughout its decade-long run. --Bill Forman Amazon.com

finally

Finally, a Fixx collection that has the album versions instead of "live versions" of several hits. I can remember seeing them open for Flock of Seagulls in the summer of 1983. Their videos were all over MTV '83-86. September 27, 2008

The Synth-Pop Band That's Not Synth-Pop

The Fixx's ULTIMATE COLLECTION is the ultimate anthology by the one 80s MTV band that actually got critical praise along with its commercial success. The reason the Fixx didn't get bad reviews from the press is because of several differences between them and their peers. For one, guitarist Jamie West-Oram's guitar was one of the dominant instruments in this band, rather than the synthesizers which dominated such groups as the Human League, making the Fixx sound a lot like Roxy Music crossed with the Steve Miller Band and Fleetwood Mac. For another, the band's lyrics often discussed serious issues, such as nuclear war, abuse of technology and science, and divisions between people, the latter two of which inspired me to try out Eastern diet ideas, as well as to walk more instead of relying on Arab oil all the time for a ride, eventually resulting in the college-aged female lifeguard at the swimming pool I attended thinking I was cute. Where as a Human League shirt might get you nominated for TLC's WHAT NOT TO WEAR these days, the Fixx still sound contemporary today because the issues they discuss can still have relevance as the Bush era draws to a close. Overall, while the Fixx certainly use their share of synths, they're not really a synth-pop group. June 26, 2008

Not bad

Nice overview. Really bought this CD for a couple of songs only.
Some good stuff on it and some dull things too. March 10, 2008

Fixx Fix

Has all the tracks I was looking for, and a few other (mediocre) ones as well.... Kind of, a bonus.(?) Overall excellent though! October 5, 2007

Much improved greatest hits

I much prefer this greatest hits collection because the original versions of 'Stand or Fall' and 'Red Skies' come from 'Shuttered Room', my favorite Fixx album. The versions on the other older GH were horrible by comparison. While 'Reach the Beach' is probably their most popular album, I still prefer 'Shuttered Room'. My interest in the band focuses primarily on the first two albums. After that, their hits are the only thing that mattered to me.

I was surprised at the track selections from 'Shuttered Room' on this compilation. I think 'Cameras in Paris' or 'I Live' are better songs than 'Lost Planes' or 'Some People'. Nonetheless I appreciate the extra attention to 'Shuttered Room'.

I still have no idea why they insisted on the long version of 'Deeper and Deeper'. And since I'm biased toward their early material, the anthology they have is not necessary for me. May 18, 2007

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