No comments about The Story So Far.

5 comments about Magic Hour.

1. I rate this LP up along with Echobelly's "ON", as a CD I can play from start to finish (almost) and love every track (almost). The slight duds are tracks 10 and 11, but they are more than made up for by every other track on the album. "Beat Mama" is just fantastic, and made a brilliant single which, at the time, sounded totally fresh and unlike anything else around. To me they sound Dave Clark Five-ish, and yes Beatle-ish too with Oasis melody and power. Powers has that fab sharp edged rasp to his voice so typical of the Liverpool area. The most striking and wonderful thing about these songs is that, just for a change, Powers can come up with a great melody - something that hooks you and you end up singing all day. Some melodies sound faintly reminiscent of 60's songs, but not close enough to pin down. Every song has some hook you can latch on to, and for me that's great music, and Powers shows an individual rare talent. Without doubt my favourite track is Alien, with Hideaway coming second. The beginning to Alien will rate as one of my all time greatest beginnings to songs "of all time". The guitar is so dramatic and yet understated. To some it may sound morbid, and the chorus line is a little repetitive, but the overall impression of the song is one of strong stirring emotion, and there is even a string section to add a real majestic and powerful quality. Powers's beginning vocals are superb and evocative. Alien reminds me, I guess, of the equally dramatic "Dark Therapy" on Echobelly's "On". "Hideaway" has a similarly dramatic but more powerful beginning and a fabulous high vocal from Powers. The melody jumps up and down the range in a way that surprises and keeps you guessing at where it's going next. Superb off-note chords traverse up and down the scale always ending on warm resonating notes that make you feel so good. The song builds to a high string backed crescendo and then marches off into the distance carrying you, spirits raised, and joyous up through the clouds and into the clear blue sky



2. ok this band totally rocks. Remind me of an Oasis mixed with The Verve with a touch of the La's. Yes good stuff. You must buy this if you're a fan of the bands I just mentioned. You won't be dissapointed. Simply Good British Rock. They throw strings in this album which gives it a full beautiful but rock sound. A definite buy.



3. A return to traditional territory for Cast which shows thatthey are as good as anybody around at writing great tunes. Thefantastic 'Beat Mama' has all the elements that were missing from Cast's last album 'Mother Nature Calls'. A great Brit-Pop tune. The satisfactory 'Compared To You' is followed by 'She Falls' which threatens to be a great song but is let down by the "She Falls..." refrain. The spirited Beatlesque 'Dreamer', is classic Cast and this time is backed up by a great rock middle-eight. A perfect example of timeless Liverpudlian melodic rock. 'Magic Hour' sees a change of pace and again suffers from a weak melody that plagued the previous album. The twee orchestral backing just adds to this sugary sweet song that bores after a few listenings. The average rock tune 'Company Man' sees John Power venting his anger over corprate Britain and is perhaps the right song to put before one of the album highlights 'Alien'. A beautiful song that can't help move you, though makes you which that the "Taking Over The World..." refrain could have been stronger and more fitting of its wide, emotive feel. The rocky 'Higher' again brings you back to Cast's debut album 'All Change' (though it must be said that the production is of higher quality throughout this album, due to more input from the band itself). It does suffer from making the song 2 minutes too long, something their pals Oasis are rightly criticised for. This is followed by the substandard 'Chasing The Day' which is simply not interesting enough to warrant a place on the LP, and possibly the same could be said for the repetitive average rocker 'The Feeling Remains'. 'Burn The Light' is a return to form giving Liam Tyson the chance to show his prowess on guitar over another killer Power tune. The album ends with a traditional Cast epic. This time it allows the string orchesra to shine over a basic melody. A more solid album from the Liverpool four-piece but they still need to break away from the routine melodies and chord changes to produce a great album and be worthy of a place in the same bracket as British bands like Blur, Oasis or Radiohead.



4. Reviewed October 30th 1999. Well, what can I say, the album picks up from where the last one left us wanting more, slaps you in the face, knocks you down, picks you up by the scruff of your neck and spins you round by your feet and sends you hurtling at 90mph into a rock'n'pop brick wall, if you already like Cast you'll love it, if you dont, go and buy it - you'll like them for ever more. Lets hope the lads release a live version of this and their past CD's, saw them in concert at the Royal Court in Liverpool last week in conjunction with BBC Radio 1 broadcast - anyone that was lucky to be there knows just HOW GOOD they are, its a breath of fresh air that a band is as good (if not better) live than from a studio proving the lads can play, one word sums up CAST and their latest masterpiece - AWESOME.



5. this album holds one of the best songs i've ever heard, 'Magic Hour' is a great relaxing song & the rest of the album is pretty good, take my advise & listen to it.

1 comments about Girls & Boys (Blur vs Pet Shop Boys Remixes).

1. 1. Girls & Boys 4:19
   2. Girls & Boys (Pet Shop Boys Radio Edit) 4:05
   3. Girls & Boys (Pet Shop Boys 12'' Mix) 7:17
   4. Magpie 4:15
   5. Peter Panic 4:20
   6. Maggie May 4:08

No comments about Live in Madrid.

5 comments about Hey Venus!.

1. ((This review is for the USA release w/bonus disc))
   
   A surprising number of reviewers are panning this album. Are we listening to the same thing? I would put this right up there with the groups best work. For the record, my all-time favorite SFA album has to be Rings Around the World, but there is not s dud in the bunch.
   
   Venus is a good follow-up to Love Kraft, another album that many did not like. Both are excellently crafted sonic experiences. Hey Venus! is supposed to be a loosely based concept album and I get it, but it works for me just as well on a song by song basis, especially since it is so short (36 minutes!). But then again keep most tracks at 4 minutes or well under keeps them from getting old. I get a bit of a retro vibe al la, the Beach Boys and the Beatles, but this is still very much SFA, thank you very much. Production quality is off the charts, and the tracks are the whole are upbeat and mellow.
   
   Mine is the USA release with the bonus disc containing 4 extra tracks (Never More, Aluminum Illuminati, These Bones, That's What I'm Talking About). Unlike the main album, I can see why these tracks are relegated to a bonus disc. Nothing really bad about them, but as a whole they are not as catch or interesting as the primary album tracks. Still nice to have though.
   
   There are also two videos on the bonus disc. One shows the Animals having fun in the studio laying down some tracks (Sweet Soundboard Batman!). The other is a video for the song Run-Away. I like the song, but I can't say I really care for the video.
   
   Overall, Hey Venus! is a worthy SFA album, with some minor niggles. The main 11 tracks grabbed me at first listen and keep growing on me with each new listen.Thanks guys. I could pretty much take or leave the bonus disc though, but I will probably burn the 4 tracks into a playlist with the others so I'm glad I have it. Solid 4-star experience.
   
   BTW, I for one dig the funky cover art. Lyrics and other info is one side of a 6 panel fold-out, while the other has two 3 panel mini-posters. I have a feeling that if I look at it long enough, some secrets will be revealed...



2. ((This review is for the USA release w/bonus disc))
   
   A surprising number of reviewers are panning this album. Are we listening to the same thing? I would put this right up there with the groups best work. For the record, my all-time favorite SFA album has to be Rings Around the World, but there is not s dud in the bunch.
   
   Venus is a good follow-up to Love Kraft, another album that many did not like. Both are excellently crafted sonic experiences. Hey Venus! is supposed to be a loosely based concept album and I get it, but it works for me just as well on a song by song basis, especially since it is so short (36 minutes!). But then again keep most tracks at 4 minutes or well under keeps them from getting old. I get a bit of a retro vibe al la, the Beach Boys and the Beatles, but this is still very much SFA, thank you very much. Production quality is off the charts, and the tracks are the whole are upbeat and mellow.
   
   Mine is the USA release with the bonus disc containing 4 extra tracks (Never More, Aluminum Illuminati, These Bones, That's What I'm Talking About). Unlike the main album, I can see why these tracks are relegated to a bonus disc. Nothing really bad about them, but as a whole they are not as catch or interesting as the primary album tracks. Still nice to have though.
   
   There are also two videos on the bonus disc. One shows the Animals having fun in the studio laying down some tracks (Sweet Soundboard Batman!). The other is a video for the song Run-Away. I like the song, but I can't say I really care for the video.
   
   Overall, Hey Venus! is a worthy SFA album, with some minor niggles. The main 11 tracks grabbed me at first listen and keep growing on me with each new listen.Thanks guys. I could pretty much take or leave the bonus disc though, but I will probably burn the 4 tracks into a playlist with the others so I'm glad I have it. Solid 4-star experience.
   
   BTW, I for one dig the funky cover art. Lyrics and other info is one side of a 6 panel fold-out, while the other has two 3 panel mini-posters. I have a feeling that if I look at it long enough, some secrets will be revealed...



3. 2007 was the year I discovered just how amazing Super Furry Animals really are. Before this year I had taken them for granted, a band that have always been around on the radio or the telly yet never quite pierced the musical part of my brain. It was only when a friend bullied me into checking out SFA's singles collectionSongbook that I really had my SFA epiphany. Hearing all those amazing songs in one place made me finally appreciate them for the great band they are and by the look of this, their eighth album, always will be. Hey Venus! is simply great pop music. Exactly what you expect from SFA but with something extra. Packed full of catchy choruses, strange imagery and spacey, bouncy guitars. A lesson in how to make a great 21st Century album, one that encapsulates everything that was good about the past but is firmly rooted in the future. Brilliant.



4. I've been for a while trying to figure out what I make of this album. Although good, it's definately not their best. This album was supposed to throw the band in a new direction, while it does for the most part, I find that it has a more radio-friendly than a "super furry" sound to it. In short, sometimes I enjoy it, sometimes I don't. An average album at best, I'd recommend Phantom Power or Guerilla to a newcomer.



5. Super Furry Animals exist outside popular music trends. Their music is wholly their own; no other band out there sounds quite like them. They've been together over a decade, and lately, critics and fans have claimed they're becoming too boring, too traditional, too obsessed with their obvious influences. The funny thing is, there's an SFA album for every critic. Some people claim they've gone downhill since their debut, Fuzzy Logic; others say Rings Around the World marked the end. Consensus never seems to shadow SFA's legacy.
   
   Right on this page, a fan clams Guerrilla and Hey Venus! are the band's two weakest moments. Funny enough, I'm of the opinion that Guerrilla is not only the band's best album, but one of the great rock albums of all time. Yes! All time.
   
   Hey Venus! doesn't quite get there. In fact, it doesn't even reach Phantom Power's highs (another album that some vociferously claim was the start of SFA's demise). But it's solid and dependable and offers a few surprises in under 40 minutes. Album opener "The Gateway Song" is a throaway pop song, something the band is aware of. It's 45 seconds long, and leads us straight into the album's best song, "Runaway."
   
   Honestly, Gruff's own Candylion is better. But if anyone reading this thinks SFA is done or that they're out of creative juice, wait for their next album. Love Kraft is their low point, but Hey Venus! reminds us that they're not quite finished. My theory is that this is their sequel to Mwng, and that the "real" album everyone wants will be out in a year. To the person who claims he won't get another SFA album in three years, SFA have basically put out an album once a year: Fuzzy Logic (1996), Radiator (1997), Outspaced (1998), Guerrilla (1999), Mwng (2000), Rings Around the World (2001), Phantom Power (2003), Love Kraft (2005), (Hey Venus! (2007/2008). Plus two excellent Gruff Rhys solo records in two years, an Acid Casuals record, Neon Neon (Gruff Rhys and Boom Bip record), and The Peth's upcoming album.

2 comments about Love, Actually.

1. Okay, so I bought this movie for my wife for Christmas. I might as well have punched her in the face instead. As stated above, there was no Coldplay music in the "film" and almost no VIDEO of the band either. They just found random people who (claimed) they knew the band members back in the day and they all told meaningless, mundane facts.
   
   Sample:
   Chris Martin is the singer for Coldplay. He also plays the piano. Let's hear what his school chum has to say...
   "Chris was a normal lad in school. He played the piano in school and was popular. "
   
   Isn't that fascinating? If you're ready for an hour of this exact sort of insight, overlaid frequently by early nineties-style editing (think middle school health class video) and extremely lame, pseudo-Coldplay music, then you, my friend, are in for a treat.
   
   The "producers" of this "film" owe Coldplay an apology. And, more importantly, owe me twenty bucks. Actually, make it thirty, just to make up for me actually having to watch it. If there was a way to give zero stars- or better, negative stars- I would.



2. I was completely disappointed in this DVD. First of all it is an un-authorized DVD so there is no Coldplay music at all in the video. You will see mostly still photos of the band and it is 99 percent chat with "friends" of the band. Absolute waste of money. Misrepresented garbage.

5 comments about Blue Is the Colour.

1. Relatively obscure here in the USA, The Beautiful South, of Manchester England, record wry, acerbic pop that skewers contemporary culture under cover of deceptively beautiful, sometimes orchestral, arrangements.
   This CD contains "The Sound Of North America", a laser sharp look at contemporary american culture and capitalism; "Rotterdam (or anywhere), a weary travelers take on one more port; the incredibly brilliant "Don't Marry Her" with it's alternative offer that's not printable here; "One God", in which Paul Heaton tells us that the "world won't end in darkness, it'll end in family fun, with Coca Cola clouds behind a Big Mac sun". Eleven of the twelve cuts here are not only good but great. The exception is an inexplicable cover of Bobby Darin's "Artificial Flowers" that even the South's talents and cynicism can't rescue from it's basic banality.
   Listening to The Beautiful South one can only conclude that they wrap bitter pills in sweet coatings. And, man, do they go down easy!



2. I must say that this is one of the best BS releases by far! The songs are melodic, memorable, and pin the sarcasm meter! This IS typical BS fare (thank Dog for that!), and Dave's incredible heartfelt ditty 'Little Blue' is a goosebump inducing delight! I had the pleasure of listening to this well recorded and mastered CD on my new Magneplanar speakers and McIntosh amp (high end stuff). To be able to hear every little nuance wash over you on some great sounding speakers really brings home that fact that when quality pop music meets quality production meets quality equipment, the end result is an EARgasm! 'Blue Is The Colour' sets the standard in my book! Don't miss this one!



3. This is as biting and sarcastic and beautiful a masterpiece as --South has put out. I've neglected to review it here because I've been too busy listening to it. It's extremely melodic from start to finish. Maybe it's too polished for some of their fans. The gift is their ability to sing about prostitution,alcoholism,unfaithfulness,and loneliness without being maudlin or preachy or really very humorous. It's almost more...mean spirited in a nice sort of way. No other band could put the f word in a soft pop number but issue the word with the same emphasis as you would use the word duck or apple. Classic South if you ask me.



4. For the most part a good album with a blues/folk feel and some rather angry and cynical lyrics.
   The best known songs here are the saucy `Don' Marry Her' and the social commentary - `Rotterdam'. There are several songs about social ills from the mind and emotions of the afflicted, exploring themes from the mind of a prostitute - `Mirror', an alcoholic-`Liar's Bar', the homeless - `The Sound of North America', the lonely -'Alone', the abandoned orphan - `Artificial Flowers' and others. These are sometimes good, sometimes too melancholy , cynical and bitter. My favourite songs on this CD are `Rotterdam', `Mirror', `Foundations, and `Have Fun' all fantastic pieces that I can listen to over.
   But there are other parts that bogged down however.



5. I have all collection of TBS and this album is in particular one of my favorites.

5 comments about Road Movies.

1. I saw Minibar in concert - they opened for Pete Yorn and I thought they were better that Pete (in terms of their performance)! I bought Road Movies soon after the concert and I have enjoyed listening to it. Their sound reminds me of Wilco and Goo Goo Dolls a bit. Lyrics are introspective and intelligent. In general, a great album.



2. I heard Minibar on the radio, so i went out and bought Road Movies. The album is great!!! I also listen to WHiskytown, Ryan Adams, Pearl jam, csny, all the good stuff! i recomend this album!



3. I saw them play a little place in San Francisco last night. They are incredible. Their lyrics pierce you and their sound makes you want to cry. I got this CD, and it is amazing. I absolutely recommend it.



4. As a mother of two pre-teen daughters, I am forced to listen to all types of "pop-music". I have always collected and listened to a large varity of music, so a good friend of mine, who is in a band, turned me on to this CD and wanted my feed back. I fell in love with this group! They could be considered the next best
   LA local band since the Eagles. The first weekend I had it in my possession, I was sure I wore it out. Not only are the instrumentals so "wide range" and perfectly mixed, but the vocals were comfortable and true. The title song, Road Movies, will be my new favorite for the time being! As a California native, this song reminds me of a "summer day", driving with the
   top down, from the valley to Hollywood. The guitar licks really
   move the heart. Getting "Lost in the Details", somehow makes me
   look at life now, after 18 years of marriage, it's easy to get in a rut! "Cool Waves" has the potential to ease the mind after any kind of crazy day. All I can say, is you have got to hear this CD. I think these guys are really going to make it, and I hope they make another one even better than this, although that will definately be a challenge. I will always be a fan! Thanks to a friend who let me 'borrow' this one! I have passed along the bands name to friends who I know will enjoy as much as me.



5. I saw Minibar open for the Wallflowers, and thought they were amazing, so I got the CD. Haven't stopped listening to it since: the lyrics are insightful, the melodies catching, and these guys have great voices. Added bonus, it's good to play all the way through, so you can put it on repeat.

5 comments about Brainbloodvolume.

1. Granted... Neds were never the coolest of bands, and constantly lived in the shadow of their local contemporaries, namely the Wonderstuff and PWEI! However, they had their niche in the scene! I for one remember annoying my mother by playing the God Fodder album in her car when she picked me up from school (back in the days!!) and loving every off-tune vocal and twin-bass riff!!
   When I bought this album on it's initial release I felt that the Neds I had grown to love had lost the plot!
   However, over 10 years on, having lost the cd years ago, I still have these tunes buzzing around my head and have just purchased a fantastically reasonably priced replacement!!
   Its not as raw and overtly attention seeking teenage angst, as the the previous releases, but it shows a level of maturity never seen before in the band. Kudos to you Mat, Ratt, Alex, Dan and Jon (who just sings!). Long live the voice of irrepressible youth!! Which only begs the question... Where are you now????



2. After giving us the distinctive sound of the similar albums "God Fodder" and "Are You Normal?," Ned's Atomic Dustbin expanded their horizons with "Brainbloodvolume," their most ambitious, but least impressive release, in what turned out to be a three-album career. It seems that, for almost every song in "Bbv", the band attempted to break away from their basic style of the past, in one way or another. Although most of the songs start off with a promising riff or unique melody, I just don't think most of them go anywhere, with the exception of three songs: the funky "Premonition," "Stuck" (highly reminiscent of "Selfish" from "God Fodder"),and the humorously titled "Song Eleven can Take Forever." In fact, "Premonition" and Stuck" happen to be amongst my favorite Ned's songs overall (together with "Selfish," "Gray Cell Green," "Happy," "Walking Through Syrup," and "Spring"). "Traffic" isn't bad either, but the rest of the album, to me, is rather ordinary.
   
   It's too bad that Ned's called it quits with this album. I saw them in a small venue in N.Y.C. after its release, and the audience was one of the most enthusiastic and loyal I've ever seen for a relatively obscure band (ask some of your friends if they've ever heard of them). Well, if the three original members of Cream can re-unite, anything's possible.



3. Growing up I remember hearing "All I ask..." on the radio, it was an amazing song. I ordered a used copy of it through Amazon, incredibly cheap, I think I paid $2 for it. It was worth it! This is a great band. I've only heard the album twice and it seems to have a real middle 90's ring to it. The drum machines and electronics remind me of the things that others were doing at the time. For $2, it was worth it to load these songs on to my iPod. Oh yeah, online is the only place to find this album these days. I went to all the record stores in Knoxville and couldn't find a copy of this old gem.



4. Ignore Jim DeRogatis, most do.
   That is why he writes for the Sun Times.
   
   This final Ned's album is their best, and most honest work.
   If Ned's happens to sound fatigued, as DeRogatis states, it is only because they very much were at this point of their careers.
   I highly recommend this album for any post-punk music lovers.
   While you're at it, buy some Babyland, too.
   
   Vortis sucks.



5. This is Ned's at their heavy rockin' best! If there ever was an album that didn't have any dull tracks it's this one. "All I Ask..." is my favorite song ever! "Traffic" is just as good as the Offspring's "Bad Habit" to crank up in your car while flying down the highway. This band broke up after recording this album and it's a real shame as they were clearly headed in a wonderful new direction. A winner from start to finish and a must for any Ned's fan. The only thing I've heard that sounds better than this classic was when I saw them at The Rave in Milwaukee on their supporting tour of this album. It rocked!!

5 comments about Here Come the Tears.

1. For years since guitarist Bernard Butler left Suede in 1994, fans conjectured about his possible reunion with vocalist Brett Anderson. When it finally happened, in 2005, it was too late for most people to care. The resulting album, Here Come The Tears, didn't sell well (and, reportedly, was poorly promoted), and The Tears were dropped by their record label soon after. But that's not an indication of quality -- this is one of the few reunions that actually adds to the old work, and sometimes even improves on it.
   
   Butler produces consistently great results. That might be a little surprising, since he pretty much dropped off the map after 1994, while Anderson remained famous. But the evidence is clear: if anything, Bernard's abilities have increased. In Suede, he rarely wrote "riffs" as such, he used guitars and keyboards mostly to create moody "soundscapes" for Anderson to sing over. But here, instead of piling on guitar tracks until you can't understand what he's actually playing, he writes distinct, concise guitar hooks. That rising chord progression right before each verse of "Refugees" might be the most elegant guitar line he's ever written. And he's got others that are just as good: the simple but catchy riff in "Autograph," the chugging build-up in "Co-Star" and "Beautiful Pain," the swooning anthemic chords in the outro of "Fallen Idol," and the superb dark grind of "Brave New Century." All of these songs stand up to anything on Suede's first album.
   
   Anderson, at least, sounds more inspired here than on latter-day Suede albums. His lyrics use fewer of the worn Suede tropes. And now he attempts to do some honest reflection, which is quite affecting when he's singing about what he knows: the empty feeling left after one has passed the peak of one's fame. "Fallen Idol" conveys this very well. So does "Autograph," one of his all-time best lyrics. It's about lost love, one of his favourite topics, but now he sounds humble, and expresses tired regret, of the non-glamorous kind that doesn't impress girls. Further in the vein of humility, "Co-Star" acknowledges Butler's role in making Anderson famous, and asserts that Anderson can't succeed without his partner. "Lovers" is a typical Suede song about the glory of love, but now Anderson's tone has the kind of innocence that only appears when somebody isn't young anymore, and begins to idealize youth as a carefree time. It's a lot more heartfelt than when a young man flaunts his poetic sorrow in front of the world.
   
   But it's not a total creative rebirth. It takes supreme cluelessness to sing the line, "passion creeps like death inside me," and then the line, "we stick like chewing gum," in the same verse. Although the premise of that song ("Imperfection") is kind of sweet -- Anderson's girlfriend isn't perfect, but he still likes her, you see -- you can't help but notice that he's listed a whole bunch of physical imperfections ("you grow your nails too long/the scratches on your arms") as evidence of "the defects in your soul," which is astoundingly shallow. It's probably not what he meant, but still.
   
   His attempts to expand his horizons don't always fare well. "Brave New Century" is a bit of social commentary in which Anderson laments the phenomenon of celebrity worship. There are very few people on the face of the earth who would be less suited to make that observation, as Anderson's hunger for fame accounts for much of Suede's success. Good thing Butler is there to save the song with brilliant music.
   
   But, on the whole, Anderson's lyrics are unexpectedly good. It's his voice that's in trouble. Anderson used to have the most powerful voice in Britpop, just recall the way he belted out the final notes in "Pantomime Horse." He can't do that anymore. Even in his reduced range, he's on shaky ground. "Two Creatures" in particular makes me wince, the way he strains his voice in the verses. He still pulls off a falsetto in "A Love As Strong As Death," but it's only once at the end, and he sounds like he's trying really hard.
   
   However, he does rediscover some of his old theatrical mannerisms. His dramatic intonation on the line, "The Salvation Army...collected your things" in "The Ghost Of You," his husky tone on the lines "You're as dark as the ocean/as cold as the rain" in "Beautiful Pain," and his ominous low notes in "Brave New Century" are all very classy. For what it's worth, his voice did get better on his solo album, so maybe it's not gone for good.
   
   I kind of wish they'd ended the album with "The Asylum." Now that would have been a disconcerting ending. The lyrics find Anderson worrying about being put in an insane asylum, and pleading with his friends to stay loyal to him. It's a very atypical subject for him, and he gives a moving performance, which is why I think it would have really been eye-catching as the ender. Unfortunately, the two songs after it are bland -- "A Love As Strong As Death" states that the titular love is desirable, but unlikely, and "Apollo 13" tries to depict a stormy relationship in the verses, only to cop out with the very lazy simile, "Like Apollo 13 we'll explode."
   
   You have to give it to the guys -- instead of using the Suede name for easy publicity, they took the hard way by starting a whole new band and building from the ground up, without relying on any old Suede material. And their album was good enough for them to have a chance, but they were unlucky. Had they made the same album sooner, it would have been much more successful. Hopefully they'll have another opportunity, because the overall high quality proves that they were made for each other.



2. Bernard Butler's departure from Suede during the final stages of the recording of their flawed masterpiece DOG STAR MAN saw the effective end of one of the great bands of the nineties. They continued, led by lyricist and singer Barret Anderson, beyond Butler's abandonment (supposedly fueled by among other things a far-too-complete embracing of the rock star lifestyle by his bandmates), but Butler leaving Suede would be exactly like Keith Richards leaving the Stones, it was like ripping the musical heart out of the band. Whether that signaled the virtual end of the band depends, I suppose, on whether you rate Butler or Anderson as the more crucial of the two main members. I like Anderson, but I consider Butler to be a genius, the greatest, by far, of all the shoegazer guitarists, an absolute magician with his instrument. Given Butler's highly publicized exit and his well known disdain for Anderson, nothing in the world would have been less expected than Suede's two resident geniuses teaming up for a new album. But in 2005, with the two of them taking the name The Tears, this is precisely what happened.
   
   So what is the verdict? Actually, this is amazingly good stuff. Is it a masterpiece along the lines of SUEDE was in fact or what DOG STAR MAN could have been? No. It is merely very good, but sometimes that is more than enough. Neither of the men has lost any performance chops. Anderson is in great voice and Butler remains one of the great guitarists of his generation. Nonetheless, the album lacks a bit of the brilliance of the first two Suede efforts. Part of it might be the result of time. While SUEDE and DOG STAR MAN were haunted, theatrical affairs, the overall tone of this album can only be described as . . . happy. These are not tortured performers. One of the nicer songs on the album, for instance, is about coming to love someone so completely that even their defects are adorable ("Imperfections"). I can imagine some missing the moodiness of the Suede albums. Heck, I miss it. But there is no question that there are some quality songs here.
   
   The only reason I can't regard this as highly as their work with Suede is that the album begins to flag some towards the end. Not that the last half is out and out bad. On the contrary, "The Asylum" and "Brave New Century" are strong songs, but not nearly as strong as the best of the first seven cuts.
   
   The album starts off with a string of really superb cuts, the first being "Refugees." "Co-Star" is another of the album's many happy songs, or at least one of the not-unhappy songs. Then on to the aforementioned "Imperfections." Cuts 6 and 7 bring the first half of the disc to an end in very, very strong fashion with "Two Creatures" and "Lovers." As I mentioned, Bernard Butler was the main reason I loved Suede so deeply and happily he plays brilliantly throughout this album. If I have ever had a complaint with him it is that he has had in the past a tendency to employ too much dubbing. In listening, for instance, to "Pantomime Horse" from SUEDE it is impossible to figure out just how many guitar tracks are being used. Here is uses maybe 2 or 3 tracks whereas before he might have been using 4 or 5. He still has an unrivaled genius for the invention of irresistible guitar lines, adding texture more brilliantly than any other guitarist that I know. I marvel listening to his playing on "Autograph," where he takes essentially the same guitar line and over the course of the songs turns it inside out and outside in, twisting and turning it every which directions, deconstructing it and reconstructing it. What makes him so brilliant is that he makes what is actually truly difficult sound so easy. There are times when I have wondered whether he might not have the best ear of any guitarist since Hendrix. He certainly is far more sophisticated than the guitarist he emulates, Johnny Marr. If you listen to Marr's work with the Smiths or his current work with Modest Mouse, there will be a lot of resemblence at times between Butler and Marr, but you'll quickly realize that Butler goes to places that not just Marr but no one else can really go. And what is most amazing is that Butler rarely plays the trumpet style parts that we typically think of as guitar solos. Nonetheless, he musically dominates almost every song.
   
   In short, while not as brilliant as the first two Suede albums, it is nonetheless definitely better than any of the subsequent Suede albums. It is, in fact, a superb album on every level. It does drag a bit by the end but the first half is so marvelous that this hardly matters. If you love Suede, or if you don't know Suede and just love great music, you will love this album.



3. Bernard Butler's departure from Suede during the final stages of the recording of their flawed masterpiece DOG STAR MAN saw the effective end of one of the great bands of the nineties. They continued, led by lyricist and singer Brett Anderson, beyond Butler's abandonment (supposedly fueled by among other things a far-too-complete embracing of the rock star lifestyle by his band mates), but Butler leaving Suede would be exactly like Keith Richards leaving the Stones, it was like ripping the musical heart out of the band. Whether that signaled the virtual end of the band depends, I suppose, on whether you rate Butler or Anderson as the more crucial of the two main members. I like Anderson, but I consider Butler to be a genius, the greatest, by far, of all the shoe gazer guitarists, an absolute magician with his instrument. Given Butler's highly publicized exit and his well known disdain for Anderson, nothing in the world would have been less expected than Suede's two resident geniuses teaming up for a new album. But in 2005, with the two of them taking the name The Tears, this is precisely what happened.
   
   So what is the verdict? Actually, this is amazingly good stuff. Is it a masterpiece along the lines of SUEDE was in fact or what DOG STAR MAN could have been? No. It is merely very good, but sometimes that is more than enough. Neither of the men has lost any performance chops. Anderson is in great voice and Butler remains one of the great guitarists of his generation. Nonetheless, the album lacks a bit of the brilliance of the first two Suede efforts. Part of it might be the result of time. While SUEDE and DOG STAR MAN were haunted, theatrical affairs, the overall tone of this album can only be described as . . . happy. These are not tortured performers. One of the nicer songs on the album, for instance, is about coming to love someone so completely that even their defects are adorable ("Imperfections"). I can imagine some missing the moodiness of the Suede albums. Heck, I miss it. But there is no question that there are some quality songs here.
   
   The only reason I can't regard this as highly as their work with Suede is that the album begins to flag some towards the end. Not that the last half is out and out bad. On the contrary, "The Asylum" and "Brave New Century" are strong songs, but not nearly as strong as the best of the first seven cuts.
   
   The album starts off with a string of really superb cuts, the first being "Refugees." "Co-Star" is another of the album's many happy songs, or at least one of the not-unhappy songs. Then on to the aforementioned "Imperfections." Cuts 6 and 7 bring the first half of the disc to an end in very, very strong fashion with "Two Creatures" and "Lovers." As I mentioned, Bernard Butler was the main reason I loved Suede so deeply and happily he plays brilliantly throughout this album. If I have ever had a complaint with him it is that he has had in the past a tendency to employ too much dubbing. In listening, for instance, to "Pantomime Horse" from SUEDE it is impossible to figure out just how many guitar tracks are being used. Here he uses maybe 2 or 3 tracks whereas before he might have been using 4 or 5. He still has an unrivaled genius for the invention of irresistible guitar lines, adding texture more brilliantly than any other guitarist that I know. I marvel listening to his playing on "Autograph," where he takes essentially the same guitar line and over the course of the songs turns it inside out and outside in, twisting and turning it every which directions, deconstructing it and reconstructing it. What makes him so brilliant is that he makes what is actually truly difficult sound so easy. There are times when I have wondered whether he might not have the best ear of any guitarist since Hendrix. He certainly is far more sophisticated than the guitarist he emulates, Johnny Marr. If you listen to Marr's work with the Smiths or his current work with Modest Mouse, there will be a lot of resemblance at times between Butler and Marr, but you'll quickly realize that Butler goes to places that not just Marr but no one else can really go. And what is most amazing is that Butler rarely plays the trumpet style parts that we typically think of as guitar solos. Nonetheless, he musically dominates almost every song.
   
   In short, while not as brilliant as the first two Suede albums, it is nonetheless definitely better than any of the subsequent Suede albums. It is, in fact, a superb album on every level. It does drag a bit by the end but the first half is so marvelous that this hardly matters. If you love Suede, or if you don't know Suede and just love great music, you will love this album.



4. Bernard Butler's departure from Suede during the final stages of the recording of their flawed masterpiece DOG STAR MAN saw the effective end of one of the great bands of the nineties. They continued, led by lyricist and singer Brett Anderson, beyond Butler's abandonment (supposedly fueled by among other things a far-too-complete embracing of the rock star lifestyle by his band mates), but Butler leaving Suede would be exactly like Keith Richards leaving the Stones, it was like ripping the musical heart out of the band. Whether that signaled the virtual end of the band depends, I suppose, on whether you rate Butler or Anderson as the more crucial of the two main members. I like Anderson, but I consider Butler to be a genius, the greatest, by far, of all the shoe gazer guitarists, an absolute magician with his instrument. Given Butler's highly publicized exit and his well known disdain for Anderson, nothing in the world would have been less expected than Suede's two resident geniuses teaming up for a new album. But in 2005, with the two of them taking the name The Tears, this is precisely what happened.
   
   So what is the verdict? Actually, this is amazingly good stuff. Is it a masterpiece along the lines of SUEDE was in fact or what DOG STAR MAN could have been? No. It is merely very good, but sometimes that is more than enough. Neither of the men has lost any performance chops. Anderson is in great voice and Butler remains one of the great guitarists of his generation. Nonetheless, the album lacks a bit of the brilliance of the first two Suede efforts. Part of it might be the result of time. While SUEDE and DOG STAR MAN were haunted, theatrical affairs, the overall tone of this album can only be described as . . . happy. These are not tortured performers. One of the nicer songs on the album, for instance, is about coming to love someone so completely that even their defects are adorable ("Imperfections"). I can imagine some missing the moodiness of the Suede albums. Heck, I miss it. But there is no question that there are some quality songs here.
   
   The only reason I can't regard this as highly as their work with Suede is that the album begins to flag some towards the end. Not that the last half is out and out bad. On the contrary, "The Asylum" and "Brave New Century" are strong songs, but not nearly as strong as the best of the first seven cuts.
   
   The album starts off with a string of really superb cuts, the first being "Refugees." "Co-Star" is another of the album's many happy songs, or at least one of the not-unhappy songs. Then on to the aforementioned "Imperfections." Cuts 6 and 7 bring the first half of the disc to an end in very, very strong fashion with "Two Creatures" and "Lovers." As I mentioned, Bernard Butler was the main reason I loved Suede so deeply and happily he plays brilliantly throughout this album. If I have ever had a complaint with him it is that he has had in the past a tendency to employ too much dubbing. In listening, for instance, to "Pantomime Horse" from SUEDE it is impossible to figure out just how many guitar tracks are being used. Here he uses maybe 2 or 3 tracks whereas before he might have been using 4 or 5. He still has an unrivaled genius for the invention of irresistible guitar lines, adding texture more brilliantly than any other guitarist that I know. I marvel listening to his playing on "Autograph," where he takes essentially the same guitar line and over the course of the songs turns it inside out and outside in, twisting and turning it every which directions, deconstructing it and reconstructing it. What makes him so brilliant is that he makes what is actually truly difficult sound so easy. There are times when I have wondered whether he might not have the best ear of any guitarist since Hendrix. He certainly is far more sophisticated than the guitarist he emulates, Johnny Marr. If you listen to Marr's work with the Smiths or his current work with Modest Mouse, there will be a lot of resemblance at times between Butler and Marr, but you'll quickly realize that Butler goes to places that not just Marr but no one else can really go. And what is most amazing is that Butler rarely plays the trumpet style parts that we typically think of as guitar solos. Nonetheless, he musically dominates almost every song.
   
   In short, while not as brilliant as the first two Suede albums, it is nonetheless definitely better than any of the subsequent Suede albums. It is, in fact, a superb album on every level. It does drag a bit by the end but the first half is so marvelous that this hardly matters. If you love Suede, or if you don't know Suede and just love great music, you will love this album.



5. Bernard Butler's departure from Suede during the final stages of the recording of their flawed masterpiece DOG STAR MAN saw the effective end of one of the great bands of the nineties. They continued, led by lyricist and singer Brett Anderson, beyond Butler's abandonment (supposedly fueled by among other things a far-too-complete embracing of the rock star lifestyle by his band mates), but Butler leaving Suede would be exactly like Keith Richards leaving the Stones, it was like ripping the musical heart out of the band. Whether that signaled the virtual end of the band depends, I suppose, on whether you rate Butler or Anderson as the more crucial of the two main members. I like Anderson, but I consider Butler to be a genius, the greatest, by far, of all the shoe gazer guitarists, an absolute magician with his instrument. Given Butler's highly publicized exit and his well known disdain for Anderson, nothing in the world would have been less expected than Suede's two resident geniuses teaming up for a new album. But in 2005, with the two of them taking the name The Tears, this is precisely what happened.
   
   So what is the verdict? Actually, this is amazingly good stuff. Is it a masterpiece along the lines of SUEDE was in fact or what DOG STAR MAN could have been? No. It is merely very good, but sometimes that is more than enough. Neither of the men has lost any performance chops. Anderson is in great voice and Butler remains one of the great guitarists of his generation. Nonetheless, the album lacks a bit of the brilliance of the first two Suede efforts. Part of it might be the result of time. While SUEDE and DOG STAR MAN were haunted, theatrical affairs, the overall tone of this album can only be described as . . . happy. These are not tortured performers. One of the nicer songs on the album, for instance, is about coming to love someone so completely that even their defects are adorable ("Imperfections"). I can imagine some missing the moodiness of the Suede albums. Heck, I miss it. But there is no question that there are some quality songs here.
   
   The only reason I can't regard this as highly as their work with Suede is that the album begins to flag some towards the end. Not that the last half is out and out bad. On the contrary, "The Asylum" and "Brave New Century" are strong songs, but not nearly as strong as the best of the first seven cuts.
   
   The album starts off with a string of really superb cuts, the first being "Refugees." "Co-Star" is another of the album's many happy songs, or at least one of the not-unhappy songs. Then on to the aforementioned "Imperfections." Cuts 6 and 7 bring the first half of the disc to an end in very, very strong fashion with "Two Creatures" and "Lovers." As I mentioned, Bernard Butler was the main reason I loved Suede so deeply and happily he plays brilliantly throughout this album. If I have ever had a complaint with him it is that he has had in the past a tendency to employ too much dubbing. In listening, for instance, to "Pantomime Horse" from SUEDE it is impossible to figure out just how many guitar tracks are being used. Here he uses maybe 2 or 3 tracks whereas before he might have been using 4 or 5. He still has an unrivaled genius for the invention of irresistible guitar lines, adding texture more brilliantly than any other guitarist that I know. I marvel listening to his playing on "Autograph," where he takes essentially the same guitar line and over the course of the songs turns it inside out and outside in, twisting and turning it every which directions, deconstructing it and reconstructing it. What makes him so brilliant is that he makes what is actually truly difficult sound so easy. There are times when I have wondered whether he might not have the best ear of any guitarist since Hendrix. He certainly is far more sophisticated than the guitarist he emulates, Johnny Marr. If you listen to Marr's work with the Smiths or his current work with Modest Mouse, there will be a lot of resemblance at times between Butler and Marr, but you'll quickly realize that Butler goes to places that not just Marr but no one else can really go. And what is most amazing is that Butler rarely plays the trumpet style parts that we typically think of as guitar solos. Nonetheless, he musically dominates almost every song.
   
   In short, while not as brilliant as the first two Suede albums, it is nonetheless definitely better than any of the subsequent Suede albums. It is, in fact, a superb album on every level. It does drag a bit by the end but the first half is so marvelous that this hardly matters. If you love Suede, or if you don't know Suede and just love great music, you will love this album.