Bizarro - The Wedding Present

The Wedding Present were once described by David Gedge (frontman for the band) as "Smiths fans' second favourite band". Unbelievably downplaying the band's talent. 'Bizarro', their 1989 classic is my recommendation of where to start. It is a brilliant epic with huge guitars, truly heartfelt lyrics, pounding drums which makes it an all round rock gem. From the off, the belter that is 'Brassneck' the second single to be lifted from this record, even if they used the slightly faster single take rather than the album take, sets the scene. Lyrics like "I've just decided I don't trust you anymore" tell tales of heartache that previously perhaps only Neil Young could manage. After 'Brassneck' there is no slowing down the pace. 'Crushed' belts in with its ridiculously fast guitar chords for it's introduction. And when the band come in, you are rushed along this journey at eighteen million miles an hour, being told " Oh you know I'm crushed inside / Oh goodness knows I've tried / I think I've had enough" by Gedge, who is fired up, heartbroken and could do something mental at any point. The melodies throughout are so uplifting and energising yet heart wrenchingly good. Maximo Parks' 'Our Velocity' borrows a great deal from the verse melody of 'Crushed' I think. The bands sound reminds me of early Bunnymen stuff, the jangly sharp guitars of Will Sergeant are clearly audible in 'Bizarro' but they have picked up an intensity that 'Heaven Up Here' could never quite manage. Track 3, simply titled 'No' acts as the first breather in the album. But it's the kind of breather that if it was on anyone else's record, it would be the standout track. Slower, but by no means less emotional, 'No' shows the depth this band have. The ability to not have to play everything at the precedent of eighteen million miles an hour really allows Gedge to develop his song writing, and make sure every single song, lyrics, melody and chords are all perfect. The breather supplied by 'No' is cut short by the pacey 'Thanks' which is a typically excellent song, and clocks in at just 2.23, the shortest cut on the album. Following that is the lead single 'Kennedy' which is an indie anthem. And if it isn't then there is a great injustice. Simply fantastic. 'What have I said Now?' and 'Grandadland' keep up the standard set by the first half of the record. Then we reach the two songs that really make the record stand out for me. 'Bewitched' is, as Mark Beaumont said in the sleeve notes, "the most direct and affecting snapshot of unrequited love ever put to record". Couldn't have put it better myself. Maybe that's why he is writing the sleeve notes and I am writing a small scale Internet blog? Whose to know. Then comes 'Take Me!' which is the most uplifting song on the record, and is a direct shot of happiness to your head. A 9 minute shot. So happy that you can almost tell the band just forgot to stop because they were having such a good time recording it. What starts of as a regularly brilliant Wedding Present creation, albeit a happy one rather than a sad one, ends up being a 9 minute epic about taking that one chance at love. It is fucking amazing. It's worth the price of the record alone, just to have this song in your life. You need it. The fuck up at the beginning of 'Be Honest' really suits the mood just created by 'Take Me!'. Be Honest is the gentle come down that all albums of this intensity, not that there can be many, require. A quick paced acoustic number, Gedge is really allowed to show off here, and you hear the full on quality of the band, again showing their ability to be diverse. Suitably excellent lead guitar parts on 'Be Honest' as well, a move away from the Bunnymen style epic guitar, to a more beautiful melodic style. It really suits the album.

So if you don't own this then buy it. This is how good people say The Smiths are, which is obviously far superior to how good The Smiths actually are. This should be the defining record of the eighties, even if it did come right at the end of the decade. 'The Queen is Dead', long live 'Bizarro'.

Currently listening to 'Takk' by Sigur Rós

Sam

Inbetween Days

Firstly, I would like to apologise for the delay in this new post. I have had quite a lot on with uni work and stuff at the moment, and I just haven't had the time. However, posts should pick back up to their usual level fairly soon. Lots of things to talk about in the near future. I have just had my first listen to the new Bjork album and that sounds good, so when it comes out there will be a full review. Also, I think I will do a full review of the new Patti Smith that has been briefly mentioned on The Soft Bulletin before. There will be some Sigur Rós discussion, as I am really into them at the moment. Who knows what else. But next up is The Wedding Present. Enjoy.

Currently listening to Disraeli Gears by Cream

Sam

Nuggets

I recently purchased Lenny Kaye's 'Nuggets' compilation which got reissued a few years ago now. It's basically a collection of some rare, and some not so rare, psychedelic garage rock songs for the years 1965-1968. It's got some excellent tunes on their, with some excellent fuzz box guitar work and Hammond organs. Some of the better known stuff includes things like 'I Had too Much to Dream Last Night' by the Electric Prunes, which is obviously fabulous,'Psychotic Reaction' by Count Five, 'Liar Liar' by The Castaways, and 'You're Gonna Miss Me' by 13th Floor Elevators which are brilliant. But it also has some stuff on there which I hadn't heard before. There are some excellent cover versions. A dirty, garage version of 'Respect' by The Vagrants, which, in my opinion, is probably better than the original Otis Redding version, but I'm not sure anyone is going to beat Aretha's. There is also a wicked version of 'Hey Joe' which has been sped up and rearranged in a 2 and a half minute pop song with fuzzy guitars by The Leaves. I strongly recommend you go out and try and get hold of this, obviously the easiest way is going to be this compilation, but you never know, picking it up on 7" would be bringing sexy back. It is mainly the whole vibe of the compilation that is attractive though. All these bands literally writing tunes in their parent's garage, possibly after school or college, and it coming out with some fantastic rock and roll that is all under 4 minutes long. Concentrated rock and roll. Fantastic. It's this scene that bought us people like The Stooges, the MC5 and many others, and for that, Ladies and Gentlemen, we should be eternally grateful.
Some of the bands here have been really helped by this compilation, albeit about 40 years to late, but still. People like the Electric Prunes wouldn't have been reissued I don't think if it wasn't for this compilation, and I must go out and get some of these bands records, as this is a good taste, but there is more to dig underneath

Meanwhile, Patti Smith has released a covers album, which although initially sounds like a bad thing, it's actually really rather good. Some of the covers, such as 'Gimme Shelter' are a bit standard, but her voice is holding up. It is really the covers that she has changed a bit though that really stand out. There is a fucking blinding version of 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' which is almost unrecognisable. It has got some of her bizarre poetry at the end, is really slowed down, and her voice is fantastic on the whole track. It is worth purchasing for this cover alone. There are also blinding versions of 'Are You Experienced?' and 'White Rabbit' to name a few, so go out and buy that.

I am also currently listening to 'Loveless' by My Bloody Valentine a lot at the moment. 'Only Shallow', 'I Only Said', and 'Come in Alone' are magical. The other thing that is being regularly played is the song 'Staralfur' by Sigur Ros. Now I am going to admit I don't know a great deal about Sigur Ros, so if anyone has any recommendations about where to start etc, that would be nice. I am going to borrow 'Takk...' of a friend, so don't worry about recommending me that one. I have also just found out that The Fall were once offered a recording contract by none other than Tamla Motown. How good is that? Apparently it was the offensive lyrics at the start of 'The Classical' that put them off. Shame.

Also, for some reason I can only get it to come up with lots of options for this weeks T.V Eye, but basically it is the top one that I want people to watch. This tune is brilliant and funny, and it is a cool video. It is definitely in my next DJ set.

Currently listening to 'Hex Enduction Hour' by The Fall

Sam

Animal Collective

Animal Collective are fantastic. They make beautiful, interesting music. It is so refreshing to hear something so odd and beautiful and hazy as Animal Collective in a musical world dominated by the likes of The Kooks and all the other dribble of indie music. They sing songs about silly things, and make them seem like the most important things in the world. All their songs build up majestically but always surprise you, never going for the obvious build up with climax, but just being magical. The explosion of sounds on 'Banshee Beat' when they sing the line "going down to find the swimming pool" is just the best. The group are known as Animal Collective because they are just that, a collective. The line up usually consists of Avey Tare, Geologist, Deakin and Panda Bear, but isn't concrete. Panda Bear releases plenty of solo stuff, and everyone has hands in all sorts of projects. Anyway, they are refreshingly good, beautiful harmonies and perfect fodder for a sunny spell like we are currently in.
They remind me of a dreamy cross between more recent Flaming Lips, a very good thing indeed, the gentler side of the Velvets, an equally good thing, The Beach Boys, Modest Mouse and TV on the Radio, who are fucking fantastic also. When I first heard AC I didn't think too much of them, so don't worry if you don't get them straight away, but for anyone who is a fan of the bands I just mentioned, or are just generally interested in properly interesting music, as opposed to boring music, then you should listen. I think they are doing ok in America, but I feel they are a bit less known over here in the UK, but obviously not being in America it's kind of hard to tell how well bands are coping. Their latest record, 'Feels' is probably a good place to start, but they have 7 to choose from, though I haven't heard them all. They also run a record label called Paw Tracks which releases some of their stuff aswell as other artists. If you want real information, rather than just a ramble, then myspace or wikipedia are probably the best places to start. I can't be bothered to give you the details and tracklistings and labels etc of all their releases.

I've also managed to blag tickets to go and see the Maccabees at the Old Market in Brighton tomorrow night, though not through the readership levels of this blog (ha!), which I am looking forward to. It's a semi-homecoming gig for the band. The last time they played Brighton it was at the Concorde, and thorough mayhem insued. Fighting with bouncers, singing along, girls getting punched, police, the lot. Mainly the bouncers fault I hasten to add, but it was rock and roll. They are getting ready to release their debut album 'Colour It In' which is sure to be the indie kids record of the summer. So that will be nice. I haven't been to a show in a while, due to the last two shows I planned to go and see both rescheduled for May, rubbish. I'm sure you'll get some form of review from me after the show.

Currently listening to 'Sung Tongs' by Animal Collective

Sam

T.V Eye - The Faces

A new T.V Eye for you to all watch. This is Rod Stewart and the Faces doing their version of 'Maybe I'm Amazed' on Sounds for Saturday in, I think, 1972. It's excellent. It also ties in with my new Faces blog. Cool.

Currently listening to 'The Hunter' by Free

Sam

The Small Faces and Beyond

The Small Faces were one of the mod bands of the '60's, but with truckloads more talent than most of their peers, except obviously The Who. Steve Marriott and the boys have so many good tunes, that most people have forgotten. All you hear these days is 'Itchycoo Park' and maybe 'All or Nothing' which are both amazing, but don't really do them justice. They started out with success in the singles charts, with 'Whatcha Gonna Do About It' and other brilliant '60's pop songs. Marriott can either do his cockney voice, which is witty and suits the pop numbers, or belt out a pre Robert Plant wail, for the harder stuff. But it was their concept album of 1968, 'Ogdens Nut Gone Flake', that really marks them out. You need this album. It's a psychedelic trip out, music ranging from gentle ballads, to full on rock and roll, complete with compering in between tracks from the legendary Stanley Unwin, which consists of words mixed up and muddled up in his own inimitable way, telling vaguely of a story about a guy called Stan. Just listen.
Eventually though, when the band realised that what they had made in the studio was unable to be played live, Marriott got disillusioned with his band, and eventually left to join Humble Pie. And this is where the story gets sweeter. Ronnie Wood and Rod Stewart heard of this, and both being big fans of the Small Faces, they tried rescuing the band, creating just simply The Faces. The Faces are rock and roll. They drink booze, they shag women and they play guitar. Brilliant. With tunes like 'Stay With Me' and a fantastic version of 'Street Fighting Man', you have to hear the Faces. Whatever Rod Stewart has done since, no matter how unforgivable (four volumes of the American Songbook? Fuck off, he is from Scotland) The Faces are brilliant. John Peel thought they were the best live band he has ever seen. And I wouldn't argue with him, would you? There is also talk of a Faces reunion pretty soon, which would be cool. Ronnie Wood has said that there is a lot of red tape for them to get through first, but if he is talking about it, then it must be on the cards.

I saw a fantastic band on Wednesday night in Shoreditch, called the Daze, who if you get a chance to go and see then I strongly recommend it. They are rock and roll, the throw their guitars around, and its just fantastic. They have a myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/thedazelondon which you should check out. Listen to 'Shake' first.

Currently listening to 'After the Goldrush' by Neil Young

Sam

Bestival

Despite my early decision to not go to Bestival due to financial reasons, you can probably guess that the announcement of The Scream as the final headliner just made it too good to miss. So the line-up is wicked, lots of my friends are going, hopefully the sun will shine. It is going to be beautiful. If you have never been to Bestival then I strongly advise you go. It's the most beautiful festival, all the signs are hand painted, there are massive banners everywhere and it just looks really cool. Everyone wants to have a good time. I've saw some quality performances there last year, namely Kid Creole and the Coconuts who were insanely good, Devendra Banhart and The Fall among others. You know the line up is going to be safe, as Rob Da Bank curates every year, as it is an offshoot of his Sunday Best record label, which is home to the likes of Kitty, Daisy and Lewis and the Dub Pistols, both of which I imagine will play. DJ's go on late into the night, including this year the mighty 2manyDjs. Also the website for the festival is the coolest in the world, bar none. Check it at www.bestival.net. See you there!

I have also enabled anyone to make comments about articles on here, so feel free to post a comment.

Currently listening to 'One World' by John Martyn

Sam