I like your review of Giant Steps. Sounds pretty accurate. I still find it hard to understand what they were aiming for. Or why they thought it would be a good idea to have a sweet-voiced singer who's constantly interrupted by wild and crazy guitar bursts. I always thought that the idea never really clicked or gelled or took off. But as it turned out, that's what's so great about it. That's exactly what I like about it. So I guess it was a good idea after all. Heh heh.
I like your review of Giant Steps. Sounds pretty accurate. I still find it hard to understand what they were aiming for. Or why they thought it would be a good idea to have a sweet-voiced singer who's constantly interrupted by wild and crazy guitar bursts. I always thought that the idea never really clicked or gelled or took off. But as it turned out, that's what's so great about it. That's exactly what I like about it. So I guess it was a good idea after all. Heh heh.
Thanks. Also thanks for recommending this album in the first place. Yeah it's hard to imagine the band meeting where they decided what Giant Steps should sound like. Maybe it is quite drug influenced, I don't know but that just seems to be the direction of the music. I read they were inspired by Pet Sounds/ Smile sessions beach boys, which fits.
Just listened to Dirty Hits and some of the remixes. I liked pretty much all of it but "Burning Wheel" and "Kill all hippies" stood out. I'll probably listen to Vanishing Point again sometime soon.
Thanks. Also thanks for recommending this album in the first place. Yeah it's hard to imagine the band meeting where they decided what Giant Steps should sound like. Maybe it is quite drug influenced, I don't know but that just seems to be the direction of the music. I read they were inspired by Pet Sounds/ Smile sessions beach boys, which fits.
Martin Carr had all the ideas and was the songwriter of the Boo Radleys. I think he wanted something baroque.
I agree with you about the vocals. Sure they could have done with more affirmed vocals. But on the other hand, the band comes from shoegaze, and the frail vocals was part of the genre (see Ride or My Bloody Valentine). So moving towards baroque pop was not so easy. Thanksfully, it's well produced, that helped an awful lot, and the vocals are well recorded, although I supposed they could have double-tracked it here and there:)
Agree with you about the last track "bringing the album back down to earth", very good observation.
Thanks. Also thanks for recommending this album in the first place. Yeah it's hard to imagine the band meeting where they decided what Giant Steps should sound like. Maybe it is quite drug influenced, I don't know but that just seems to be the direction of the music. I read they were inspired by Pet Sounds/ Smile sessions beach boys, which fits.
Just listened to Dirty Hits and some of the remixes. I liked pretty much all of it but "Burning Wheel" and "Kill all hippies" stood out. I'll probably listen to Vanishing Point again sometime soon.
I highly recommend vanishing point. Along with screamadelica and xtmntr. 3 classics. I'd put evil heat into the next bracket, not really up there with those three but good all the same. Not a fan of give out but don't give up. They really are hit or miss primal scream. Recently they seem to going on a steady path of ok.
Also that giant steps record I think is maybe slightly overrated. It always seemed way too long. Enjoyable but I was never knocked out by it. Maybe im being a bit too hard on it but i never considered it a classic.I loved the singles on it though. I think I'll always prefer the wonderful shoegaze ep's they did.
Thanks. Also thanks for recommending this album in the first place. Yeah it's hard to imagine the band meeting where they decided what Giant Steps should sound like. Maybe it is quite drug influenced, I don't know but that just seems to be the direction of the music. I read they were inspired by Pet Sounds/ Smile sessions beach boys, which fits.
Just listened to Dirty Hits and some of the remixes. I liked pretty much all of it but "Burning Wheel" and "Kill all hippies" stood out. I'll probably listen to Vanishing Point again sometime soon.
I highly recommend vanishing point. Along with screamadelica and xtmntr. 3 classics. I'd put evil heat into the next bracket, not really up there with those three but good all the same. Not a fan of give out but don't give up. They really are hit or miss primal scream. Recently they seem to going on a steady path of ok.
Also that giant steps record I think is maybe slightly overrated. It always seemed way too long. Enjoyable but I was never knocked out by it. Maybe im being a bit too hard on it but i never considered it a classic.I loved the singles on it though. I think I'll always prefer the wonderful shoegaze ep's they did.
Yeah, Primal scream seem very inconsistent I think because they switch back and forth between some form of electronic album and then they go back to their rootsy sounding southern rock sound. you always read that is supposedly Rolling Stones- y, but to me it sounds more like southern rock. . For instance right after Evil Heat they made Riot City Blues, which couldn't have been more different than Evil Heat and XTRMNTR. And they made Give Out right after screamadelica and it couldn't have been more different. They're very confusing to say the least. And the last couple albums I haven't even heard yet.
Martin Carr had all the ideas and was the songwriter of the Boo Radleys. I think he wanted something baroque.
I agree with you about the vocals. Sure they could have done with more affirmed vocals. But on the other hand, the band comes from shoegaze, and the frail vocals was part of the genre (see Ride or My Bloody Valentine). So moving towards baroque pop was not so easy. Thanksfully, it's well produced, that helped an awful lot, and the vocals are well recorded, although I supposed they could have double-tracked it here and there:)
Agree with you about the last track "bringing the album back down to earth", very good observation.
Thanks for the feedback Yann 😄 I agree on the vocals being more in-keeping with Shoegazer-I'm sure they just wanted to emphasise the guitars more. It's just not something I'm that used to. The vocals are more prominent in the mix on "Wake up Boo" so presumably it was all deliberate.
I really liked that track from Shoegazer era Boo Radleys you posted so I will listen to their second album as well at some point. Not sure about their later stuff. Not much love seems to be around for the "Wake up Boo" album (although I do think the title track is still one of britpop's defining singles 🤡 )
Thanks. Also thanks for recommending this album in the first place. Yeah it's hard to imagine the band meeting where they decided what Giant Steps should sound like. Maybe it is quite drug influenced, I don't know but that just seems to be the direction of the music. I read they were inspired by Pet Sounds/ Smile sessions beach boys, which fits.
Just listened to Dirty Hits and some of the remixes. I liked pretty much all of it but "Burning Wheel" and "Kill all hippies" stood out. I'll probably listen to Vanishing Point again sometime soon.
I highly recommend vanishing point. Along with screamadelica and xtmntr. 3 classics. I'd put evil heat into the next bracket, not really up there with those three but good all the same. Not a fan of give out but don't give up. They really are hit or miss primal scream. Recently they seem to going on a steady path of ok.
Also that giant steps record I think is maybe slightly overrated. It always seemed way too long. Enjoyable but I was never knocked out by it. Maybe im being a bit too hard on it but i never considered it a classic.I loved the singles on it though. I think I'll always prefer the wonderful shoegaze ep's they did.
Yeah, I had vanishing point when I was younger. Great atmosphere- I really like the dub influence on there. After I revisit this one, probably XTMNTR next.
I'm similar to you on Giant Steps. Lots I really like on there, but as a whole, I like it rather than love it (at this point). I do think I'll listen again though. And try their previous album, which I think is more in the shoegazer vein.
Yeah, Primal scream seem very inconsistent I think because they switch back and forth between some form of electronic album and then they go back to their rootsy sounding southern rock sound. you always read that is supposedly Rolling Stones- y, but to me it sounds more like southern rock.
I agree. Sounds more like the Black Crows than the Rolling Stones. I think it's more on Screamadelica that they sound like the Stones, but that's probably because there is a similar gospel influence.
It's Blur's second album, Modern Life is Rubbish, that is currently my number one contender for topping my britpop list, but Parklife is the bigger album and is probably the most britpop of all britpop albums.
I find the first 9 tracks pretty much unstoppable. They stack big hits at the front of the album and it really feels like the britpop party is kicking off. Maybe best of all is Tracy Jacks (not a single in the UK): they pack so much drama and melody into this one, with great lyrics that emphasise the way that normal life can drive you bonkers. The gonzo punk of "Bank Holiday" is hard to swallow but it works as part of a double act with "Badhead", which describes the hangover after the bank holiday booze-up. Midway through the album, there is 'In the end', which would be the lightest and most elegant britpop ballad by far, if only Suede didn't equal it on "Wild Ones" later in the year.
After this, the album can only go down hill (slightly), but it remains interesting and highly listenable to the last track. On this album, Blur emphasise their Britishness in the lyrics to the point that it is almost self-parody. At times, the music seems to want to grab you by the collar and sing right in your face: Blur come perilously close to running out of charm on this album. By the time 'This is a low' starts, I'm feeling a little worn out and fittingly this closing track feels like a big comedown after the party.
Overall, I think it's a really good album. And britpop's most defining. For me, it's cheeky, exciting and slightly loud. To the point of going too far? Probably. But the tunes are great and they more than get away with it.
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