I was just checking my e-mail and saw in a typically delightful Cherry Red Records mail out that come the end of November, the first two albums by the avant garde New Wave project The Flying Lizards. This is major stuff, for someone like myself who has been searching [fruitlessly] for their second album, “Fourth Wall,” for the almost 30 years since its release!

Cherry Red/RPM | UK « 2xCD | 2010 | retrod883

The Flying Lizards: Same/Fourth Wall 2xCD RM

Disc 1

1. Mandelay Song
2. Her Story
3. TV
4. Russia
5. Summertime Blues
6. Money (That’s What I Want)
7. The Flood
8. Trouble
9. Events During The Flood
10. The Window
11. Summertime Blues (12 Version)
12. All Guitars
13. Money (7″ Edit)
14. Money B
15. Tube

Disc 2

1. Lovers And Other Strangers
2. Glide/Spin
3. In My Lifetime
4. Cirrus
5. A-Train
6. New Voice
7. Hands 2 Take
8. An Age
9. Steam Away
10. Move On Up
11. Another Story
12. Lost And Found
13. Portugal
14. Continuity
15. Lovers And Other Strangers (7″ Version)
16. Wind

Most of us have heard the band’s brutal deconstruction of the Berry Gordy classic “Money [That’s What I Want]” at some point, I think. For such an extreme and pitiless rendition of a beloved song, the Flying Lizards cover got some pretty wide exposure. I’m sure it’s been used in TV shows and ads that I’ve missed ever since, since it’s such a strong piece. These reissues have exactly the bonus tracks [in red] that should be there with nothing missing.

Virgin | UK | 7" | 1978 | VS 230

The Flying Lizards: Summertime Blues UK 7″

1. Summertime Blues
2. All Guitars

Virgin | UK | 7" | 1979 | VS 276

The Flying Lizards: Money UK 7″

1. Money [7″ edit]
2. Money B

Virgin America | US | 12" | 1979 | DSKO 217

The Flying Lizards: Money US Promo 12″

1. Money [LP]
2. Summertime Blues [extended version]

Virgin | UK | 7" | 1980 | VS 325

The Flying Lizards: TV UK 7″

1. TV
2. Tube

I have the US LP of the time of “The Flying Lizards” and all of the 7″singles from it. I can’t remember if I have the USP 12″ of “Money/Summertime Blues” but I’d bet not. The “Fourth Wall” album has been a beté noir of mine for a looooooong time. I’d heard the incredible, grinding “Hands 2 Take” on Virgin’s “Cash Cows” sampler and I was ready for more! Except for that I never came across the album for 30 years of looking. Hard. Needless to say, I never came across any of the singles from this puppy, either.

Virgin | UK | 7" | 1980 | VS 381

The Flying Lizards: Move On Up UK 7″

1. Move On Up
2. Portugal

Virgin | UK | 7" | 1981 | VS 392

The Flying Lizards: Hands 2 Take UK 7″

1. Hands 2 Take
2. Continuity

Virgin | UK | 7" | 1981 | VS 421

The Flying Lizards: Lovers & Other Strangers UK 7″

1. Lovers & Other Strangers [7″ version]
2. Wind

Now I can finally have the complete run on Virgin Records of this quirky and minimal project of David Cunningham on convenient CD format. There have been issues of these two albums [without any B-sides] on CD over the years, but I never managed to see either of them. The single release on CD of “Fourth Wall” was relegated to Japan only in 1995 [at a time when I was saving for marriage/house] and even then, the retail price for this was out of my budget at the time [~$40], to say nothing of what aftermarket sellers are asking right now for this disc. Needless to say, I don’t have 200 spare dollars hanging around for this album! Now it can be had by one and all on November 30 from Cherry Red for a fraction of that dear cost.

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