Best Ever Albums

Re: Britpop

Anonymous — Tue, 8 Nov 2011 09:11:23 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 11/08/2011 14:11

noWaxJim wrote:

Ahh Britpop... don't get me started...

Being in my late teens around the time Britpop exploded here in the UK, all us students were dragged along with the hype and had piss-poor bands like Cast, The Bluetones, Shed Seven, Echobelly, Sleeper et al shoved down our throats by countless hours of student radio programming and the bloody NME. Anyone else remember Marion?

For me, there were two major events that started Britpop - the death of Kurt Cobain, and the release of Blur's Parklife. Ironically one of the best 'Britpop' albums (in terms of celebrating 'little Englandisms' and the quirky nature of 'cool Britannia') was released before this - Blur's "Modern Life Is Rubbish". Albums like The Stone Roses, Screamadelica, Pills 'n' Thrills et al can't be classed as Britpop in the slightest, nor can early Suede - Britpop was more about stapling your nationality and your influences to your chest than being fey and in touch with your inner feelings (although Pulp would tread a fine line between the two, which is partly why they remain relatively credible).

For me the big crime came when bands like Lush and Ride moved away from shoegazing and released truly terrible LPs to cash in on the movement. Then when Oasis came along (and believe me, I was a MASSIVE Oasis fan for about 2/3 years) bands tried their hardest to capitalise - c.f. the likes of Menswear, Northern Uproar. Just as bad was when the likes of John Squire and Andy Bell formed bands like The Seahorses and Hurricane #1 - awful pale impressions of the former greatness they respectively achieved.

So when did it all end? I would wager in 1997 - the year that Labour got back into government (who else remembers Tony Blair schmoozing with Noel Gallagher at No.10?) as it seemed like the 'people had won', the year Blur reinvented themselves with songs that sounded like Pavement offcuts, but more importantly with the release of OK Computer... when panic, mistrust of the system and alienation once again became the norm for the student ennui. Ironically this was also the year of Oasis' Be Here Now and The Verve's Urban Hymns, Bitter Sweet Symphony being the last great Britpop anthem (nicking a sample from an orchestral version of a Rolling Stones' track - Britpop was always about revisionism, c.f. Damon Albarn/Ray Davies on C4's The White Room, Oasis constantly banging on about The Jam and The Beatles).

In summary - Britpop was both a youth movement AND a genre of music. The music was by and large 3rd rate indie bands trying to be relevant. For a while it seemed like 'buying British' was the only way to go. Then the bubble burst, New Labour got entrenched and didn't present any real alternative, and when people realised pretty much all Oasis songs sounded the same (which they themselves played upon - "D'Yer Know What I Mean" having the same chords as "Wonderwall"), everyone got bored and started going back to their bedrooms.

Key Britpop albums (that are actually still worth listening to - this isn't to say I overly like them, however)

Blur - Parklife
Oasis - Definitely Maybe
Supergrass - I Should Coco
Pulp - Different Class
Elastica - S/T

I love how Supergrass - I Should Coco is put as a key album 😁

Great description! Reading it made me wonder what may be in store for the future. The current status quo has been going on too long. Maybe these Occupy Wall St, 99% and Arab Springs will carry on past the year and gradually seep more and more into the sentiment of popular music? 🤔

Re: Britpop

Anonymous — Tue, 8 Nov 2011 09:03:39 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 11/08/2011 14:03

noWaxJim wrote:

Anyone else remember Marion?

Only as the band who took the piss out of the Manic Street Preachers and Richey in a Select inview several months after his disappearance. 😕

Re: Britpop

Jimmy Dread — Tue, 8 Nov 2011 07:07:49 GMT

Author: Jimmy Dread

Posted: 11/08/2011 12:07

Ahh Britpop... don't get me started...

Being in my late teens around the time Britpop exploded here in the UK, all us students were dragged along with the hype and had piss-poor bands like Cast, The Bluetones, Shed Seven, Echobelly, Sleeper et al shoved down our throats by countless hours of student radio programming and the bloody NME. Anyone else remember Marion?

For me, there were two major events that started Britpop - the death of Kurt Cobain, and the release of Blur's Parklife. Ironically one of the best 'Britpop' albums (in terms of celebrating 'little Englandisms' and the quirky nature of 'cool Britannia') was released before this - Blur's "Modern Life Is Rubbish". Albums like The Stone Roses, Screamadelica, Pills 'n' Thrills et al can't be classed as Britpop in the slightest, nor can early Suede - Britpop was more about stapling your nationality and your influences to your chest than being fey and in touch with your inner feelings (although Pulp would tread a fine line between the two, which is partly why they remain relatively credible).

For me the big crime came when bands like Lush and Ride moved away from shoegazing and released truly terrible LPs to cash in on the movement. Then when Oasis came along (and believe me, I was a MASSIVE Oasis fan for about 2/3 years) bands tried their hardest to capitalise - c.f. the likes of Menswear, Northern Uproar. Just as bad was when the likes of John Squire and Andy Bell formed bands like The Seahorses and Hurricane #1 - awful pale impressions of the former greatness they respectively achieved.

So when did it all end? I would wager in 1997 - the year that Labour got back into government (who else remembers Tony Blair schmoozing with Noel Gallagher at No.10?) as it seemed like the 'people had won', the year Blur reinvented themselves with songs that sounded like Pavement offcuts, but more importantly with the release of OK Computer... when panic, mistrust of the system and alienation once again became the norm for the student ennui. Ironically this was also the year of Oasis' Be Here Now and The Verve's Urban Hymns, Bitter Sweet Symphony being the last great Britpop anthem (nicking a sample from an orchestral version of a Rolling Stones' track - Britpop was always about revisionism, c.f. Damon Albarn/Ray Davies on C4's The White Room, Oasis constantly banging on about The Jam and The Beatles).

In summary - Britpop was both a youth movement AND a genre of music. The music was by and large 3rd rate indie bands trying to be relevant. For a while it seemed like 'buying British' was the only way to go. Then the bubble burst, New Labour got entrenched and didn't present any real alternative, and when people realised pretty much all Oasis songs sounded the same (which they themselves played upon - "D'Yer Know What I Mean" having the same chords as "Wonderwall"), everyone got bored and started going back to their bedrooms.

Key Britpop albums (that are actually still worth listening to - this isn't to say I overly like them, however)

Blur - Parklife
Oasis - Definitely Maybe
Supergrass - I Should Coco
Pulp - Different Class
Elastica - S/T

Britpop

ZebraRock — Mon, 7 Nov 2011 19:47:48 GMT

Author: ZebraRock

Posted: 11/08/2011 00:47

I am American, but for some strange reason grew up listening to British music. Oasis are great, the Stone Roses had some good songs, the Happy Mondays are alright. blur are incredible, I'm only just starting to get into them though. Shame they never really made it in America, 13 is possibly the weirdest album I own.
Funnily enough, I seem to like Post-Britpop (making up my own terms here ;)) better.
For me, Dig Out Your Soul is better than What's the Story.
13 is better than Parklife.
Second Coming is better than the Stone Roses.
So i guess britpop was okay, but the bands that grew and survived it would later produce better work.
I realize that virtually no one agrees with me, but that's okay.

Re: Britpop

Byrdsnix — Fri, 6 Feb 2009 10:09:47 GMT

Author: Byrdsnix

Posted: 02/06/2009 15:09

[quote="theharrisonfords"]I love Britpop- but I don't like Oasis that much. They did channel the Beatles latter work, but I think they did it way too much- It became dull after awhile.[/quote]

Britpop is really a genre that is strongly influenced by the Beatles and the Kinks.

Re: Britpop

Anonymous — Mon, 2 Feb 2009 21:10:00 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 02/03/2009 02:10

I love Britpop- but I don't like Oasis that much. They did channel the Beatles latter work, but I think they did it way too much- It became dull after awhile.

Re: Britpop

Alt-Rocker77 — Mon, 2 Feb 2009 19:04:23 GMT

Author: Alt-Rocker77

Posted: 02/03/2009 00:04

I have no problem saying that I thoroughly like Britpop.
Oasis is probably my favorite Britpop group because I feel like they almost channel some of the Beatles' later work( A very good thing)

Re: Britpop

joannajewsom — Mon, 2 Feb 2009 17:36:28 GMT

Author: joannajewsom

Posted: 02/02/2009 22:36

I love Elastica's debut even though they unashamedly rip-offed the Wire on "Connection".

Re: Britpop

teodor_matz — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 14:21:43 GMT

Author: teodor_matz

Posted: 01/31/2009 19:21

i don't know really, they sound pretty dufferent depending on what album you are listening to...

Re: Britpop

maxxy — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 18:46:00 GMT

Author: maxxy

Posted: 01/30/2009 23:46

I really like the smiths. What would you guys classify primal scream as, because I really don't know?

Re: Britpop

Elston — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:02:40 GMT

Author: Elston

Posted: 01/30/2009 20:02

Stone Roses are pretty good, I like The Queen is Dead better though.

Re: Britpop

teodor_matz — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 01:13:23 GMT

Author: teodor_matz

Posted: 01/29/2009 06:13

I saw Oasis last night in Stockholm, they were great actualy....

Re: Britpop

JohnnyRocketFingers — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:34:21 GMT

Author: JohnnyRocketFingers

Posted: 01/27/2009 20:34

I agree that Primal Scream aren't really britpop and there are bands that more britpop than happy mondays but Stone Rose are definatly britpop. They started the whole thing

Re: Britpop

teodor_matz — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 11:06:22 GMT

Author: teodor_matz

Posted: 01/27/2009 16:06

I wouldn't call the Roses or Mondays or Primal Scream britpop, britpop was not just music it was sort of a cultural movement (or something like that) and i don't think for example The Stone Roses was really a part of that, even if there music sounded very britpop and inspierd several britpop bands like Blur, Oasis, Pulp, Suede, Elastica, Supergrass....

Re: Britpop

JohnnyRocketFingers — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:42:49 GMT

Author: JohnnyRocketFingers

Posted: 01/26/2009 23:42

Yeah, Stone Roses are in my list and Several other artists from the era have been at one point or another.

And yeah i can't wait to see them. There's going to be so many druggies there though haha.

Re: Britpop

maxxy — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:37:47 GMT

Author: maxxy

Posted: 01/26/2009 23:37

you're going to see primal scream? nice!
I like the britpop era; several of the artists you mentioned have albums that made it on to my list (happy mondays, primal scream, oasis at one point)

Britpop

JohnnyRocketFingers — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 12:00:34 GMT

Author: JohnnyRocketFingers

Posted: 01/26/2009 17:00

Quite a few people on this site look down upon Britpop bands such as Oasis, Blur, Happy Mondays, Stone Roses, etc but i listen to very far out and experimental stuff (Machine Gun, TMR, Parable of Arable Land, The Ascension, White Light/White Heat, For Alto) and i think that the Britpop era had some great bands. The best being the stone roses.

Anyway, I'm going to see Primal Scream in Philadelphia in a few weeks and i just saw Oasis just before christmas, so recently i have been listening to some albums from the britpop era again. For a while around 2 years ago, it was my favorite genre of music. So what are your opinions of Britpop? Like it? Hate it? Favorite Artist? etc