Flex (album)

Flex
Studio album by
Lene Lovich
Released18 January 1980[1]
Recorded1979
StudioWisseloord Studios, Hilversum, Netherlands
GenreNew wave
Length37:38
LabelStiff
Producer
Lene Lovich chronology
Stateless
(1978) 		Flex
(1980) 		No Man's Land
(1982)
Singles from Flex
  1. "Bird Song"
    Released: September 28, 1979
  2. "Angels"
    Released: January 1980
  3. "What Will I Do Without You?"
    Released: March 1980
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Record Mirror[3]
Smash Hits6/10[4]

Flex is the second studio album by English-American singer-songwriter Lene Lovich, released in January 1980 by Stiff Records. The album is produced by Lovich and Les Chappell with additional production by Roger Bechirian and Alan Winstanley. It was recorded at the Wisseloord Studios in Hilversum, Netherlands. She worked with Chappell and Judge Smith on writing the songs.

The cover sleeve depicts Lovich wearing a wedding dress and playing with hockey pucks on a string. It was taken inside a stainless steel fermentation tank at a Guinness brewery, after it had been emptied prior to cleaning. It caused controversy and few members of the Baptist church tried to get the album banned in the United States, saying it depicted an act of witchcraft. [citation needed]

Lovich described Flex as her more introverted album. After its release, it received relatively positive reviews praising album's enhanced production compared to her previous album Stateless' rough sound. It was also more successful in charts, peaking at number 94 on the Billboard 200 and number 19 on the UK Albums Chart.[5] The lead single "Bird Song" peaked at number 39 on the UK Singles Chart. The following singles were "Angels" and "What Will I Do Without You?", of which the latter peaked at number 58.[5]

The release of the album was followed by Lovich's first sold-out tour in the United States and a three-month tour within Europe, the highlight of which was a sold-out show in front of 10,000 fans in Belgrade.[6]

  1. ^ "New Albums" (PDF). Record Business. 14 January 1980. p. 28. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  2. ^ Flex at AllMusic. Retrieved December 18, 2011.
  3. ^ Soave, Daniela (19 January 1980). "Cordless". Record Mirror. p. 15.
  4. ^ Starr, Red. "Albums". Smash Hits (January 24 – February 6, 1980): 21.
  5. ^ a b "LENE LOVICH | Artist", Official Charts.
  6. ^ "Lene Lovich - Press material", Epic, October 29, 1982.