The Album Review Club - Week #145 - (page 1923) - Tellin' Stories - The Charlatans

So I’m taking a "might as well be hung for a sheep than a lamb" approach to this nomination in the hope that scoring aside it generates some interesting discussion. Anyway, GoatersLeftShin has had his own way at the bottom of the table for far too long :-)


The Streets – A Grand Don’t Come For Free

This album has been described as a lot of things, with possibly a few more to come on this thread :-0 It’s most often described as a concept album which it is, albeit not the type most people will be used to; but I think it’s better described as a 21st century operetta or maybe a musical novella with Mike Skinner’s distinctive style of rapping over a variety of instrumentation underpinned by garage beats and club rhythms.

At this stage I’m not going to share the bag load of reasons why I think this album is great; I will just introduce the cast of characters:

  • Mike: our (anti?) hero, who is about to go on a bit of an emotional roller coaster ride.
  • Simone: who works in JD Sports.
  • Dan: One of Mike’s friends who also works in JD Sports.
  • Scott: Another of Mike’s friends with a moral dilemma to resolve.
  • Topshop top girl and white shirt man.
  • Additional (unnamed) narrators who offer commentary and relationship advice.
  • TV Repair Man: An unfortunate guy in the wrong place at the wrong time, but only in one of the possible realities.
I realise some people are going to hate this and/or dismiss it out of hand, but for others who are not familiar and want to give it a go, have a listen as the story unfolds in its various sonic settings.

For anyone who remembers the big hits from this album, Dry Your Eyes and Fit But You Know It, they’ll be placed in their narrative context.

If some discussion gets going, I’ll try and explain as we go along why from my perspective this is one of the best albums of the century so far. Hoping a few non regulars may pass by to chip in their thoughts too.
 
threespires said:
So I’m taking a "might as well be hung for a sheep than a lamb" approach to this nomination in the hope that scoring aside it generates some interesting discussion. Anyway, GoatersLeftShin has had his own way at the bottom of the table for far too long :-)


The Streets – A Grand Don’t Come For Free

This album has been described as a lot of things, with possibly a few more to come on this thread :-0 It’s most often described as a concept album which it is, albeit not the type most people will be used to; but I think it’s better described as a 21st century operetta or maybe a musical novella with Mike Skinner’s distinctive style of rapping over a variety of instrumentation underpinned by garage beats and club rhythms.

At this stage I’m not going to share the bag load of reasons why I think this album is great; I will just introduce the cast of characters:

  • Mike: our (anti?) hero, who is about to go on a bit of an emotional roller coaster ride.
  • Simone: who works in JD Sports.
  • Dan: One of Mike’s friends who also works in JD Sports.
  • Scott: Another of Mike’s friends with a moral dilemma to resolve.
  • Topshop top girl and white shirt man.
  • Additional (unnamed) narrators who offer commentary and relationship advice.
  • TV Repair Man: An unfortunate guy in the wrong place at the wrong time, but only in one of the possible realities.
I realise some people are going to hate this and/or dismiss it out of hand, but for others who are not familiar and want to give it a go, have a listen as the story unfolds in its various sonic settings.

For anyone who remembers the big hits from this album, Dry Your Eyes and Fit But You Know It, they’ll be placed in their narrative context.

If some discussion gets going, I’ll try and explain as we go along why from my perspective this is one of the best albums of the century so far. Hoping a few non regulars may pass by to chip in their thoughts too.
Click to expand...
This sounds suspiciously like the plot to “The 40-Year Old Virgin” set in a sporting goods retailer instead of an electronics store . . . :)
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
This sounds suspiciously like the plot to “The 40-Year Old Virgin” set in a sporting goods retailer instead of an electronics store . . . :)
Click to expand...

You know, despite liking Steve Carrell, Seth Rogan and Catherine Keener I've never seen that film. Nonetheless I would imagine our young protagonist here has already led a significantly sketchier life than Steve Carrell's character.
 
I'm still raging at not going with it, not only because I did think it, but hecause we also discussed this album before with threespires, when the Idles playlist was on.
 
blimey! I went to a Streets gig a few weeks ago in Margate, had a cracking time.

Know this Album well and was listening to it on the run up to the gig so for the first time in a while I'll have to venture elsewhere in the Music world this week.

It's an Album you can not have on shuffle! has to go in order of the general theme and it does take you on a real journey through loss (literally and emotionally!), addiction, heartbreak, isolation and joy (Won't give away the end)

'Blinded By The Lights' is the stand out track, the rest make the concept Album for what it is. 'Fit But You Know It' and 'Dry Your Eyes' are hard to take seriously, so I have to ignore my critic side and just enjoy it, despite never liking British Grime/Rap I've always warmed to The Streets as they have a Pop element.

I do sometimes sway between this is 'classic British portrayal of life by clever use of poetry and beats' to 'hmm this is actually awful' , but either way it's enjoyable in the right mood.

7/10
 
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Not a ringing endorsement if Mark had a cracking time at one of their concerts and still only gave it a 6.

I remember thinking this was a pile of over hyped shit when it came out...wonder if a few years have changed my opinion.
 
BlueHammer85 said:
blimey! I went to a Streets gig a few weeks ago in Margate, had a cracking time.

Know this Album well and was listening to it on the run up to the gig so for the first time in a while I'll have to venture elsewhere in the Music world this week.

It's an Album you can not have on shuffle! has to go in order of the general theme and it does take you on a real journey through loss (literally and emotionally!), addiction, heartbreak, isolation and joy (Won't give away the end)

'Blinded By The Lights' is the stand out track, the rest make the concept Album for what it is. 'Fit But You Know It' and 'Dry Your Eyes' are hard to take seriously, so I have to ignore my critic side and just enjoy it, despite never liking British Grime/Rap I've always warmed to The Streets as they have a Pop element.

I do sometimes sway between this is 'classic British portrayal of life by clever use of poetry and beats' to 'hmm this is actually awful' , but either way it's enjoyable in the right mood.

6/10
Click to expand...

I toyed with nominating Original Pirate Material instead as it's an 'easier' listen and more conventionally brilliant, but (especially in light of how successful OPM was) there is a just a level of ambition to this, including the conscious decision to not even rap 'properly', that it won the day as my choice.

(If you've no need to listen to this one, the other one I was going to go with was Psychodrama by Dave).
 
BimboBob said:
Not a ringing endorsement if Mark had a cracking time at one of their concerts and still only gave it a 6.

I remember thinking this was a pile of over hyped shit when it came out...wonder if a few years have changed my opinion.
Click to expand...

The illegal narcotics helped.
 
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