MANIACS - Can Also Use Fruit

MANIACS Can Also Use Fruit cd 1988
Adult World / It Means Hate / A Way Of My Own / Sometime, Somewhere / Don't Come My Way / I Can't Tell / Nobody Knows / Motorcycle Baby / Sad Sunday / Going Home / I Watch You / Apologize / From That Day / Times Of Indecision* / Dusty Night* / Get Away* / Evil Ways* / Careless Guessing* / Bionic Babe*.
Produced by 4-eyed Thomas except bonus tracks* produced by Robin Wills.
Maniacs: A. Jacques: vocals & guitar / A. Croubalian: vocals & bass / T. Sartoretti: guitar & backing vocals / Stéphane: drums / Patrick: harmonica & backing vocals
"The Fruit lp features a big drum sound, some good fuzzy guitar work similar to the Nomads' Hardware lp and a batch of rock pop songs that draw heavily from Detroit rock tradition, but also blends in some r'n'b feel, a feeling that's accentuated by the presence of Patrick on harmonica. The record sports two guitar players, Thierry and Alex, who also sings, and has Stephane on drums. But despite the live and punchy sound, Les Maniacs wanted to go a step further with their next record. "It's very hard to get even near what we do on stage, and that's why we've recorded a live album this May which may come out in September; it's a live album recorded in a radio studio in fact, and we brought the guy that recorded the album in Sweden, Mickael Herrstrom, who is a swell engineer around 20 or 25...quite young, and really a hell of an engineer as far as guitar sounds and drum sounds. He recorded a lot with 4-Eyed Thomas, and we got along well with him so we asked him to come use the studio we had at our disposal in that radio show to record the concert, and in August he took it up to Sweden and mixed it over there, so it might come out in September as a live album with around 15 songs on it with covers and stuff, and we'll see how that comes out." Source: NFH # 18

"So is Maniacs, spontaneous and Rock and Roll. They consider that the first quality of the man is to have a soul and the means to express it in a the most urgent way which is. Musicians who execute their composition with ardour, "... As if it was the last time.. ". No artificial attitude, no praised chapel. Only roots and expression which, from Cochran to Husker Dü, did not change.
Musician bought their first discs in the punk storm. The time to understand that their place was on the scene and not front ; the time to assimilate thirty years of Negro and white music, the group formed in 1982, with Alain Croubalian, Thierry Sartoretti, Hafid Zerhouni and Alex Jacques. It is during hot one concert, that a faithful friend of the group suggested them the homonym, Maniacs, representative name of their wild music!
In 1986, Maniacs releases their first disc: the maxi 4 titles "Maniacs", produced by Robin Wills (Barracudas).
In 1987, the second disc "Bring Back The Night" is also produced by Robin Wills.
In 1988 the year is Swedish and European Maniacs : Four-Eyed Thomas (producer of the Nomads) takes Maniacs to record "Can Also Use Fruit" in Stockholm. Stop It Baby (a division of Bondage Records) releases the disc.
In 1989, they record their first disc live : "Live at Budokan". Finally, all the truth on the magic of a concert of Maniacs is accessible to everybody..."
In 1991, the album "69" is recorded in the afternoon and mixed by producers as different as prestigious (Robin Wills, Al Comet, Christophe Sourice, Dave-ID)...
In 1993, Maniacs flies away for Memphis in the American state of Tennessee and locks itself thirteen days to the Sam Phillips Recording. James Luther Dickinson, the former pianist of the Stones, Ry Cooder and producer of Green On Red, Replacements, Toots, Albert King (among others) is the technician of the sound of the new album "Hog Wild".
In 1994, Maniacs laid "Choose", rock par excellence, without any reason, except that they like that.
In 1997, Maniacs passes two weeks in Cairo to record ten songs with an Egyptian group : Sharkiat. Source
The Maniacs disbanded after the release of "Maniacs vs Sharkiat" but they have recorded some fine real rock'n'roll albums like "Can also Use Fruit" or their great "Live At Budokan"!
Grab this one & you won't be disapointed ... trust me!
Part 2 here!
NB: The six bonus tracks are taken from the mini lp "Bring Back The Night" recorded in 1989, produced by Robin Wills & never available in cd alone! Only the title song "Bring Back The Night" is missing...