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

[mancity2012_eamo]

Did you watch their gig?

No Sadds. No interest. I’ve seen how they hold a crowd. Great if you’re a fan. The brother in law loves them and raves about when they played here.
I get it, but still have no interest.

 

[Saddleworth2]

No Sadds. No interest. I’ve seen how they hold a crowd. Great if you’re a fan. The brother in law loves them and raves about when they played here.
I get it, but still have no interest.

I’m no fan of their music but the sheer spectacle was impressive enough to watch.
It certainly beats the football just now.

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

I’m no fan of their music but the sheer spectacle was impressive enough to watch.
It certainly beats the football just now.

Oddly enough a mate in work said the same thing. He watched some of it the other night.
He would have been firmly in the same camp as me where Coldplay are concerned, too.

 

[BimboBob]

I've surprised myself and have given this album another listen, the fourth, whilst typing this review out. I know, how exciting.

Let's get the elephants out of the way first.

1. I don't care if they have copied, borrowed or stolen riffs, lyrics or peanuts, every band does it. Although usually it's bands you grew up with and not the New Seekers. Each to their own.

2. Just because my name is Noel and I support Man City does not give them a free pass. Or a back wash. With a broom.

3. I was living and working abroad when all of the 'Brit Pop' malarky happened so this era passed me by. I was also in my 30's, married and into proper rock. With real hair. No fake trunk stuffed down my tight trousers though.


Right, the album, Definitely Maybe.

Lyrics.

Erm...trite? I'm feeling supersonic, give me a gin and tonic? Sunshine appears in at least two of the songs. Sorry, that should be sunshiiiiine. Building houses out of plasticine, mentioning lasagne a few times, doing it with a doctor in a helicopter as that rhymes, I could go on.

I will say that they won't be the last band to have very average lyrics and yet appeal to the great unwashed.

Musicianship.

Yeah, erm...I likened them to a pub band earlier and this was probably a little unfair. The drummer, for the most parts keeps decent time. I have heard better. Much better, but I've also heard worse. The bass is functional, mostly buried but still there, noodling in the background. The guitars are the glue that holds the album together. I say guitars but I really mean Paul Arthurs. There is a little talent in his strumming. The singing, hmmm, this is where I'm struggling and why the 'pub band' comment from earlier in the thread was made. It's talking with added snarl. But it's bravado snarl, all look at me before running away at the first sign of a real voice.

Once again I'm sticking in the caveat that it's their first album so what do you expect? They obviously got better...I hope.

Songs.

The only one hitting any kind of spot is 'Cigarettes and Alcohol' and that's because there's a slight punk feel to it. It's let down by the singing though. The voice going high on 'Live Forever' makes me laugh. Every time I hear it. So out of place. And very bad. There's a lot of fillers on this album. Up In The Sky, Diggy's Dinner, Married With Children, Bring It On Down, Shakermaker...they seem to be a cut and paste job from the other songs.

And again, other bands have fillers all the time. With every album.

Verdict.

I've not once moved my feet whilst typing this, or nodded along. I did laugh though.

I do understand the place Oasis holds in a certain demographic and I fully respect that. I've tried to be fair, the album has had a lot of listens but I'm still struggling. It's the combination of the really shit voice with mostly banal lyrics coupled with average playing, apart from Mr Paul, that wipes out any enjoyment.

It gets a 5.

Which is considerably higher than I first thought I'd score it.

 

[Saddleworth2]

Oddly enough a mate in work said the same thing. He watched some of it the other night.
He would have been firmly in the same camp as me where Coldplay are concerned, too.

It's still on IPlayer. Worth a view even for 10 minutes although its about 100 minutes in total.

 

[Black&White&BlueMoon Town]

yep hard to knock them for that, i can't listen to their stuff nowadays.
their debut album and the one after were very good.

X&Y was the best and after that, it was off a cliff. I saw them live back then, not since.

 

[BlueHammer85]

It's still on IPlayer. Worth a view even for 10 minutes although its about 100 minutes in total.

Michael J Fox was a nice touch

 

[OB1]

Going way off topic. I sat and watched Coldplay at Glastonbury with Mrs S. Bloody hell they are absolutely brilliant at what they do (large stadium gigs). I can't listen to their albums, yes Chris Martin is a complete dork but jeez they know how to put on a show. 100,000 allegedly in front of stage and every trick in the book used to keep them happy.
I remember when the hight of theatre at a concert was dry ice :-)
Fair play to them.

I’ve never bought a Coldplay album. However, I did make a point of going to see them in concert.

They do indeed put on a show and they have a set of songs that their audience sings the heck out of. The atmosphere at their gigs is superb.

Seeing Michael J. Fox was emotional, both heart warming and heart breaking.

 

[Black&White&BlueMoon Town]

I’ve never bought a Coldplay album. However, I did make a point of going to see them in concert.

They do indeed put on a show and they have a set of songs that their audience sings the heck out of. The atmosphere at their gigs is superb.

Seeing Michael J. Fox was emotional, both heart warming and heart breaking.

Just watched that encore. Wow... thanks to you and BH85 for clueing me in on that cameo.

Pretty emotional watching it all.... "Fix You" especially.

 

[Onholiday(somemightsay)]

I've surprised myself and have given this album another listen, the fourth, whilst typing this review out. I know, how exciting.

Let's get the elephants out of the way first.

1. I don't care if they have copied, borrowed or stolen riffs, lyrics or peanuts, every band does it. Although usually it's bands you grew up with and not the New Seekers. Each to their own.

2. Just because my name is Noel and I support Man City does not give them a free pass. Or a back wash. With a broom.

3. I was living and working abroad when all of the 'Brit Pop' malarky happened so this era passed me by. I was also in my 30's, married and into proper rock. With real hair. No fake trunk stuffed down my tight trousers though.


Right, the album, Definitely Maybe.

Lyrics.

Erm...trite? I'm feeling supersonic, give me a gin and tonic? Sunshine appears in at least two of the songs. Sorry, that should be sunshiiiiine. Building houses out of plasticine, mentioning lasagne a few times, doing it with a doctor in a helicopter as that rhymes, I could go on.

I will say that they won't be the last band to have very average lyrics and yet appeal to the great unwashed.

Musicianship.

Yeah, erm...I likened them to a pub band earlier and this was probably a little unfair. The drummer, for the most parts keeps decent time. I have heard better. Much better, but I've also heard worse. The bass is functional, mostly buried but still there, noodling in the background. The guitars are the glue that holds the album together. I say guitars but I really mean Paul Arthurs. There is a little talent in his strumming. The singing, hmmm, this is where I'm struggling and why the 'pub band' comment from earlier in the thread was made. It's talking with added snarl. But it's bravado snarl, all look at me before running away at the first sign of a real voice.

Once again I'm sticking in the caveat that it's their first album so what do you expect? They obviously got better...I hope.

Songs.

The only one hitting any kind of spot is 'Cigarettes and Alcohol' and that's because there's a slight punk feel to it. It's let down by the singing though. The voice going high on 'Live Forever' makes me laugh. Every time I hear it. So out of place. And very bad. There's a lot of fillers on this album. Up In The Sky, Diggy's Dinner, Married With Children, Bring It On Down, Shakermaker...they seem to be a cut and paste job from the other songs.

And again, other bands have fillers all the time. With every album.

Verdict.

I've not once moved my feet whilst typing this, or nodded along. I did laugh though.

I do understand the place Oasis holds in a certain demographic and I fully respect that. I've tried to be fair, the album has had a lot of listens but I'm still struggling. It's the combination of the really shit voice with mostly banal lyrics coupled with average playing, apart from Mr Paul, that wipes out any enjoyment.

It gets a 5.

Which is considerably higher than I first thought I'd score it.

To be fair, considering this ain't your bag at all giving it 4 listens is more than a fair go.

Plus, I think a score of 1.25 per listen is a very admirable return............. ;-)