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The Flying Lizards is the 1979 debut album[3] by The Flying Lizards and was released on the Virgin Records label.[4]

The Flying Lizards
Studio album by The Flying Lizards
Released	28 July 1979
Recorded	1978 - 1979
Studio	Berry Street Studio and Brixton Academy additional recordings in NYC, Munich, Maidstone and in transit
Length	42:07
Label	Virgin
Producer	David Cunningham
The Flying Lizards chronology
The Flying Lizards (1979) Fourth Wall (1981)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Smash Hits	7½/10[2]

Preceded by two surprise hit singles, the album reached No. 60 in the UK Albums Chart.[5]

Background

Following the unexpected success of the group's 1979 singles—covers of "Summertime Blues" and "Money"—David Cunningham and Deborah Evans were offered a deal with Virgin Records.[6] New material for the album featured improvisational musicians Steve Beresford and David Toop.[6]

The album encompasses "dub-style audio experiments" and "bent interpretations of pop music constructs."[6] Critic Simon Reynolds called it "an exercise in pop absurdism" which included "a Brecht-Weill cover, Sanskrit chants, found sounds, and unlikely instrumental textures" alongside "Cunningham's penchant for excessive studio processing and daft effects."[7]

Charts

Chart (1980)	Peak position
Australian (Kent Music Report)	37[8]

The album charted in the UK for 3 weeks from 16 February 1980 peaking at No. 60,[5] and in New Zealand for 5 weeks peaking at No. 28.[9]

Track list

1979 release

All tracks by David Cunningham except as noted

1. "Der Song von Mandelay" (titled "Mandelay Song" on UK release) (Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Weill) - 2:27
2. "Her Story" (Dave Solomon, David Cunningham, General-Strike, Vivien Goldman) - 4:37
3. "TV" (David Cunningham, Deborah Evans-Stickland, General-Strike) - 3:51
4. "Russia" - 6:11
5. "Summertime Blues" (Eddie Cochran, Jerry Capehart) - 3:09
6. "Money (That's What I Want)" (Berry Gordy, Janie Bradford) - 5:52
7. "The Flood" - 4:57
8. "Trouble" - 2:46
9. "Events During Flood" - 3:25
10. "The Window" (Vivien Goldman) - 4:52

Bonus tracks on 1995 CD

11. "All Guitars" ("Summertime Blues" single B-side) - 2:41
12. "Tube" (instrumental remix of "TV" - B side of "TV" single) - 5:09
13. "Money (That's What I Want)" (single edit) - 2:32

General Strike are David Toop and Steve Beresford, who also made the album Danger In Paradise with David Cunningham in the years 1979-1982[10]

Personnel

• David Cunningham
• David Toop
• Steve Beresford
• Michael Upton
• Deborah Evans-Stickland
• Vivien Goldman
• Julian Marshall

References

• "The Flying Lizards" album cover

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