Description
The Feelies – Crazy Rhythms – 180 Gram Vinyl Record
Released in 1980, Crazy Rhythms is the debut studio album by The Feelies, a New Jersey-based band whose mix of jittery post-punk energy, hypnotic guitar interplay, and relentless rhythmic drive made them one of the most influential yet underrated bands of their era. With its tight, angular riffs, nervous tension, and minimalist yet propulsive drumming, Crazy Rhythms laid the groundwork for indie rock, jangle pop, and the alternative underground of the 1980s and beyond, influencing bands like R.E.M., Yo La Tengo, and Galaxie 500.
The album’s sound is taut, clean, and hyper-focused, with intricately layered guitars from Glenn Mercer and Bill Million that recall both the chime of The Byrds and the sharp precision of Television. However, rather than relying on big choruses or conventional rock structures, The Feelies emphasize repetitive, hypnotic grooves, creating a sense of nervous momentum and controlled chaos. Songs like “The Boy with the Perpetual Nervousness” and “Fa Cé-La” showcase the band’s ability to build tension through percussive, staccato rhythms, while the title track, “Crazy Rhythms,” lives up to its name with its intense, almost frantic drumming and cascading guitar lines. The album also features a surprising, deconstructed cover of The Beatles’ “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey,” which strips the song down to its raw, pulsating essence.
Despite its critical acclaim and cult status, Crazy Rhythms did not achieve mainstream success at the time of its release, as its tight, nervy precision and lack of conventional rock tropes made it a bit of an outlier in the early post-punk and new wave scenes. However, its influence only grew over the decades, with many later indie and alternative bands citing it as a landmark record. The Feelies themselves would go on hiatus for much of the ’80s before returning with The Good Earth (1986), which had a warmer, more organic feel, but Crazy Rhythms remains their defining statement—a masterpiece of controlled energy, hypnotic repetition, and meticulous, guitar-driven artistry.
Brand new, never played and still in the factory plastic
Track Listing
The Boy With The Perpetual Nervousness
Fa Cé-La
Loveless Love
Forces At Work
Original Love
Moscow Nights
Raised Eyebrows
Crazy Rhythms
