Plastic Fantastic (album)

Plastic Fantastic
Studio album by
Flesh for Lulu
Released1989
GenreRock
LabelCapitol
ProducerMark Opitz, Zeus B. Held
Flesh for Lulu chronology
Long Live the New Flesh
(1987) 		Plastic Fantastic
(1989) 		Gigantic
(2007)

Plastic Fantastic is an album by the English band Flesh for Lulu, released in 1989.[1][2] The band, with a different rhythm section, supported it by opening for Public Image Limited on a North American tour.[3] "Decline and Fall" and "Time and Space" peaked at Nos. 15 and 9, respectively, on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart.[4]

Production

The album was produced primarily by Mark Opitz.[5] Flesh for Lulu decided in part to record at INXS' studio in Sydney, Australia, to get away from the English music scene.[5][6] "Slide", which was originally written for the soundtrack to Uncle Buck, was produced by Zeus B. Held.[7][8] The title track was inspired by the band's time in Hollywood; "Decline and Fall" also criticizes American culture and lifestyles.[9][10]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[11]
Alternative Rock7/10[5]
Chicago Tribune[12]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[13]
The Great Indie Discography5/10[14]
The Ottawa Citizen[15]
St. Petersburg Times[16]

Spin described the album as "a serious bash complete with nonstop rockers, funky beats, sentimental love songs and frenzied guitars."[17] The St. Petersburg Times called Rocco Barker's guitar playing "concise and literate, if not terribly dexterous."[16] The Washington Post opined that Plastic Fantastic "has the pleasant but vague sound of much Oz rock."[8] The Ottawa Citizen said that it "is the band's attempt the crossover from the London Batcave underground to mainstream rock... The edges are muted here with acoustic guitar and a dampened spirit."[15]

The Chicago Tribune noted that despite some serious lyrical topics, the music moves "at top-40 speed throughout."[12] The Kansas City Star concluded that the album "should cement Flesh for Lulu's place among the better bands to emerge in the '80s."[18] The Tampa Tribune said that the "former gloom rockers ... have graduated to greater pop accessibility".[19] The Evening Herald panned the "big bland sound".[20]

The Trouser Press Record Guide stated that, "beyond its lack of sales, there's little to distinguish this effort from a Billy Idol album."[21]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Decline and Fall" 
2."House of Cards" 
3."Time and Space" 
4."Every Little Word" 
5."Slowdown" 
6."Highwire" 
7."Slide" 
8."Day One" 
9."Choosing You" 
10."Stupid on the Street" 
11."Avenue" 
12."Plastic Fantastic" 

References

  1. ^ Darling, Cary (10 November 1989). "Leader of the band is a real Lulu". Orange County Register. p. P38.
  2. ^ Fitzpatrick, Jackie (8 November 1989). "Social concerns not for Flesh for Lulu". The San Diego Union. p. E8.
  3. ^ Wenner, Cheryl (13 October 1989). "Flesh for Lulu Promises More Sweat Than Subtlety". The Morning Call. p. D1.
  4. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Rock Tracks 1981–2008. Record Research. p. 94.
  5. ^ a b c Thompson, Dave (2000). Alternative Rock. Bloomsbury Academic. pp. 369–370.
  6. ^ Kim, Jae-Ha (20 October 1989). "Flesh for Lulu group makes no bones about being eclectic". Weekend Plus. Chicago Sun-Times. p. 11.
  7. ^ Romine, Linda (19 November 1989). "Flesh for Lulu leader reared on Sex Pistols". Edmonton Journal. Cox News Service. p. D2.
  8. ^ a b Jenkins, Mark (1 December 1989). "Lulu Tries to Avoid Way of All Flash". Weekend. The Washington Post. p. 28.
  9. ^ Okamoto, Shari (10 November 1989). "Flesh for Lulu has new lineup, new approach". San Pedro News-Pilot. Vol. 62, no. 215. p. E12.
  10. ^ Lanham, Tom (24 November 1989). "Pop-Pourri". The Boston Phoenix. Vol. 18, no. 47. p. 14.
  11. ^ "Plastic Fantastic Review by Michael Sutton". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
  12. ^ a b Kot, Greg (19 October 1989). "Recordings". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 15C.
  13. ^ Larkin, Colin (1998). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. III. Macmillan. p. 1937.
  14. ^ Strong, Martin C. (2003). The Great Indie Discography. Canongate. p. 336.
  15. ^ a b Erskine, Evelyn (19 January 1990). "Flesh for Lulu Plastic Fantastic". The Ottawa Citizen. p. F6.
  16. ^ a b Hall, Ken (27 October 1989). "Sound Bites". Weekend. St. Petersburg Times. p. 18.
  17. ^ Reinhardt, Robin (November 1989). "Heavy Rotation". Spin. Vol. 5, no. 8. p. 16.
  18. ^ Hack, Greg (21 October 1989). "'Plastic Fantastic', Flesh for Lulu". The Kansas City Star. p. E3.
  19. ^ Booth, Philip (19 November 1989). "Music Notes". The Tampa Tribune. p. 8H.
  20. ^ "Album Arrivals". Evening Herald. 24 March 1990. p. 15.
  21. ^ The Trouser Press Record Guide (4th ed.). Collier Books. 1991. p. 253.
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