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Scissor Sisters
****
On the last day of 2004, this debut album pipped Keane to become the biggest selling
album of the year in the UK – an amazing feat for the eccentric US band who mean very little in their homeland.
Scissor
Sisters is a band full of flamboyant characters and strong songs and musicianship. The album begins
with the irresistible glam-disco double-header of Laura and Take Your Mama,
reminiscent of Elton john at his 70s peak. These two and the epic ballad Mary, which reminds me of Rolling
Stones’ Angie, are the highlights of the album.
Much of the rest of the album has more of a minimal, electro-disco
sound which is less to my taste. However, there are often elements of other musical styles such as the
electro-country licks on Better Luck. Also included is an almost unrecognisable, bizarre disco version of Comfortably Numb which I stubbornly refuse to like as it doesn’t
capture the emotion of the Pink Floyd original. I guess it brings the Floyd to a different audience though
and the Sisters are obviously fans as their epic album closer Return To Oz demonstrates.
It’s usually very difficult
to follow up a phenomenonally successful debut album though, with the versatility and talent shown on Scissor Sisters, this band has a better chance than most. Deservedly one
of the top albums of 2004.
Acquired by me: 25.12.04 - Present (for Naomi)
Semisonic - Feeling Strangely Fine
***¼
Contains
the beautiful hit single Secret Smile. Otherwise, theres very competent arrangements and melodies but its too bland and formularic
for my tastes. Radio friendly rock
Released - 1999
Acquired by me: 14.3.00 - Borrowed (Library)
Service, Brett - Relative Stranger
**¾
Canadian acoustic songwriter who swapped albums with me after contacting me via the
internet. Very competent but his songs and singing are too middle of the road for my tastes. Tellingly, my favourite moments
on this LP are instrumental.
Released - 1999
Acquired by me: 5.12.01 - Present (Brett)
Sexsmith, Ron - Blue Boy
***½
Commercial
album by the singer songwriter. Some strong melodies though I find it too polished, over-arranged and covering too many musical
styles. Tellingly, my favourite 2 songs, This Song and Just My Heart Talkin' are straight forward acoustic pop. I prefer a
more acoustic and less polished sound. Slightly disappointing.
Released - 2001
Acquired by me: 31.1.03 - Bought
Simon, Paul –
Greatest Hits: Shining Like A National Guitar
*****
As
a single disc compilation of Simon’s solo career, it’s quite difficult to fault Shining Like A National Guitar. This Best Of includes all the big hits and some of the better tracks from Paul’s
lesser-known albums. Refreshingly, for example, there are two tracks featured
from his underrated 1982 album Hearts & Bones as well as a couple from the soundtrack of his failed 90s Broadway production
The Caveman.
Listening to SLANG (!), it seems to me that the secret of Simon’s success is down to a combination
of his gift for a good melody and his pioneering musical adventures. With genuine
zeal, Paul has taken musics from around the world and fused them with his own well-crafted, usually acoustic-base pop. The reggae influenced Mother & Child Reunion was one of the first Western tracks
to be recorded in Jamaica, The Obvious Child was recorded in Brazil and, most famously of all, the hugely successful Graceland
album was recorded with black musicians from South Africa.
The only glaring
omission on this compilation is the poignant, moving American Tune – even the excellent liner notes imply that it is
present but sadly it isn’t. A shame but you can’t really grumble
when such great tracks as Take Me To The Mardi Gras, 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover and Late In The Evening are all present and
correct.
Shining Like A National Guitar is full of quality pop music made with great care by a master craftsman. It is accessible to serious music fans of Simon’s advanced years as well as those much younger. A superb, well-presented compilation.
Released: 2000
Acquired by me:
2005 (Bought)
Sinatra, Frank - Watertown
****¼
A real semi-contemporary
departure for Sinatra, Watertown is a concept album. Crucially, it's set in smalltown blue collar America rather than the
sophisticated cities previously associated with his work. Watertown tells the story of a smalltown man whose wife leaves him
and his young sons to seek the bright lights of the big city. The husband author muses sentimentally over their break-up over
several songs ending when his wife eventually writes agreeing to return. She is scheduled to come back in the excellent bittersweet
finale The Train but her train arrives and departs and she's nowhere to be seen. She's not happy in the city but equally can't
bring herself to return to her smalltown family life. The lyrics and music at the beginning and end of this thought provoking
album are excellent although in the middle there are 2 or 3 horrible, over- sentimental songs the worst candidate being the
dreadful, patronising What A Funny Girl (You Used To Be). No doubt, the lyricist writing this drivel snootily looked down
on the usually far superior rock and pop lyrics written around the same time. Grit your teeth during these low points though,
as most of the rest of this album is excellent with the music sympathetically matching the lyrical moods. A cult classic in
the making.
Released - 1970
Acquired by me: 26.12.97 - Present (for Mum)
Slade, Emily
– Fretless
****
Containing a selection of self-penned and traditional
songs as well as one or two more unusual covers, Emily Slade’s second full-length LP strikes a good balance between
respect for the folk tradition and a willingness to absorb more contemporary influences.
This is all achieved by Emily’s excellent singing and guitar-work with backing by some of the top names from
the folk scene such as Maartin Allcock and Phil Beer.
As well as guitar, Emily also plays piano on the superb, traditional
Female Rambling Sailor which, with her swooping vocal and playing, sounds more like a Joni Mitchell ballad than a traditional
folk song. Her self-penned songs also stand out well against the traditional
numbers with John Rand and the gospel-folk of I Need An Angel being particular highlights along with the instrumental title
track which best demonstrates Emily’s accomplished guitar work
In amongst the folk influenced songs is a more unusual,
highly effective acoustic cover of Bob Geldof’s I Don’t Like Mondays which gives Fretless some good variety. A further musical style can be found if you keep the CD running after the final listed
track The False Bride. Following a few minutes silence, you will hear the self-explanatory
Bluegrass Lullaby, a charming, catchy ode dedicated on the sleeve notes to Baby-Slade.
A fine way to finish an excellent
varied album which pays homage to the folk tradition whilst also having a more contemporary acoustic sound. Fretless is available on Rustic Thorn Records and can be obtained along with Emily’s other albums
via www.emilyslade.co.uk
Acquired by me: 7.09
Sleeper – The It Girl
****1/2
Whenever
Britpop is discussed in the monthly music mags, Sleeper are usually placed firmly in the second division alongside the likes
of Cast and Shed Seven. If they weren’t at the right place at the right
time they would never have made it seems to be the general premise. This opinion
seems very harsh when this excellent album is played or re-played.
The It Girl. Sleeper’s second album is a superb
example of indie-pop with an added edge and bite courtesy of Louise Wener’s sneery vocals and lyrics. It’s no coincidence that it’s one of the most frequent LPs playing in the background to the
bitchy, era-defining TV series This Life.
Wener’s expressive, often semi-spoken singing and angry lyrical put-downs
are highly effective especially on tracks like the opener Lie Detector and Dress Like Your Mother. I could quote examples though, as with all songwriters apart from the true poets like Leonard Cohen and
prime Bob Dylan, the impact of a lyric is at least half down to the musical context and delivery rather than merely the words
themselves...
Aha, the musical context. As well as some fine words and vocals,
The It Girl also includes some excellent tunes. In addition to the tracks already
mentioned, further highlights include the hit singles Sale Of The Century, What Do I Do Now? and the Blondie influenced Statuesque. Further highpoints include the biting bounce of Feeling Peaky and coming-down closer
Click…Off…Gone.
All songs on The It Girl are written entirely or co-written by Louise Wener who at the time
was quite justifiably angry that critics often presumed that she, as a woman,
didn’t write the music. Yes Sleeper certainly had their detractors
and further less understandable outbursts in the press probably didn’t help Louise’s cause. However, this shouldn't take any credit away from The It Girl which is a superb period-defining LP. Maybe those who placed Sleeper in Britpop’s second stream should listen to it
once again, ignore their prejudices and adjust the band’s league position accordingly.
Released: 1996
Acquired by me: 2006 – Present (David)
Smashing Pumpkins - Adore
****½
A powerful
and delicate collection of songs from a very individual band who are difficult to categorise into any particular genre of
rock. Goth bands like The Cure are certainly quite a big influence on this particular LP though there is also a sizeable grunge
influence and a singer-songwriter confessional feel. The songs on this album are inconsistent in quality though the best songs
are absolutely fantastic. The highlights include the delicate acoustic opener To Sheila and powerful, rock song about obsessive
love which follows, Ava Adore. The absolute highlights, however, are the two songs explicitly about the death of main Pumpkin
Billy Corgan's mother. Once Upon A Time In My Life is confessional, beautiful and tragically regretful - "I haven't given
up, I lie, to make you so proud in my eyes...mother I hope you know, that I miss you so" - the delivery is very moving and
musical backing very sympathetic. Even better though is the even more pertinent, epic For Martha with its bridge chorus
"If you have to go, don't say goodbye; if you have to go, don't you cry; if you have to go, I will get by; someday Ill follow
you, and see you on the other side". Again the delivery is deeply moving - For Martha is very musically dynamic with changes
and backing which really suit the lyrical mood and developments. It slowly builds on pianos and drums to a crescendo epic
guitar solo, the sort of solo which would sound clichéd on most songs and isnt played much anymore but perfectly fine here.
For Martha is one of the most moving songs I have ever heard and definitely one of my top 10 pieces of music of all time.
It is worth buying this excellent, underrated album for alone.
Released - 1998
Acquired by me: 29.9.98 - Present (Nicole)
Smashing Pumpkins - (Rotten Apples) The Smashing Pumpkins Greatest Hits
****¼
Singles compilation by one of the 90s top rock bands. Rotten Apples introduces me to their most successful, more
grunge influenced early-mid singles. Excellent, melodic, dynamic and exciting rock music with enough variety and musical development.
Released - 2001
Acquired by me: 3.4.03 - Borrowed (Library)
Smiths, The
– The Smiths
****
Coming out of nowhere with the classic singles This
Charming Man and What Difference Does It Make in the winter of 1983, The Smiths were the most critically acclaimed, adored
and hated band of a decade with whose ethos they were totally out of step. Soon
after the release of WDDIM, the quartet’s self-titled debut album also appeared.
How does it hold up then all of these years later?
Pretty well in fact, though The Smiths is let down slightly by
a flat, unexciting production and a couple of rather dirge like melodies. Highlights
for me include some of the less heralded songs such as the moving I Don’t Owe You Anything and Pretty Girls Make Graves
as well as the more regularly honoured aforementioned singles and Hand In Glove. The
biting You’ve Got Everything Now is also excellent and, like IDOUA, augmented by Paul Carrack’s organ playing
which provides a welcome contrast to the rather monotonous instrumentation elsewhere.
Carrack also plays organ and piano on Reel Around The Fountain which bookends the album with another song about
terrible abuses. Suffer Little Children is a moving tribute to the victims of
the appalling moors murders, a series of events which I imagine haunted the young Steven Patrick Morrissey and many other
Manchester children of his generation.
A fitting end to what is an excellent album despite my criticisms above. The Smiths amply showcases the singular talents of Morrissey as well as the distinctive, defining guitar
work of Johnny Marr. It is not their best album though this is as much due to
the production as the songs yet is still very much worth purchasing.
Released: 1984
Acquired
by me: Borrowed – Library (Summer 2009)
Smiths –
The Very Best Of The Smiths
****1/2
Regarded by most people now as the best
band of the 80s, it’s only those who were there who really remember how much ridicule was placed on this unfashionable,
ordinary looking band (and singer Morrissey in particular) during their amazingly prolific five-year existence. Yes, hard working indeed with 18 singles and four albums as well as two albums of non-LP singles, b-sides
and session tracks in the time that most bands nowadays release two or three LPs. It
was a punishing schedule that contributed to the band’s demise as did management and record company problems which are
factors towards the number of Smiths’ compilations available. So how does
The Very Best Of The Smiths rate amongst them…
Very well in fact! TVBOTS
includes virtually all of the band’s singles as well as key LP tracks such as I Know It’s Over and Still Ill. In my opinion, the band’s more rocky side is under-represented with only one
track from their most up-tempo LP Meat Is Murder though this is a minor quibble.
The Very Best Of The Smiths still includes
several of the band’s louder moments such as the glam-tastic Sheila Take A Bow and self-mockery of Bigmouth Strikes
Again. Further highlights for me include the epic sweep Last Night I Dreamt That
Somebody Loved Me, Hand In Glove and This Charming Man with its melodic arpeggios showing perfectly why Johnny Marr is considered
one of the every best guitarists of his generation.
Although I’m essentially a
fan of music over lyrics, The Smiths will mostly be remembered for the words and force of personality of Morrissey. Needless to say, he is on fine form on TVBOTS with some excellent odes of adolescent angst, touching despair
and controversy as well as some wit. Often ridiculed for his sombre outlook and
eccentric personality, he no doubt takes some delight in now being considered the best lyricist and creative spark of his
generation. The downtrodden last will one day be first – a very Mozza statement
indeed!
The Very Best Of The Smiths is an excellent introduction or overview of one of the best bands of the 80s’ Well worth getting though don’t stop there as Meat Is Murder Hatful Of Hollow
and the band’s self-titled debut album – to name but three – also include major tracks not included on this
best of.
Acquired by me: 6.09 – Borrowed (Library)
Springsteen, Bruce – Darkness On The Edge Of Town
****1/2
I’m
not sure how intentional it is but the front and back covers of Darkness On The Edge Of Town say is all really. Unlike the smiling young man with the world at his feet who adorns the covers of previous Springsteen LPs,
the Bruce greeting us on Darkness is pensive, tense and slightly weary. This
is the man who had spent most of the previous two years forbidden from recording whilst a lengthy legal case against a former
manager went through the courts. Just as importantly, Springsteen had also seen
many of his friends and siblings' dreams of escaping a blue-collar existence die with the onset of mundane responsibilities. Whereas Born To Run was all about characters escaping their background Darkness is
more about those who are left behind and will never get away.
The downbeat lyrical mood is excellently reflected in the
music with screeching electric guitar by the man himself often replacing the triumphant saxophone of Clarence Clemons which
is more prevalent on previous Springsteen LPs. Not that Darkness is short of
melody though – the often gut-wrenching songs are still memorable and it includes at least two songs which would get
into my Top 10 of Springsteen tunes. The highlight of these is the lengthy world-weary
Racing In The Street which cleverly paraphrases Martha Reeves & The Vandellas’ Dancing In the Street whilst offering
a warm melody and organ-led refrain to counter the hopelessness in the words. Brilliant
stuff as is the uncharacteristically upbeat Candy’s Room, the song on Darkness which breaks most freely from the musical
and lyrical templates of the album.
Despite the overall downbeat mood, there is optimism too on The Promised Land and Prove
It All Night as well as powerful anger on Streets Of Fire and the biblical father-son imagery of Adam Raised A Cain. Critics may argue that some of the others songs are a bit plodding though, with this
LP, the overall mood of the album is probably greater than the sum of its parts anyway.
Darkness On The Edge Of Town is
not as immediate as Born To Run though its impact is just as long-lasting and its quality just as good. Springsteen’s most mature work to date, it is an excellent cohesive album and essential purchase
for Bruce’s true fans.
Acquired by me: 1.09 (Borrowed from Library)
Springsteen, Bruce -
The Essential Bruce Springsteen
****1/2
With 30 tracks over 2 CDs, The Essential
Bruce Springsteen is intended to cover the best of Bruce up to its release date of 2003.
All very well and good but is it er…essential?
Arguably not in place, though TEBS is an excellent introduction
to The Boss, Unlike the Leonard Cohen volumes in the Essential series, TEBS includes 1, 2 or 3 tracks from every Springsteen
release rather than say 5 from the classics and none at all from Bruce’s few less favoured LPs. The intention behind this presumably is that, if you like the tracks featured from a particular LP, it
is worth buying or investigating the whole album without you feeling short-changed from already owning three-quarters of it…
On
to the selections themselves, all of the really obvious inclusions such as Born To Run, Dancing In The Dark and The River
are present and correct with the biggest omission probably being the epic Racing In The Street from the Darkness On The Edge
Of Town LP. From a more personal point of view, the tracks featured from the
then recent Rising LP are excellent and may prompt me to investigate the full album.
It’s also great to finally have an LP including the stark and moving Streets Of Philadelphia, a track that illustrates
superbly how less can often be so much more…
In his short foreword in the liner notes, the man himself says that
TEBS was put together with the new fans who had come to see him for the first time on his most recent tour predominantly in
mind. He is right as it serves as an excellent introduction to his music. Well worth buying for new fans and those who only have some of Springsteen’s
previous albums. Buy this then get the full albums featuring the tracks you particularly
like – you are unlikely to be disappointed.
Released: 2003
Acquired
by me: 11.2.09 – Borrowed (Library)
Stereolab - Dots And Loops
***½
Contains
3 excellent more conventional and melodic songs (Brakhage, Miss Modular and the first part of Contronatura) which I still
play frequently 2 years later. Most of the other pieces on this album are pretentious doodlings of composition. With its effective
/ annoying detached vocals and very European feel, Dots & Loops is excellent in places and fine in small melodic doses.
Released
- 1997
Acquired by me: 17.5.00 - Borrowed (Library)
Stereolab - Refried Ectoplasm (Switched On Volume 2)
***¼
Compilation of low distribution, early singles and B-sides by this singular band. Repetitive songs with basic musical
arrangements and detached, interwoven main and counter melodies by the 2 female vocalists. Hypnoticand pretentious.
Released
- 1994ish
Acquired by me: 16.7.01 - Borrowed (Library)
Stereophonic - Just Enough Education To Perform
***¾
On this third album the Sterophonics go for a fuller, more layered sound than on their previous
LPs. There are more keyboards, acoustic guitars and other instruments such as the harmonica used so effectively on the country
tinged standout Step On My Old Size Nines. Like most of the best lyrics, Kelly Jones' words on Size Nines are open to
interpretation though the sentiment is definitely there. Another opaque lyric is the life on the road shopping list of Nice
To Be Out, another musical and lyrical highlight. These vague lyrics are in sharp contrast to the bitter words to Mr Writer
- a song which not surprisingly didn't go down too well with the music press. Despite this, it's another musical highlight
with a funky clavinet (or something similar) superbly embellishing what is otherwise a rather plodding rock song. Overall
Just Enough Education To Perform is a good album with a much richer musical palette than its predecessor, Performance And
cocktails.
Released - 2001
Acquired by me: 19.8.03 - Borrowed (Naomi)
Stereophonics
– Language. Sex. Violence. Other?
***1/2
Critically acclaimed after their
last two albums were almost universally panned, Language. Sex. Violence Other? displays a conscious change of sound for the
Stereophonics. Gone are the classic “Dad” rock tunes, layers of guitars
and backing vocals to be replaced by something altogether leaner. LSVO contains
edgy songs with discordant electric guitar supported by just bass and drums and the occasional synth part. This back to basics approach is similar to Blur’s transition from The Great Escape to their eponymous
1997 album and, like Damon Albarn, Kelly Jones’ new songs are more brittle and arty than the Stereophonics more formulaic
early rock recordings.
The new sound makes Stereophonics sound more modern than they ever have before though it is juxtaposed
by some rather sleazy riffs and primal, desperate lyrics. This combination works
most effectively on Pedalpusher, which is one of the highlights along with the first two singles. Dakota is one of the best songs to be released in 2005 with its follow-up Superman going into darker musical
territory. Another highlight is the more melodic and slightly gentler Lolita
though it must be said that, like most previous Stereophonics LPs, some of the supporting tracks are not particularly memorable.
Despite
this familiar lack of strength in depth, Language. Sex. Violence. Other? represents a successful, credible change in direction
for an unfairly maligned band. It is well worth investigating…
Released: 2005
Acquired by me: 5.05
Stereophonics - Performance And Cocktails
***¼
Their big selling 2nd LP containing the singles Just Looking, Pick A Part That's New and The Bartender &
The Thief. I expected to like this album much more than I did. The Phonics are probably too traditional rock rather than indie
or angular for my tastes and their playing is rather conservative and uninspiring. They are a much more effective band for
me live or in the context of a stand alone 3 minute single.
Released - 1999
Acquired by me: 12.6.03 - Borrowed (Library)
Stewart, Rod
– Every Picture Tells A Story
****1/2
In this age of i-tunes and musical
file sharing, it’s still worth being a member of your local music library if they have a good archive collection. Amongst the gems you can unearth relatively cheaply from there are long deleted reissues
and compilations such as this "classic edition” reissue which shoddily latches the two shortest tracks onto the adjacent
song rather than programming them separately. This means that, if you want to
record Rod’s fine acoustic version of Amazing Grace you first have to also include the rudimentary pub-rock of That’s
All Right before it…
Sequencing issues aside, Every Picture Tells A Story is an excellent album, considered by most
critics as Stewart’s best LP ever. It’s mostly bluesy and slightly
boozy acoustic rock with superb folky embellishments by Martin Quittenton on acoustic guitar, Dick Powell on violin and “the
mandolin player from Lindisfarne. The name slips my mind” amongst others.
Ron
Wood and Ian McLagan from Rod’s regular band The Faces are also present and on exemplary form. Wood co-composes the
title track, an excellent rocker even though the references to the “slitty eyed lady” are not acceptable in this
day and age. Two further Stewart compositions are included on the album, the
touching recall of an early sexual encounter with an older woman that is Maggie May and exquisite, more obviously romantic
Mandolin Wind.
As well as Maggie and Mandolin (two of Rod’s greatest ever songs), EPTAS also contains some excellent
covers, the best of which are arguably the definitive versions ever of Bob Dylan’s Tomorrow Is A long Time and Tim Hardin’s
Reason To Believe. These two classics illustrate what a fantastic selector and
interpreter of other people's songs Stewart once was. A pertinent reminder given
the general blandness of his recent Great American Songbook series…
A friend of mine recently remarked that if Rod
Stewart had died in about 1975 he would be considered one of the greats of rock music rather than the rather embarrassing
figure we see today. He is of course right as the superb singing and excellent
though unflashy playing and arrangements on Every Picture Tells A Story testify. Almost
certainly Rod’s best ever LP though watch out for old versions from your local library…
Acquired by me: 4.3.09 – Borrowed (Library)
The Strokes - Is This It
***1/2
By the time this debut album was released in 2001, it was already being hailed as a masterpiece. The Strokes were the indie music press' darlings and with their New York art rock
influences and attractive cheekbones, they were probably the coolest band in the world.
Brushing away the hype, Is This It is a good album though a tad overrated.
The
Strokes' sound is very influenced by the arty New York punk scene in the 70s as well as earlier bands like the Velvet Underground
and The Stooges. These influences go right down to their uncompromising lo-fi
sound - it often sounds like the band are all playing live into one microphone apart from the effective lead guitar which
cuts through the mix when called for. Julian Casablancas' vocals are usually
way down in this aural melting pot. It's a cool sound though arguably a bit samey
over the whole LP.
Last Nite is the best track and it's not surprising
that lots of young music fans have latched onto this cool band - maybe a new sound for them but not really that original. A good LP though not quite the classic it's hailed as being in many quarters.
Released -
2001
Acquired by me: 25.12.03 - Present (Naomi)
Super Furry Animals - Guerilla
***½
Some
fine singing on a typically varied SFA album which is less coherent as a whole than Radiator and not as good. Apart from the
fantastic Northern Lites, the more conventional songs are average and slightly rushed and under-arranged. The more ambient
Some Things Come From Nothing and superb Beach Boys type harmonies on Chewing Chewing Gum are excellent though.
Released
- 1999
Acquired by me: 7.8.00 - Borrowed (Library)
Super Furry Animals - Radiator
****
Second album by the Welsh group, Radiator is an intriguing
mix of indie rock and eccentric arrangements and song structures which remains accessible and stays just the right side of
being too annoyingly weird. It contains particularly strong vocals, melodies and harmonies. Highlights include the singles
Demons, Play It Cool and Hermann © Pauline as well as the more introverted and thought provoking
Download and hippy commune finale Mountain People. I saw the Super Furries in Cardiff soon after this album was released -
they supported Blur and were better for me on the night than the headliners.
Released - 1997
Acquired by me: 7.12.97
- Taped (Richard B)
Super Furry Animals - Rings Around The World
****¼
Lush, nicely heavily orchestrated yet still eccentric album with strong immediate
melodies and fantastic harmonies. Unfashionable influences include ELO and Burt Bacharach yet its still contemporary. Excellent
- one of the best albums of 2001.
Released - 2001
Acquired by me: 19.8.01 - Bought
Super Furry
Animals – Songbook: The Singles - Volume 1
*****
Songbook
is a single compilation by one of the best bands of the last 10 years. Still
successfully underground and cultish yet melodic and accessible, it is a perfect introduction to the weird and wonderful world
of the Super Furry animals.
Far more ambitious than most of their original Britpop peers, SFA’s sound ranges from
pseudo heavy metal (Golden Retriever) and garage rock (The International Language Of Screaming) to lush balladry (Juxtaposed
With U) and techno (Slow Life) though all with serious lashings of psychedelic and superb Beach Boys-type harmonies. This trippyness extends to their rather stoned lyrics covering such unusual themes
as international telecommunications (the superb ELO-influenced Rings Around The World) and Einstein’s parents (Hermann
Loves Pauline).
The highlights are too numerous to mention with all of the aforementioned songs being excellent as well
as the catchy calypso-influenced Northern Lites, melodic guitar led Ice Hockey Hair and early narcotic thrash of Something
For The Weekend. Also included is The Man Don’t Give A F**k, SFA’s
tribute to a former Welsh rugby player which serves as a traditional 10 minute, crowd participating encore at their gigs.
Songbook
includes most of the best songs that Super Furry Animals have released in their first nine recording years. An essential purchase or introduction to this great band which can be followed by excellent SFA studio
LPs such as Radiator and Rings Around The World.
Released: 2004
Acquired
by me: 23.7.05 (Bought)
Supergrass - I Should Coco
***¾
Urgent, youthful indie
pop with strong melodies and tight playing and arrangements. A 1995 feel-good Britpop classic which, despite slightly childish
lyrics, has enough ideas and musical variety to suggest (correctly!) that the Grass are in for the long haul.
Released
- 1995
Acquired by me: 16.7.01 - Borrowed (Library)
Supergrass - In It For The Money
****¼
Supergrass' 2nd and probably best LP though their eponymous follow-up is arguably more consistent. In It For
The Money contains 4 excellent hit singles and enough variety though the album still forms a cohesive whole. The 4 hits -
the abrasive Richard III, acoustic pop ballad Late In The Day and blissful Going Out and Sun Hits the Sky - are among the
highlights along with the title track and You Can See Me. Great upfront, melodic indie pop / rock.
Released - 1997
Acquired
by me: 14.2.03 - Borrowed (Library)
Supergrass - Life On Other Planets
****
Fourth album of indie rock /
pop with great hooklines, melodies and harmonies by the ever consistent Supergrass. Individual songs show their influences
more than on previous albums - in particular Seen The Light (T Rex) and Never Done Nothing Like That Before (frenetic Blur
circa Song 2) - but there's still enough cohesion, variety and development here. Life On Other Planets is probably a slight
back to basics return to catchy 3 minute songs following its excellent, more richly arranged eponymous predecessor but is
still an excellent album. Highlights include the first two singles, the aforementioned Seen The Light and Grace as well as
the beautifully melodic ballad Evening Of The Day which is nicely sung by bassist Mickey Quinn rather than the usual singer,
Gaz Coombes. Best of all though is the epic, closing track Run which has beautiful Pink Floyd like chord progressions and
a superb gradual musical development which would be worthy of a place on any of the Floyd's best albums.
Released - 2002
Acquired
by me: 17.4.03 - Bought
Supergrass - Supergrass
****
Richly arranged, polished indie rock which
still has catchy hooklines and melodies. This eponymous 3rd album is possibly Supergrass' most consistent LP to
date though it doesn't really contain the 1 or 2 absolute stand out tracks present on their other albums. Highlights of the
Supergrass LP include the 2 singles Moving and Pumping On Your Stereo as well as the darker, electric piano led Mary. Equally
impressive are their 2 main forays into less formularised verse-chorus-verse music Eon and Faraway which contain superb, semi-psychedelic
instrumental passages. An impressive, underrated album and probably a grower.
Released - 1999
Acquired by me: 24.1.03
- Borrowed (Library)
Supertramp
– The Very Best Of Supertramp
****1/2
The most surprising thing about
Supertramp and one I still can’t really get my head around us that they were an English band. Everything about them is so American from the vocal styles of key members Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson
to the lyrics and music – a kind of jazzier, AOR version of prog rock. Pretty
much the epitome of everything that punk stood against yet, despite being one of the world’s most unfashionable groups,
their biggest success was after the three chord revolution in 1979 with the Breakfast In America LP.
The Very Best Of Supertramp
is clearly intended to be a compilation spanning the band’s whole career yet 10 of the 15 tracks featured come from
just two LPs – four from BIA and six often-lengthy tracks from their breakthrough album, 1974’s Crime Of The Century. Highlights of the COTC songs include the Pink Floyd-like title track, School which
sounds more like Genesis and Dreamer, the band’s first big hit single. Despite
the prog-leanings, Davies and Hodgson also had a strong pop sensibility with virtually every track on this compilation including
a catchy melody or musical motif.
Following COTC, the band released two reasonably
similar albums Crisis What Crisis? including the superb harmonies of Ain’t Nobody But Me and Even In The Quietist Moments
before crossing over to the more poppy landmark which is Breakfast In America. The
Logical Song and title track are of course present on this compilation as memorable hit singles with the other tracks featured
being Goodbye Stranger with its incredibly catchy chorus and Take The Long Way Home.
All of these songs are excellent with fine playing and instrumentation and a crystal clear sound.
Supertramp never
really reached the heights of Breakfast In America again and eventually split up only to (inevitably) reform again a few years’
later though unfortunately without Roger Hodgson. This compilation album however
captures their considerable legacy – never fashionable but providers of consistently good, challenging music with irresistible
hooklines and a fine pop sensibility. Maybe it is finally time for their major
contribution to music, and their blurring of the boundaries between pop and prog, to be given the critical reappraisal that
the band so richly deserve.
Acquired by me: Late 2008 – Borrowed (Library)
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