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

[threespires]

Still, it's my reputation on the line here because I've stuck my neck out and predicted a top 10 finish - I wouldn't do that if I thought that it was something I loved and not many others would "get". I'm sure it will be fun finding out.

Given the randomness of some of the posters on here (no names, no pack drill) you're either brave or a fool to be predicting anything ;-)

Glad to hear they got the imaging they needed.

 

[LGWIO]

a three-word name -- adjective, adjective, nouns

The (1) Screaming (2) Blue (3) Messiah's (4)
Just saying like!

I'm sure my mid 80's hatred radar is twitching...

Oh bugger!

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

Ha, I'm 95% sure I've seen them live but I have no recollection where! In fairness it was an era when I was going to about 3 gigs a week including some proper random stuff. They weren't the headline act but apart from that I've got nothing :-) Peel used to like them I seem to remember. Unless I'm getting them confused, beyond a bit of a psychobilly following I don't remember them being that country? I'll probably have a listen and then realise I'm thinking of someone completely different, age is a terrible thing.

Yes psychobilly was a pigeonhole but they are much bluesier than that in my view, and the country reference is due to both regular subject matter and the Hank Williams cover on this record.

 

[BimboBob]

Things have picked up with Clear View.

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

Ha...sorry, it's the headphone listen whilst doing other things...can I say Big Audio Dynamite without the hooks?

I know BAD well and if you try to go that direction you’ll have a fight on your hands mate. Without the samples, I’ll grant you; without the hooks, no way. Plus genre comps aren’t remotely close anyhow, though I can see a little resemblance on Smash The Marketplace — but that’s a one-off for sure. And I found BAD’s cultural appropriation hard to stomach in later years; none of that here.

 

[threespires]

Yes psychobilly was a pigeonhole but they are much bluesier than that in my view, and the country reference is due to both regular subject matter and the Hank Williams cover on this record.

Had a brief listen, it is them but I'm now quite confused. Had a look at their (patchy) gig history and they've supported Echo and The Bunnymen and The Cramps. I've seen Echo and The Bunnymen but I'm again 95% sure that the reason I thought about the psychobilly label was because I faintly remember seeing them with an old schoolmate who was a proper full on King Kurt knob style psychobilly who moaned about them not being psychobilly at all. Which would suggest it was more likely as the support for The Cramps except I'm pretty sure I'd remember if I'd seen The Cramps and I haven't. I'm equally sure the lad in question wouldn't have gone to a Bunnymen gig so it has to have been supporting someone else.

Wtf has this to do with anything? Nothing except that at this rate I'm going to be spending all my time trying to figure this out you'll not be getting a score of any description :-)

 

[roman totale]

I remember seeing these on The Tube, or something Ike that, back in the day and thought they looked good. However, after seeing them live and listening to a few records, I realized they just didn’t have enough depth to keep me interested for more than the odd song. Same thing happened around the same time with The Dave Howard Singers.

 

[Coatigan]

Wow, what an absolute hex that is — especially as I can’t give it a 9 or perhaps a 10, which I would.

Don't worry, Bimbo will give it a high score, no doubt. And relevant praise too I'm sure.

 

[BimboBob]

Don't worry, Bimbo will give it a high score, no doubt. And relevant praise too I'm sure.

Sure will! Love a bit of over produced mid 80's 10 years too late music!!

 

[Black&White&BlueMoon Town]

I know BAD well and if you try to go that direction you’ll have a fight on your hands mate. Without the samples, I’ll grant you; without the hooks, no way. Plus genre comps aren’t remotely close anyhow, though I can see a little resemblance on Smash The Marketplace — but that’s a one-off for sure. And I found BAD’s cultural appropriation hard to stomach in later years; none of that here.

So it turns out I *have* heard The Screaming Blue Messiahs before...

Back when this album came out, I heard "Smash The Market Place" on my college radio station a good bit back in 1986. Wow, it's been 38 years since I heard that one, but that song is quite unmistakable, and I liked it back then.

Now to figure out if I gave credit to BAD or I realized the band at the time. ;-)

Looking forward to hearing the rest of this album, but good to know I didn't totally miss them back in the day, they just didn't stick like some others.