That single has been included in numerous multi-artist compilation albums and continues to receive major airplay to this day. Other hits include "Red Skies" (also known as "Red Skies (at Night)"), "Stand or Fall", "Saved by Zero", and "Are We Ourselves?". Interestingly, the group is one of the few British artists to have enjoyed significant success outside their country of origin while remaining mostly unknown in their home land, a trait which the Fixx shares with fellow new wave rockers The Outfield and Naked Eyes.
The Fixx regularly tour the U.S., they and recently celebrated a solid twenty-five years of making music together. Curnin, West-Oram, Greenall and Woods are now joined by bassist Gary Tibbs (formerly of Roxy Music, The Vibrators, Adam & The Ants). Cy Curnin can often be found on stage with a glass of wine in his right hand and an egg shaker in the left.
England's the Fixx has always been heralded as one of the most innovative and unique bands to come out of the MTV era. The group's lyrics and melodies are artistic statements of darkness and light, painting aural soundscapes that are cerebral, yet touch the heart. The Fixx's themes are complex, often introspective and thought-provoking, and yet the band's musical legacy has appealed to the masses with three No. 1 hits, five Top-5 hits, a dozen Top-10 hits, millions of albums sold worldwide, and countless sold-out tours.
The Fixx's sound is instantly recognizable. Songs like "One Thing Leads to Another" and "Red Skies (at Night)" remain staples, not just with classic rock radio stations, but on modern-rock formats that have helped break new wave-inspired acts a quarter of a century later.
It is rare for audiences to experience a band that has been together for 25 years. The Fixx were - and still are - Cy Curnin on lead vocals, guitarist Jamie West-Oram, keyboardist Rupert Greenall and drummer Adam Woods, and they bring this unique experience and perspective into the studio and on the road as the Fixx continue making innovative music.
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The band has retained their original lineup since first signing with MCA Records in 1981 and releasing their debut album, Shuttered Room, a few months later. It was the first of five MCA albums containing some of the most original and defining music of the decade. The LP produced two huge hits, "Red Skies" and "Stand Or Fall." Audiences connected with a band that had both style AND substance. The album spent an entire year on the Billboard Hot 100, earning the band their first Gold record.
In 1983, the band released Reach The Beach, their ground-breaking, double-platinum album which included the smash hits "One Thing Leads To Another" and "Saved by Zero." An extensive North American tour opening for The Police earned the Fixx critical acclaim and lifelong fans for their captivating performances.
The band continued with a string of top-selling albums. Phantoms, in 1984, included the hit song "Are We Ourselves," and in 1986, Walkabout produced the hit single "Secret Separation." Another hit on Billboard Magazine's Hot Club Play chart was "Deeper and Deeper" from the soundtrack to the Walter Hill film Streets of Fire.
In 1987 the band departed MCA for RCA Records and Calm Animals, showcased their second No. 1 rock track, "Driven Out," which became Billboard's ..4 Most Played Rock Track of the Year.
At the end of the decade, MCA released a greatest hits package titled One Thing Leads To Another, which has sold more than two million copies.
The '90s represented a turning point in music, and in the Fixx. Ink, released in 1991, showcased themes of struggle, and the song "How Much is Enough?" climbed to No. 10 on the Modern Rock chart. But other melodic and introspective ballads failed to find a place in the then-burgeoning grunge scene.
The band members spent some time apart, to raise families, pursue other interests, and to let the musical world decide where it was going. But there was never any thought of retirement. After the band's hiatus, The Ultimate Fixx Collection was released, showcasing the trademark FIXX sound - ethereal keyboards, an inventive rhythm section, passionate vocals and shattering guitar work - a sound that has produced a variety of memorable hits which remain significant today.
The band returned to the studio for CMC International Records. Elemental, released in 1998, marked a new, contemporary evolution in the group's history, blending the familiar FIXX sound with a fresh, modern feel. It showcased the band's signature rock sound with songs such as "Two Different Views" and "We Once Held Hands." With Elemental, the Fixx reclaimed their place in pop culture. Their creative energy and spirit renewed, the recording sessions yielded too many songs for just one CD, and later a second collection was released entitled Happy Landings and Lost Tracks, including "Mayfly" and "Freeman."
The wonderful acoustic 1011 Woodland, from 1999, was the other CMC release, and featured many of the band's favorite tunes, including "Woman on a Train" and "Cameras in Paris."
The group's unstoppable creative drive bore the 2003 release Want That Life on Rainman Records. Produced by their late collaborator and motivator Martin Rex, and with bassist Gary Tibbs, completing the line-up, it became The Fixx's eighth studio album and featured the haunting and thought-provoking "Touch" and "Are You Satisfied?"
It is the band's unmistakable sound and relevant, accessible songs that keep the Fixx unique among the thousands of artists that fill the airwaves. In concert, the band delivers that same sonic authenticity because they are the genuine article, the real deal. Concert-goers, whether Fixxtures (longtime fans) or those experiencing the Fixx for the first time, are thrilled by the band's dynamic stage presence and trademark sound.
Having celebrated their 25th anniversary with a DVD made by fans, and the imminent release of new songs, the band once again proves that they are constantly evolving, seeking new heights. In March of this year, the band reconvened in London with bassist Dan K. Brown, much to the delight of long-time Fixxtures.
The Fixx, with their combination of classic hits and innovative new music, continues to excite and inspire - both live and on record.
See: http://www.thefixx.com/
Big Wall
The Fixx Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Learning of a legend I prepare to face the ghost
I do not ask if it's strength or weakness
It's all I have it's the best defense
I cannot see if you're kind or dangerous
I must believe it's all pretense
Don't look to me to shout treason I can find tile nation's pride
That the big wall tries to hide
Early frost a name is spelt in breath on a window
Hoping he's connected he prepares to meet the host
If I let go there's a path to follow
Owning up to these empty needs
Where I swim the water's shallow
Face up in all the social grief
There is a world just locked out
As the big wall tries to hide
A little flame dying out
As the big wall tries to hide
Are we left to minimize
As the big wall tries to hide
When you turn your face to tile sky will
The big wall leave your mind
The big wall leaves your mind
The Fixx's song Big Wall is a haunting and reflective piece that reflects on the difficult choices that one must make in life and the barriers that stand in the way of achieving one's goals. The song opens with the powerful and ever-present imagery of time, as the singer spins through the raging strokes of time, learning of a legend and preparing to face a ghost. The lyrics suggest that the singer is dedicated to overcoming the obstacles in their path, but is unsure and perhaps uneasy about what lies ahead.
The lyrics continue with the singer acknowledging that they do not know whether their strength will be enough in the face of the challenges to come, whether the people they encounter will be kind or dangerous. Despite this uncertainty, the singer is committed to moving forward, believing in their own resilience and the power of conviction, even in the face of opposition.
As the song progresses, the singer's sense of isolation and disconnection from the wider world is palpable. The references to the "big wall" being used to hide the truth and the "empty needs" that the singer struggles with highlight the challenges of living in a world that often seems to prioritize barriers over understanding, and concealment over honesty. The lyrics suggest that the singer is determined to find their own path, even if it means swimming in shallow water or facing up to social grief.
Overall, Big Wall is a song that captures a sense of longing and an urgent need for connection and understanding in a world that too often seems indifferent to the needs of individuals.
Line by Line Meaning
Proudly lost I spin through the raging strokes of time
I am confident in my confusion as I navigate through the chaotic passage of time
Learning of a legend I prepare to face the ghost
I become aware of a mythic figure and ready myself to confront its presence
I do not ask if it's strength or weakness
I don't inquire whether something is beneficial or detrimental
It's all I have it's the best defense
Whatever I possess is my primary safeguard
I cannot see if you're kind or dangerous
I am unable to detect if you are benevolent or malevolent
I must believe it's all pretense
I have to assume that everything is a façade
All I know is I feel even balanced out by the sense of doubt
I have a sense of equilibrium despite feeling uncertain
Don't look to me to shout treason I can find tile nation's pride
I won't betray my country's dignity, but I can identify its core values
That the big wall tries to hide
That which the significant barrier attempts to conceal
Early frost a name is spelt in breath on a window
In the chill of the morning, someone wrote a name on a window with their breath
Hoping he's connected he prepares to meet the host
He anticipates that he is linked to someone and readies himself to meet them
If I let go there's a path to follow
If I release my inhibitions, there is a journey to undertake
Owning up to these empty needs
Acknowledging that these desires are ultimately fruitless
Where I swim the water's shallow
Where I move, the liquid is not deep
Face up in all the social grief
Exposed to all the agony of the societal framework
There is a world just locked out
An entire world is sealed off
As the big wall tries to hide
While the notable obstacle attempts to obscure it
A little flame dying out
A small fire that is gradually extinguishing
As the big wall tries to hide
While the significant impediment endeavors to conceal it
Are we left to minimize
Are we forced to reduce in size
As the big wall tries to hide
While the sizeable partition strives to cloak it
When you turn your face to tile sky will
If you gaze upward, then
The big wall leaves your mind
The enormous obstacle vanishes from your thoughts
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CYRIL CURNIN, PETER GREENALL, JAMES WEST-ORAM, ADAM WOODS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind