When BritPop Ruled

Well, technically they pre-date Britpop, having released their first single in '89 and debut album in '90.

 

I absolutely love this band's 1st album and associated cd singles/eps. Imho, they fell off with "Between 10th And 11th" on....some moments there, but 1990-91 was the period I like.

 

I can't read every post here, but I hope someone mentioned Inspiral Carpets....

 

Thumbs up! I saw Charlatans with Jesus and Mary Chain and they were excellent.

 

I consider the Charlatans BritPop and, IMHO, underrated. I need to get at least a compilation from them.

 

Get the 1st cd - it's cheap used all over the place, and don't worry which cover it has <there was 2 different cover pics>. Every song on that mother is sweet.

 

I'm a massive fan of Oasis and I also like the Verve, Stone Roses and the Charlatans.
Hurricane #1 made one helluva good song called Step Into My World which is one of my favourite songs at the moment.

 

I have a question: were Catherine Wheel considered "BritPop", or something different? They were a good live band -- though not "pop" like in sound....

 

I always considered them shoegaze, and proto Britpop. Noel was one of their roadies after all.

 

Thanks!

 

Don't know what's on your playlist but Shed Seven, Northern Uproar (both of whom were considered a joke by the music press), Dodgy, Cast, Stereophonics, Space, Super Furry Animals, Mansun all made some great singles in that period.

Agree with most people's views on Supergrass - In It for the Money is probably my favourite album from that period, and has definitely stood the test of time.

 

Something like that. Only not in the "so bad it's good" category.

Obviously a few others here disagree, but that's normal!

 

Oh yes, Kula is really really good. Although I wouldn't think them "britpop", they do have a distinctively British sound. K is fantastic, PP&A is great and the new one is a grower. Will listen to it more.

I just got "Here Come The Tears" by Anderson & Butler reunion "band" The Tears. Sounds just like Suede in the early Dog Man Star period, released in 2005. Brilliant album.

http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:0nfuxqlsldke~T1

 

I can only second what's already been said: Supergrass ROCKS.

Another largely unfairly overlooked magical band is The Boo Radleys. Their album Giant Step is simply a masterpiece, the best brit-pop album ever IMHO (though it predates britpop, since it's a 1993 release).

 

I don't know if they are considered BritPop, however they were/are a great live band.
Ferment is a as good an album as it gets.

 

I enjoyed this album too...Did these guys ever officially disband? I know they played a couple of festival dates in support of the album, then canceled some dates and said they were going to concentrate on their next album. Four years later, we've had two Brett Anderson solo albums and nary a peep out of The Tears. Did Brett and Bernard start butting heads again?

 

I think it was just a one-off thing. The album didn't sell well, and is rather unknown, even to Suede fans. Well well, it does sound like something that was released ten years earlier, perhaps that's the reason.

Or perhaps Anderson and Butler merely rediscovered that they don't like each other?

 

I'm sitting here looking at no less than five Catherine Wheel CDs, probably more than any other British band of the last two decades. I'm not quite sure why, although that's not to say they're no good. I should give them another listen and find out ...

Oh, and there's a Chapterhouse on top of them. No one has mentioned them yet, I don't think. Or Easterhouse either ...

 

Oasis was the only Britpop band I liked enough to see live. I saw them in a club during the first US tour, and it really did seem like watching a mixture of the Beatles and Sex Pistols live (not that I've seen either, mind you).

That said, it was fun reading about the entire movement in the import music magazines, just becuase there was so much enthusiasm for the whole scene in the UK. Blur vs. Oasis!! etc. etc. Visiting London twice in the mid-90s, you could feel it everywhere.

I do wonder if there will ever be another music movement like Britpop (and grunge), or if listening habits are just too splintered today?

Oh, and Catherine Wheel were great live as well, just in case they count.

 

Yes The Charlatans, IMOO, together with Oasis the best of the “britpop” bands. Debut in 1990 and have since released nine albums all with good quality. The two albums 1992’s “Between 10th and 11th” and 1994’s “Up to our hips” , I have always regarded as somewhat weaker than the rest, but I have begun to like them very much too. The Charlatans is a great band.

 

My first post, so Hi. I really liked Gem's pre-Oasis band, Heavy Stereo. It's unfortunate that he decided to handle the lead vocals on the Deja Voodoo album, because he comes off as a poor man's Ian Hunter. However, there are some very good songs on this album, so if you can get past the voice, it's actually a bit of a treat.

 

Well, I found a copy of Suede's Head Music (well, the "London Suede"; some trademark issue with a sore-loser U.S. bar band or other?) today for cheap ($4), so I bought it.

Wow - cool album! Although from 1999, it sounds au courant to my ears. How did this band get by me?? I love the Bowie/T-Rex influences meeting the modern production style. Some great electric guitar too.

So, I ordered the (reportedly superior) Coming Up from Amazon, for $.69!

Charlatans UK are next, perhaps, in my BritPop revival.

Oh, for anybody interested, a book: The Last Party by John Harris is a great social history of the whole BritPop/Tony Blair/'Cool Britannia' era. All yer fave 90's BritBands are in it!

 

I think the US Suede is a lesbian folksinger...

Don't know how much (UK) Suede you have but bear in mind that Head Music is generally considered their weakest album, aside from maybe New Morning - but I may have been the only person in the US to buy that one. I love both albums.

You may want to check into Bernard Butler's two solo albums also. Some strong songs and great guitar throughout. Both can be had for 1 cent from Amazon sellers.

 

bhazen, if you liked Head Music ( not a masterpiece, but has its moments ) prepare for an improved listening experience when listening to "Coming Up"! 0,69$? wow! A bargain!

 

Through a Q magazine freebie disc, I discovered a band called Subcircus and the song in question was 86’d. I’d never heard of the band before and a search wasn’t too promising: NME described them as Sub-Suede. But I found their album, Carousel, on eBay and won it for the grand total of 1p. For that small an amount, I wasn’t expecting too much, but the album was just fantastic. I can see the Suede comparison, but it’s more harder edged rock music, mixed in with the sleazy side of Bowie. The album is like an introduction to some of the characters you might meet in Bowie’s Sweet Thing/Candidate. The singers voice is a bit of an acquired taste, but the band is right on the money, particularly the guitarist. Personally. I prefer this to Suede: great stuff.