# Invisible Means

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***Invisible Means*** is a [studio album](/source/Studio_album) by the English/American [experimental rock](/source/Experimental_rock) quartet [French Frith Kaiser Thompson](/source/French_Frith_Kaiser_Thompson). It was the group's second album and was recorded at Mobius Music in [San Francisco](/source/San_Francisco) on March 19–23, 1990. The album was released in 1990 in the United States by [Windham Hill Records](/source/Windham_Hill_Records) on [CD](/source/Compact_disc). The album was reissued in 2008 by [Fledg'ling Records](/source/Fledg'ling_Records) with one extra track recorded live.[1]

## Reception

In a review of the album in *[The Santa Fe New Mexican](/source/The_Santa_Fe_New_Mexican)*, Steve Terrell called [French Frith Kaiser Thompson](/source/French_Frith_Kaiser_Thompson) "the world's most obscure 'supergroup'".[2] He says this collaboration is led by Kaiser, with his "whacky, ecclectic [sic] approach to rock", and Thompson, "break[ing] out of his own mold" and "experimenting with ... sheer craziness".[2] Terrell liked the playfulness of Kaiser's "The Nearsighted Heron" and "Days of Our Lives", and Thompson's "mock opera", "March of the Cosmetic Surgeons".[2] He also liked French's "Now That I Am Dead", although he was critical of some of French's other songs ("Invisible Means", "The Evening News" and "Suzanne"), which Terrell felt were the "low points of the album".[2] But overall, Terrell called the album "a winner", adding that he hoped there was more to come from the group.[2]

Mark Deming at [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic) described *Invisible Means* as "calmer, and a bit easier to digest" than their first album, *[Live, Love, Larf & Loaf](/source/Live,_Love,_Larf_%26_Loaf)*, but complained that it "lacks ... the playful wit and high spirits" of that album.[3] Deming added, however, that there are some "intelligent but unexpectedly conventional-sounding pop tunes" from [French](/source/John_French_(musician)), some good contributions from [Kaiser](/source/Henry_Kaiser_(musician)) and [Frith](/source/Fred_Frith), and "a stunning tune", "Killing Jar" from [Thompson](/source/Richard_Thompson_(musician)).[3]

## Track listing

1. "Peppermint Rock" ([Thompson](/source/Richard_Thompson_(musician))) – 3:37
1. "To the Rain" ([French](/source/John_French_(musician))) – 4:49
1. "Lizard's Tail" ([Frith](/source/Fred_Frith)) – 4:20
1. "March of the Cosmetic Surgeons" (Thompson) – 5:09
1. "Suzanne" (French) – 2:56
1. "Quick Sign" (Frith) – 3:40
1. "Begging Bowl" (Thompson) – 3:18
1. "Kalo Takariva (Requiem for Maurice Halison)" ([Kaiser](/source/Henry_Kaiser_(musician))) – 1:20
1. "Invisible Means" ([Adams](/source/Bob_Adams_(musician)), French) – 4:59
1. "[Loch Lomond](/source/The_Bonnie_Banks_o'_Loch_Lomond)" (traditional) – 4:45
1. "[Play with Fire](/source/Play_with_Fire_(Rolling_Stones_song))" ([Nanker Phelge](/source/Nanker_Phelge)) – 9:43 *
1. "The Book of Lost Dreams" (Kaiser) – 1:49
1. "Days of Our Lives" (Kaiser, [Salazar](/source/Olulfo_Salazar)) – 5:15
1. "The Evening News" (French) – 3:37
1. "The Nearsighted Heron" (Kaiser) – 3:25
1. "Now That I Am Dead" ([Blair](/source/D._Blair), French) – 3:27
1. "Hunting Sunsets" (Frith) – 4:14
1. "Killing Jar" (Thompson) – 7:43

* Live recording only available on the 2008 reissue.

## Personnel

- [John French](/source/John_French_(musician)) – drums, vocals
- [Fred Frith](/source/Fred_Frith) – bass guitar, violin
- [Henry Kaiser](/source/Henry_Kaiser_(musician)) – guitar
- [Richard Thompson](/source/Richard_Thompson_(musician)) – guitar, vocals

### Guests

- [Bob Duskis](/source/Bob_Duskis) – whistler
- [Catherine Keen](/source/Catherine_Keen) – vocals (track 4)

## References

1. Ramond, Michel; Roussel, Patrice; Vuilleumier, Stephane. ["Discography of Fred Frith"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190619155344/http://nyds-discographies.com/frith.htm). New York Downtown Scene and Other Miscellaneous Discographies. Archived from [the original](http://nyds-discographies.com/frith.htm) on June 19, 2019. Retrieved September 8, 2017.

1. Terrell, Steve (March 1, 1991). ["World's most obscure supergroup"](https://newspaperarchive.com/bruce-tu-entertainment-clipping-mar-01-1991-21737/). *[The Santa Fe New Mexican](/source/The_Santa_Fe_New_Mexican)*. p. 45.

1. Deming, Mark. "Invisible Means". [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic). Retrieved November 6, 2015.

## External links

- [*Invisible Means*](http://www.richardthompson-music.com/1990-invisible-means) at Richard Thompson homepage

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