My Top 1000 Songs #914: Pulse

While I generally prefer The Psychedelic Furs' catchy new wave pop singles to their rawer-sounding deep cuts, I've always loved "Pulse," off their 1980 self-titled debut (a song oddly relegated to the b-side of their 1979 debut single). It's probably the closest they got to a straight art-punk track, shades of early Wire--fast, loud, and in your face, with Richard Butler's sandpaper rasp deployed more as a Lydon-like cudgel than Bowie-esque croon. But it's elevated above a mere gym-ready frenetic rocker by its distinctive rolling bass, a repeated slide down the string that feels like an amphetamine-fueled... well, pulse. Plus an unexpected sax solo! Crank it up.

Live 1981: