I was pissed off today, and when I have just had enough, if I am doing a review in a mood it has to be rock! I recommend an ice cold Dr. Pepper with headphones on, your child doing some task (like washing up lol) and you just turn up the volume and blow the cobwebs away. That was therefore my plan tonight as I got to listen to The Fixations new single “Money For Nothing.”
Now, we know The Fixations! They are O.C. Flores on drums, The Doc on lead guitar and backing vocals, Rusty Nails on bass and backing vocals, and M.F. Jones on lead vocals and rhythm guitar. We spoke to them recently ‘ish’ with my colleague Stevie doing a terrific interview and review (link below). Jones did tell Stevie at the time:
“Our third album is already in the works. We are currently in the demoing phase, and as usual, we’re hell-bent on making it better than anything else we’ve done thus far. And as previously mentioned, there might be a single in advance of the album. We are also in talks with a couple of entities about licensing our product to make it available in Europe. Our minds are also set on a European tour. You might say we’re fixated on it.”
I’m not sure if this is the single they are talking about here as the advance release. It is out on Friday 27 June, so I grabbed an early listen.
My review- There is always a certain risk inherent in reworking a classic, and Dire Straits “Money For Nothing” is about as classic a track as you can get. But I have no problem with cover tracks if they can add something to the original, re-energise me as a listener to the track. It can reawaken you as a listener, this has happened so often for me with The Beatles. In this case, The Fixations do not disappoint, they shave around four minutes off the length (the original album track ran out at 8.22) and they deliver a kick ass version that reworks, plays with the riff and infuses the old with the new in a clever manner. I enjoyed the guitar breaks, liked the harmony vocals and the whole thrill the band has had playing this comes through. I played the non radio edit, and was in the mood for the “motherfucker with the airplane etc.” (better than the original word used in my opinion). I enjoyed it and played it back to back three times. That is a very good sign, I don’t often do that.
So yeah, I was pissed off—but this track got under my skin in the best way. The Fixations took a sacred cow and gave it horns. It’s gritty, gutsy, and gloriously unapologetic. Whether it’s a nod to nostalgia or a middle finger to playing it safe, “Money For Nothing” in their hands is a blast of defiance and fun. Crank it up, let the dishes pile up, and lose yourself for a few minutes. Sometimes, that’s all the therapy you need.
And we hope you liked the review, dear reader! If you did, please check out the other pages of the magazine; we have many great features, merchandise pages, shops, editorials and even a poetry page. Content is free here, but we work hard for you, and to support the magazine, please show your appreciation on the support button below and buy me a coffee!
You can stream music by The Fixations here
By Lorraine Foley