From the Record Collection (8 of 8)_ The Psychedelic Furs

We conclude our series on records from the vinyl collection with the debut record "The Psychedelic Furs" (1980) from the band of the same name.

Like all things Psychedelic Furs, the record is quite surreal and it focuses on the arbitrary of shallowness based on looks and fashion in society. Though songs which were released on later records, such as "Pretty in Pink" and "Ghost in You," perfected these themes, their roots can be found on this record in songs, such as "We Love You," "Soap Commercial" and "Imitation of Christ."

The lone single from the record is "Sister Europe," the second song on side one, which is an edgy song that pays homage to the Velvet Underground and David Bowie.

The band had a loyal following, but like many of the artsy new wave bands, such as The Smiths and The Cure, as opposed to the commercial new wave bands like The Thompson Twins and Men at Work, there were not many 'hits' for the Furs. In fact, "Heartbreak Beat" (1987) was the band's only top 40 hit in America.

Much of the band's legacy can be credited to the success of the song "Pretty in Pink," which became the title of a 1986 John Hughes comedy about the difficulties and awkwardness of teen life. The movie starred Molly Ringwald, who was the leading lady for many Hughes films of the '80s, including "The Breakfast Club" and "Sixteen Candles," which have surprisingly found followings with teenagers of today's generation.

The members of the band include lead singer Richard Butler, who is known for his raspy vocals, and his brother Tim Butler, who plays bass guitar. The band is also set to go on a North American tour. It kicks off at the State Theatre in Falls Church, Va., near Washington, DC, on St. Patrick's Day.

Quote of the Day/Week- Andy Warhol

Since the late artist Andy Warhol (1927-1987) was known for his famous Velvet Underground (you know, the band with Lou Reed) cover art featuring a banana, we thought we'd use an image of Chiquita bananas here with our quote from Warhol:

"An artist is somebody who produces things that people don't need to have."

Speaking of another fruit (well fruit product), NPR is reporting that the price of orange juice is going up. We think this goes for both orange juice produced in Florida as well as California, but don't quote us on that!

SIDEBAR: When we posted this an hour ago, we were completely oblivious to the fact that the Velvet Underground is actually suing the Andy Warhol Foundation over the banana that Warhol made for the band. We learned of this from a tweet from "Rolling Stone."