Flys - Flys Own (1979)

Not aggressive enough for the punks, a tad too bratty to be suitably labeled "power pop," and hardly pedestrian enough for the pub circuit, The Flys may well have eluded categorization despite a relatively accessible sound.  Flys Own (perhaps intended to be read as Fly Zone?) was the second and parting LP from these Coventry, UK kids and a big, big improvement over their debut Waikiki Beach Refugees which I posted a couple months ago.

In addition to Flys Own abundant grit and nervy panache there's some fantastic songs to speak of - "16 Down," "Energy Boy," "When 2 and 5 Make 9," and "Night Creatures"  That last one I might add was covered as a b-side to Superchunk's seminal 1990 "Slack Motherfucker" 7" (and amazingly they seemed to have more fun with it than the Flys)!  There's a lot to love on this classy and often sassy affair, not terribly removed from say, The Rich Kids Ghosts of Princes in Towers from the same era, if that means anything to you.  Maybe it's just me but I'm sensing trace elements of Bowie too.  In all respects this platter is a gem.

Cuts 1-14 comprise the original Flys Own album, the remainder are from singles and such from the same period.

01. Let's Drive
02. Energy Boy
03. Fascinate Me
04. Talking to the Wall
05. 16 Down
06. Fortunes
07. Night Creatures
08. When 2 And 5 Make 9
09. Undercover Agent Zero
10. Cheap Days
11. Walking the Streets
12. Through the Windscreen
13. Freezing
14. Frenzy is 23
15. We Are the Lucky Ones
16. Living in the Sticks
17. Lois Lane
18. Today Belongs To Me
19. What Will Mother Say
20. Undercover Agent Zero (single version)


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