Gag (album)

Gag is the fourth and final studio album released by Fad Gadget on 1 February 1984 on Mute Records. The album was produced by Gareth Jones, who is known for working with acts such as Depeche Mode and Erasure, both being fellow Mute artists. It would also be the last album released under the name Fad Gadget, due to Frank Tovey wishing to release under his real name.

The album features tracks that are a combination of electronica and industrial styles, and features the German band Einstürzende Neubauten on the second track, "Collapsing New People", which was also released as a single. ("Einstürzende Neubauten" translates as "Collapsing new buildings - specifically, tower blocks".)

Background
During the recording of Gag the German industrial band, Einstürzende Neubauten, were recording for Some Bizzare Records at Hansa and had been the support act for Fad Gadget at a gig at "The Loft" venue in Berlin. Frank liked their use of industrial equipment and found objects, something he had encouraged Nick Cash (his drummer and percussionist since his first album) to do. Fad Gadget heard a large printing press nearby which had a distinctive rhythm and got Gareth Jones, the co-producer/engineer, to record it.

The recording was looped and became the basis for "Collapsing New People." (Einstürzende Neubauten translated means, "collapsing new buildings."). All these recordings were engineered by Gareth Jones and the sample used was stored on his Akai sampler with Cash drumming along and keeping the swing of the machine. Gadget then thought it would be good to ask Neubauten if they would add some of their percussion noise to the mix; however, Frank thought there was enough going on in the track and their contribution was used on the b-side "Spoil The Child" and on the 12" mix of the song. Neubauten's percussion was overdubbed over the already recorded backing tracks. The percussion tracks proved difficult to mix at the final stage, but Gadget was pleased with the final result. The track "Collapsing New People" was released as a single by Mute Records.

Reception
Jason Collins of AllMusic gave a mixed review on the album saying, ""Gag" is, by far, Tovey's poppiest album, although, naturally, there are plenty of surprises and a few shocks in store for the listener. Alongside plainer and relatively conventional pop fare like Ideal World (the album's rousing opener), Sleep, Stand Up, Speak To Me, and The Ring are songs that remind you (sometimes brutally) that this is still a Fad Gadget record.", while also comparing the album to Depeche Mode, specifically their third album Construction Time Again (1983) and concluding. "Gag" is a pop record like no other, but Tovey's relentlessly obsessive lyrical concerns alongside some fairly pedestrian instrumentation and hollow-sounding production renders his transformation into a pop performer something less than a success;"

Track listing

 * 1) "Ideal World" (Frank Tovey, Barbara Frost, Nick Cash) - 5:39
 * 2) "Collapsing New People" (Frank Tovey, Barbara Frost, David Rogers, David Simmonds, Nick Cash) - 4:22 - produced by Daniel Miller, Frank Tovey, Gareth Jones
 * 3) "Sleep" (Frank Tovey, Daniel Miller) - 3:25
 * 4) "Stand Up" (Frank Tovey, David Rogers, David Simmonds) - 3:30
 * 5) "Speak to Me" (Frank Tovey, Joni Sackett) - 3:23
 * 6) "One Man's Meat" (Frank Tovey, David Simmonds, Joni Sackett) - 4:06
 * 7) "The Ring" (Frank Tovey, David Simmonds) - 3:53
 * 8) "Jump" (Frank Tovey, Joni Sackett, Nick Cash) - 4:09
 * 9) "Ad Nauseam" (Frank Tovey) - 6:32

Personnel

 * Frank Tovey – vocals
 * David Simmonds - piano, synthesizer, organ, celesta, percussion, marimba
 * Nick Cash – drums, percussion
 * David Rogers - guitar, double bass, bass synthesizer
 * Joni Sackett - vocals, viola
 * Barbara Frost - vocals
 * Rowland S. Howard - guitar on "Ideal World" and "Ad Nauseam"
 * Morgan Tovey-Frost - voice on "Sleep"
 * Technical
 * John Fryer - overdub engineer
 * Anton Corbijn - photography

The overdubs on "Ideal World" and "Ad Nauseam" recorded at Blackwing Studios, London