Black Eye

Black Eye is the only full-length studio album by the English punk rock band Fluffy, released in 1996 by The Enclave. It was recorded at Metropolis Studios in London and produced by punk rock veteran Bill Price, who had recorded albums by Sex Pistols and The Clash. The album was recorded live in the studio and the music was not arranged by the producer in order to achieve a rough, live sound. The record contains loud punk songs that explore social issues such as sex and abuse. To promote the album, the band embarked on a major tour in Europe and both coasts of the United States, including a performance at CBGB in New York City. The songs "Husband" and "Nothing" reached number 58 and number 52 respectively on the UK Singles Chart. Upon release, Black Eye received mixed to positive reviews from music critics. Most journalists praised the album's unrelenting mood, but some criticised the vagueness of the lyrics. Prominent music critic Robert Christgau ranked it as one of the best albums of 1996. Background and recording Black Eye is the only full-length album by the English punk rock band Fluffy. The band formed in London in late 1994 by singer and guitarist Amanda Rootes, guitarist Bridget Jones, bassist Helen Storer, and drummer Angie Adams. Unsatisfied with the Britpop invasion at the time, the band sought to recapture the punk rock phenomenon. According to Rootes, "We want to infiltrate and conquer the masses. It's like, Americans think English music's shit – 'cause it is. We want [England] to gain a little respect that we haven't had for a while." The band also felt more comfortable in North America than in the UK because the British press "can't handle the concept of a sexually frank all-girl band"; the name of the band comes from a lesbian novel titled Fluffy Butch, which Rootes thought was funny. After turning down a number of record labels, the band signed to The Enclave, a record label run by A&R executive Tom Zutaut, who had previously signed Guns N' Roses to Geffen. Rootes felt that Zutaut was "great. Very American, very cool, very into his artists." Black Eye was recorded at Metropolis Studios in London and produced by punk rock veteran Bill Price, who had recorded albums by Sex Pistols and The Clash. The album was recorded live in the studio and the music was not arranged by the producer in order to achieve a rough, live sound. According to Rootes, Price "just recorded us live while we were playing.