But many bands know chords and don’t use them and diddle around pointlessly on the fretboard. That was my point. Sometimes there’s magic in three chords and the truth. I think that Cast were much better than a lot of what was around at the time. Not as great as the mighty Kula Shaker, of course, but not many were.I think being underwhelmed at a band knowing chords and the basic expectation of being able to play music, for a music band, is hardly underrating anything, myself.
That wasn't my point though. It was about their time, and their being a part of it. There was a brief period when what they, Oasis, and bands like that,did what in any other period, would have likely fallen flat on its arse imo. And the audiences liked and even welcomed it, imitation, mediocrity, attitude and all.
It is a decent enough album. It is a comment on that brief 'movement', rather than the album.
But many bands know chords and don’t use them and diddle around pointlessly on the fretboard. That was my point. Sometimes there’s magic in three chords and the truth. I think that Cast were much better than a lot of what was around at the time. Not as great as the mighty Kula Shaker, of course, but not many were.
Anyway, we have our own loves and hates and have to agree to disagree. Plenty more will have an opinion this week so let’s see what that brings.
My answer yesterday mirrors Foggy on them too...Genuine question Foggy - are Cast known stateside (assuming slightly recently having supported Oasis mind)?
Hmm, I've never heard (of) them after sampling a few tracks, so this will be an interesting contrast in listening experiences. They and this release didn't chart in the US, and I don't think I've heard them otherwise.
Just got in to find there's an evening of country music on bbc2, look forward to discussing it tomorrow with the many fans on here :-)
Good write up matey - not trying to de-rail the thread into a technical discussion but what do you mean in the highlighted bit above?All Change by Cast was somewhat of a surprise having decided 30 years ago when they released Walkaway that they were a terrible band. I don't blame them solely for the creation of Coldplay but this form of scouse sincerity is something Chris Martin has ran with to great or terrible effect depending on how right or wrong you like to be. He also doesn't have the excuse of being scouse. Ultimately for me the album does contain a heavy dose of sincere slightly spiritual lyrics that I fundamentally associate with scouse bands and find a little smug. I'm aware a large part of my response is possibly because I'm Mancunian and we aren't as willing to revert to poetic emotions as readily. Perhaps because we aren't as close to the sea we are a little more pragmatic and less romantic. I note the irony that many City games start with some form of spoken word particularly as the season reaches it's climax but i'm heartened that a good chunk of the fanbase think it's unnecessary nonsense. Maybe I'm dead inside.
In any event this album surprised me by being much better than I thought it would be. Other than Walkaway the singles are all fine pop indie rock songs. In the context of the album they are obvious singles but they aren't significantly better than the album tracks and I think there is a good level of consistency across the album. Even Walkaway makes a little more sense in that it contains many of the traits of the rest of the album ie all the reverb. The tonal consistency of the album is something that made it a very easy and familiar listen but unfortunately does mean many of the songs feel too long and some get lost in the big wash of reverb that hits you repeatedly in the face. I imagine this makes watching them live in a good venue a disorientating but enjoyable experience. At home it just becomes a little wearing.
Album opener Alright is a good spangly pop tune that could have easily have come out 7 or 8 years earlier and perhaps Cast suffered from being caught in Britpop's gravitational pull. Cast reference many of the same musical touch points as the Britpop crew but I think are less concerned with trying to be cool and edgy - they are just writing classic sounding pop songs in a similar way to the Smithereens were. I imagine I'd have liked them more if I'd been given this in school on an unmarked cassette tape before Oasis supernova'd.
Songs like Promised Land and Mankind sound like they could have once been tv theme tunes from the 1970's. I mean this to be a positive - the songs are catchy and broad and instant toe tappers. Sandstorm has a harder edge that I think suits the band a little less but it's still a fine effort.
Behind Blue Eyes is an obvious inspiration for Tell It Like It Is and hearing the album in full I'm reminded of the Who on lots of occasions. The big difference though is that Power's doesn't have the heft of Daltrey and the great songs from the Who are sonically more open. The use of reverb on this album seems to mask and muddy a lot of what is going on and although I actually like it on this track I think I'd be interested to hear a mix of the album where it wasn't mixed like a Stone Roses outro.
Four Walls suggests I probably wouldn't like a more open sounding version of Cast and luckily Fine Time bursts in with possible the best opening few bars on an album that contains many good intros. Admittedly I'd prefer the opening to lead into Paradise City by Guns and Roses but Fine Time is decent enough. Back of My Mind is pretty forgettable in a way I wish Walkaway was as after a few listens is becoming less hateable. Reflections returns the harder edge and would be largely forgettable except for the annoying guitar progression in the chorus. History like Alright feels like the production of an earlier album and references the dancier indie pop of a few years earlier and does suffer to me by sounding like an extended Stone Roses outro. It does feel like a more natural closer than Two of a Kind which I largely enjoyed but again think suffers from some of the production choices - I want the chorus to open up bigger like it would have done if the Who had written this song.
In summary I enjoy the janglier numbers more than the rockers but dislike how dense it is. A more open mix would have made it sound more dynamic and interesting. If I'd be asked last week i'd have said I didn't like Cast but now after this experience I'd say they were ok. I did have a quick listen to some of the songs on Beetroot and I think I have underestimated the band somewhat. How much of this album I'll remember or return to over the next few months I'm not sure about but for right now it get's a 7.
I mean there is a lot going on. Lots of reverb on everything and lots of guitar playing a lot of the time. You get a little intro and then everyone in for the duration and there is little variation in volume or layering of instruments throughout the songsGood write up matey - not trying to de-rail the thread into a technical discussion but what do you mean in the highlighted bit above?
That’s a very good point. Although it didn’t bother me in this case (maybe the album could have been even better in this sense) but for me, the best albums don’t have a wall of sound approach. Instead, you can hear the spaces between things being hit, strummed and plucked.I mean there is a lot going on. Lots of reverb on everything and lots of guitar playing a lot of the time. You get a little intro and then everyone in for the duration and there is little variation in volume or layering of instruments throughout the songs
Hopefully it’s on iplayer ;)Just got in to find there's an evening of country music on bbc2, look forward to discussing it tomorrow with the many fans on here :-)
Hopefully it’s on iplayer ;)
Apart from the singles I had never bothered with anything else from Cast, but as you say, they can write great pop songs.I will be honest, I normally like @BlueHammer85 's choices but when I saw this I was a bit 'meh' about it. The mid-90s threw up any number of amazing bands and at the time, I swerved Cast as I probably didn't think they were much cop at the time. They weren't the only ones, but when there's albums from Oasis, Blur, Beck, Bjork, Radiohead, Prodigy, Primal Scream, Ocean Colour Scene, Reef, Supergrass etc etc then bands like Cast can be swerved and you won't get the feeling you're missing much.
I put the album on and the first thing that got me was how catchy each song was. I didn't remember this at the time and out of the bands above, Supergrass are probably the masters of a catchy track and I would put some of these Cast songs in that bracket. The one I was least keen on was Walkaway and I guess that was their biggest hit, so maybe that pushed me away from the album.
I actually really liked this album and thought it was far better than I remember and I'd be tempted to go and see them on the back of this if they ever reformed/toured again. It was a great pick and sometimes it's nice to go back to an album you didn't like/rate/whatever at the time and revisit those reasons.
Cast have won me over with this one: 8/10
I will be honest, I normally like @BlueHammer85 's choices but when I saw this I was a bit 'meh' about it. The mid-90s threw up any number of amazing bands and at the time, I swerved Cast as I probably didn't think they were much cop at the time. They weren't the only ones, but when there's albums from Oasis, Blur, Beck, Bjork, Radiohead, Prodigy, Primal Scream, Ocean Colour Scene, Reef, Supergrass etc etc then bands like Cast can be swerved and you won't get the feeling you're missing much.
I put the album on and the first thing that got me was how catchy each song was. I didn't remember this at the time and out of the bands above, Supergrass are probably the masters of a catchy track and I would put some of these Cast songs in that bracket. The one I was least keen on was Walkaway and I guess that was their biggest hit, so maybe that pushed me away from the album.
I actually really liked this album and thought it was far better than I remember and I'd be tempted to go and see them on the back of this if they ever reformed/toured again. It was a great pick and sometimes it's nice to go back to an album you didn't like/rate/whatever at the time and revisit those reasons.
Cast have won me over with this one: 8/10
Is it not better that I decide to like something than just be at the whim of fate or some randos collection of notes. Leaving it up to chance results in people like Robbie Williams having a career. No thank youI gave it another liaten after reading this, and tried the belf approach of 'deciding' I would like it.
Didn't work, left me feeling the same as below. Perhaps the number score was maybe a touch harsh, it is a better album than a 5 suggests. But as I often say mine are based on my reaction more than some pre-determined technical assessment, assuming I was even qualified to give one.
Is it not better that I decide to like something than just be at the whim of fate or some randos collection of notes. Leaving it up to chance results in people like Robbie Williams having a career. No thank you
Hmm, next curator's choice nomination, I hear you say...
Do the one with Angels, apparently I'm having that at my funeral.