Fans of the Fiery Furnaces will be happy to know that the band is releasing a collection of live material. Charmingly titled
Remember, the album brings together songs from the entire Fiery Furnaces catalog, digging way back to 2005 and even including tracks from last year's
Widow City. With 51 tracks in all,
Remember will be available as a triple-LP gatefold, and will include a coupon for free MP3 download. Pretty artwork, too.
I have a hard time with the Fiery Furnaces. I love them in bits and pieces. When they do speak to me, I am absolutely rapt by their blend of ingenuity, soul, and jabberwocky. But, most often, they just give me a headache as they move from genre to genre, mood to mood, song to song. I've read that their live performances do an impressive job of re-imagining their studio material, combining new songs with old, creating clever medleys, or showcasing complete reworks. It should be interesting to hear how the band transforms such collage into an album.
Somewhat ironically,
Remember does not include one of my very favorite Fiery Furnaces tracks, "Here Comes the Summer," from the band's collection of singles,
EP. The song, which turns the one-word question,
"Remember?", into a gorgeous, gentle refrain, would have been an obvious fit. But the Fiery Furnaces are anything but obvious.
I'm convinced that the band deserves attention.
Remember may be just the place to start. The vinyl edition is limited to 2000 copies, and the official US release date is tomorrow, August 19.
