FURS TAKE A WALK ON COLORLESS SIDE

We should have known there was trouble in the heartland as soon as the Psychedelic Furs sissified their original, 1982 version of “Pretty in Pink” when rerecording the tune for the recent film. The group’s first two LPs contained songs so imaginative and affecting that the British band seemed one of the great rock hopes of the ‘80s, but radio rejected the music as too abrasive and the group had a hard time building a following in this country.

Apparently in the group’s search of that wider audience, the tension in the Furs’ intriguing post-punk, dance oriented style of music and its frequently engulfing tales of youthful disillusionment gave way to more predictable arrangements and less revealing themes. The Furs didn’t turn this disheartening tide on Saturday night at the Universal Amphitheatre.

Richard Butler--who once added to the sense of struggle in his music with a somewhat sly, teasing stance on stage--bounced about with a glad-to-see-ya exuberance. While not fatal in itself, the retreat from the more probing side of the Furs’ nature was echoed in the band’s flashy and forceful, but also passionless playing. Rarely has a promising band seemed so content with simply serving up product. The Untouchables opened the concert with its lively brand of ska-flavored pop-rock.