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

[Saddleworth2]

I clarified further down. Not that they dislike them, but not ones that would own albums and go to gigs.

It is btw a completely different and unrelated point to the previous discussion on their fanbase.

I’ll leave it there but genuinely confused as to the point you are making.

 

[Coatigan]

I’ll leave it there but genuinely confused as to the point you are making.

That I don't have friends in my circle that are fans of Oasis.

'Fans of' being people that love their music enough to buy it or go to gigs. Nothing contentious in that, just an observation.

 

[Saddleworth2]

That I don't have friends in my circle that are fans of Oasis.

'Fans of' being people that love their music enough to buy it or go to gigs. Nothing contentious in that, just an observation.

Other than you seem to wear it as a badge of honour. Anyway each to their own. I must be a fan as I have attended gigs and streamed their music. Pity we can’t be friends though.

 

[threespires]

I think one of the signs of a good song is that it’s like a living being. It’s not simply a moment in time, it can evolve and adapt over the years, it can age gracefully or disgracefully, it can attract different people to it in different contexts.

For me, this is a good example. Decent though it was, apart from the banner at MR this song has never really resonated with me that much; it was and remains an anthem about the defiance and surety of youth and I wasn’t on board with either of those concepts by the time it was released.

But listening to this now sung by a middle-aged man, who’s been there and done it, and who knows its core sentiment isn’t really true, shorn of its swagger and with a sense of introspection is something I can get on board with. Noel’s vocal style and limitations work very well too because they give it a vulnerability that is in keeping with that recognition of the falling away of that youthful invincibility. Same melody, same words, different meaning. That’s a good song.

 

[BlueHammer85]

I think one of the signs of a good song is that it’s like a living being. It’s not simply a moment in time, it can evolve and adapt over the years, it can age gracefully or disgracefully, it can attract different people to it in different contexts.

For me, this is a good example. Decent though it was, apart from the banner at MR this song has never really resonated with me that much; it was and remains an anthem about the defiance and surety of youth and I wasn’t on board with either of those concepts by the time it was released.

But listening to this now sung by a middle-aged man, who’s been there and done it, and who knows its core sentiment isn’t really true, shorn of its swagger and with a sense of introspection is something I can get on board with. Noel’s vocal style and limitations work very well too because they give it a vulnerability that is in keeping with that recognition of the falling away of that youthful invincibility. Same melody, same words, different meaning. That’s a good song.

Have you seen the Supersonic documentary on Netflix ? It's a real special part when Noel describes how he wrote Live Forever, Bonehead telling him to fuck off as he didn't believe he wrote that and how it changed the course of the band forever... then the acoustic version comes in.

 

[Coatigan]

Other than you seem to wear it as a badge of honour. Anyway each to their own.

Honestly, not at all. It was an observation, prompted by OB6's post. One that I found interesting. As I said it is completely separate to the previous discussions.

I don't get why people are so touchy over this, or why anyone feels blanketed when I have been specific to my own experiences. Fog calls radiohead fans mopey self obsessed moaners all the time, Bimbo calls listeners of every second album here Friends generation shallowtons like twice a month. I say something about Oasis, and it derails things a bit.

 

[Saddleworth2]

Honestly, not at all. It was an observation, prompted by OB6's post. One that I found interesting. As I said it is completely separate to the previous discussions.

I don't get why people are so touchy over this, or why anyone feels blanketed when I have been specific to my own experiences. Fog calls radiohead fans mopey self obsessed moaners all the time, Bimbo calls listeners of every second album here Friends generation shallowtons like twice a month. I say something about Oasis, and it derails things a bit.

Maybe I’m misreading things. Put it down to that.

 

[Coatigan]

Maybe I’m misreading things. Put it down to that.

For whatever part I played in that, happy to point out, it is not as negative as you have taken it. And certainly not relevant to their music.

 

[supercity88]

I'm going out on a limb here and saying I am probably one of the few that was actually too young when this album first landed (you FOCs!).

But when I hit the right age their music struck just like it would have when it landed.

And still today, the songs on this album are fantastic.

Musically quite basic, lyrically uncomplicated but still absolutely brilliant. A few chords and the pentatonic scale, turned up with some whining singing, a fuck load of attitude and lyrics that instantly turned to slogans and centred on themes familiar to the majority of people.

Slide Away is my favourite Oasis song, although I probably prefer the Noel Gallagher acoustic version.

Hardcore Oasis fans were coke fuelled pissheads jumping onto the bandwagon of a band declaring themselves as the biggest rock and roll band on the planet, but that doesn't bother me. There aren't many bands that can provide so many songs on a drunken walk home singalong playlist. And probably what's even better is you know the people inside the houses, getting woken up in the early hours by the singing are probably joining in from their beds as well.

 

[Onholiday(somemightsay)]

It was generally the stuff that I’m unfamiliar with that I found more acceptable.
I agree about Shakermaker, but wouldn’t be overly fond of Supersonic.

Nothing much jumped out at me after the two I mentioned.
Columbia benefits from the harmony of Noel’s voice, but the best riff on the album as far as I’m concerned, is on Up In The Sky.

I do have one observation of them as a band that I will keep for the third listen. It’s a comparison with a certain Dublin band, but I’ll leave it until later.

Back to impressions on second listen , though. I do get the raw feeling that is more pronounced perhaps intentionally, as a debut album. I read a bit about it and I think they weren’t satisfied with the first take which was recorded individually per instrument. They brought in another guy who didn’t quite do it all in one take but recorded the bulk of it together as a band and put a few overdubs over it.

Personally I like this idea of nearing a live feel, however I do feel a lot of the dynamics of what would probably be great live, is lost in what I think is poor production that contrarily does the album no favours.

I did enjoy this listen better than the first time. I’m trying my best to get over my own prejudices but another thing I thought about regarding, what do I actually like by the band?
I think one of my favourites is the theme tune to ‘The Royle Family’ - Half the world Away.
A simple melodic sweet tune. Why am I drawn to this?
Well it’s well written like many of Noel’s tunes. I think more pertinent though, Noel sings it. Not Liam.
I think Liam may be a major stumbling block with me. Noel puts the emotion he felt when writing a tune into his vocalising it.
I just don’t like how Liam delivers even the best of their stuff.

‘I live my life for the stars that she-ine’

‘Is it my imagina-she-un’
Act-she-un
Sun-she—ine

It’s nasal. It drones. He effects the end of each line downwards on the scale and it becomes very annoying.

Now I fully appreciate that these same things that grate with me are great with fans of the band.

Would I appreciate the band better without Liam fronting it?
Good question. I’ll have to consider that on third listen.

I’m sure there are fans in hear thinking that’s sacrilege.

Absolute heathen - stone him............ ;-)