The Fugs
The Fugs First Album

THE REVIEW

Admired by Dylan, precursors of punk and new wave, sarcastic and nonconformist, the Fugs are still considered a band that “holds an important place in the history of rock” (E. Assante, G. Castaldo, “Blues, Jazz, Rock, Pop”, Einaudi, 2004, p. 308).

Their foundation dates back to 1964, when journalist Tuli Kupferberg and poet, publisher, and creative Ed Sanders began a series of artistic happenings in New York's Greenwich Village under the name of Fugs. Peter Stampfel, Ken Weaver, and Steve Weber soon joined the formation; many other artists participated in the making of the debut album.

Their songs, from the start, expressed the other side of American society. The demystification of the American dream and the opposition to the artificial stars of musical consumerism made the Fugs one of the key groups of early alternative rock. In '67, they participated in a protest sit-in in front of the Pentagon where Sanders attempted to exorcize the evil spirits haunting the building: the first example of a rock exorcism. Thanks to the use of satirical and subversive lyrics, with a bizarre and innovative sound, anticipating punk, the Fugs were considered by the artists of the time as the leaders of a revolutionary artistic movement.

Their first album was recorded live in 1965 under the title “Village Fugs” and then reissued in 1966 as “First Album” by ESP, an independent record label. Often dissonant, the melodies display strong folk, African, popular, and Indian influences, thus creating a mix of genres aimed at ridiculing the American way of life. The songs, at times recited, chanted, spoken, or just sung without instrumental accompaniment, sometimes resemble ballads in the style of Indian ragas or African mystic-religious songs.

The band's social commitment is found in the lyrics, sometimes nihilistic - like “Nothing” - but always sharp, denouncing hypocrisy, sexual repression, consumerism, and war. The grotesque version of “I saw the best minds of my generation”, taken from the famous poem “Howl” by Ginsberg, is the most famous track on the album. The great artistic-creative value of songs such as “Supergirl”, “Slum Goddess”, and “Boobs A Lot”, the vocal and instrumental experimentation that reaches its apogee with “Carpe diem”, existential song with a theatrical imprint and “War kills babies”, are surpassed only by the works of the early Zappa.

“First Album” is a revolutionary and innovative album in the history of rock, indispensable in the record collections of every enthusiast.