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

[mrbelfry]

I believe it is my turn tomorrow.
I cannot remember if i post my clues,write up and pick myself or send them into Rob

You normally do it yourself. Wait until the scores have been tallied by Rob though

 

[RobMCFC]

I believe it is my turn tomorrow.
I cannot remember if i post my clues,write up and pick myself or send them into Rob

Yes, as mrbelfry says above. I'll tag you when it's time to post (sometime between 2 and 3 PM).

 

[RobMCFC]

There's nothing new under the sun. Not really, not when. it comes to music. Given the number of years that a lot of the posters on this thread have put in, and I include myself in that. So, inevitably everything sounds a bit like something else. Whether it's influenced by, a shameless copy of or purely coincidental.

I suspect that there isn't much new that can be said about music either. Certainly my opening paragraph isn't original. There are some pretty creative talents on here though and I thought I used to give a fair crack myself at finding an angle.

Now though it boils down to do I like this week's offering. The Charlatans. As a matter of fact I do. @BlueHammer85 and @RobMCFC might have thought my earlier flippant remark was being dismissive of them and that other Manchester band. I wouldn't pay over the odds to see them now, Oasis that is, but I do think I scored Definitely, Maybe well enough when it came up for review and also enjoyed the Oasis tracks that came up courtesy of Apple Music after one of my listens to this.

So, the Charlatans reminded me in places of Oasis although I get that they came first. They also reminded me of what I think some sixties bands sound like, or was it just a bit of a sixties vibe. A bit Jaggerish with the vocals and Jagger is a singer I just don't rate. But maybe it's what the voice is surrounded with. Because limitations aside I could get on with Tim Burgess' vocals just fine.

And that organ sound. Very cool. Typically the more I listened to this album the more I enjoyed it, there's a bit of swagger. When I find something I like on this thread I listen to a bit more and I do suspect judging by some of the other random tracks I've heard that this isn't necessarily their best. But it's good enough. There isn't anything to quit challenge The One and Only but of the original 11 tracks there aren't really any bad ones. I listened to the expanded version once and found myself getting a wee bit bored there but the original is about right length wise.

With No Shoes isn't the strongest opener but it's followed by three strong tracks and while that level isn't quite kept up I wouldn't say it sags.

Where to score it? I was on a 7 but after todays last (before the review) listen it's edged up another half so 7.5.

Another band I should have listened to more considering their associations and if I had been more familiar with them I might have had something more original and interesting to say but for now, well it was a bit of a curveball from Rob and definitely his best pick on this thread.

Your first paragraph is spot on. When you get into music (in my case, the mid-80s), everything sounds shiny and new and wonderful and different, but as the years go by, you realise that most things have been done before. It's just how a song or an album is repackaged with slightly different emphasis or arrangements. Glad you enjoyed the album.

Tellin' Stories - The Charlatans

This was another band I had not heard much of their music, much less than anything from this album before this week. A bit surprising even to me with the alternative rock, Britpop, and indie rock labels the band gets. The album gets a hip hop soul label, and I don't think that is far off either.

My impression of this vocally unfortunately didn't change much over repeated listens. I still struggled with songs like "North Country Boy", "How Can You Leave Us", and "How High" in the vocal delivery, but the music was better in those songs.

It should come as no surprise then that "Area 51" and "Rob's Theme" without lyrics were both highlights. Those, along with "Tellin' Stories", "One To Another", and "With No Shoes" were better received, and ones I welcomed hearing again on subsequent listens. All were musically enjoyable with the organ and piano really helping those songs along in places.

I'd be remiss if I didn't note the Dylanesque beginning to "Get On It" and the street song it positively reminded me of, down to the organ:

They've got a lotta nerve to think they can sneak that one in
When I was listening I swear I saw them grinnin'
They've got a lotta nerve to say "no matter how you're feelin'"
I think I know which Dylan song I'm hearin'

And yes, I did like how the song changed tempo and focus halfway through to a pure rocker that did end better with the piano, organ, and guitars carrying it home.

So overall, I felt musically, this is a 7.5, but vocally, I have it kindly as a 4.5, so it is a 6/10 overall with me.

I also don't think this album is better than the Mellencamp or Midnight Oil albums that Rob has nominated, which I would score much higher in being very familiar with both.

Musically, I can hear how Rob likes this album, but vocally, I will admit - I'm still a bit unsure. Perhaps I just need more time and background that a week just doesn't afford.

Tim Burgess wouldn't be my pick as vocalist in my fantasy band, but he's good enough because the instruments and arrangements of the songs are so good.

I'm not always that great at spotting influences and similarities, so I'm still not sure of the Dylan song that "Get It On" is influenced by. I've just done a Google and it's suggested that it's "Like A Rolling Stone", a song I'm very familiar with. But even with this knowledge I can't put the two together in my head!

I agree with your comments about the Mellencamp and Midnight Oil albums - my #1 and top 20 all-time albums for me respectively whereas Tellin' Stories would probably be merely a top 50 album.

Things that stick in my head: When I read Q Magazine's review of Earth & Sun & Moon by Midnight Oil, I remember it talking about the organ sound on the album, "kind of like a Charlatans down under". I had never listened to a Charlatans album at this stage (1993) but I was familiar with "The Only One I Know", so the review was a great reference point.

 

[GornikDaze]

Been a hectic couple of weeks so many apologies for lack of contribution to this and the previous discussion. On the plus side we welcomed our first grandchild into the world in the early hours. Football is a lost cause (SiL’s family are big West Brom fans) but music will be my domain! He’s called Leo - obviously named after Leo Fender so he has a bright future!!
Anyway, in the brief moments between home and hospital runs my Charlatans listens were pretty decent. He’s not got the voice of a choirboy, but I’ve heard worse. Guitar and general music vibe is decent so I’ll go a positive 7/10 and have a listen to some of their other stuff which has also passed me by

 

[RobMCFC]

Been a hectic couple of weeks so many apologies for lack of contribution to this and the previous discussion. On the plus side we welcomed our first grandchild into the world in the early hours. Football is a lost cause (SiL’s family are big West Brom fans) but music will be my domain! He’s called Leo - obviously named after Leo Fender so he has a bright future!!
Anyway, in the brief moments between home and hospital runs my Charlatans listens were pretty decent. He’s not got the voice of a choirboy, but I’ve heard worse. Guitar and general music vibe is decent so I’ll go a positive 7/10 and have a listen to some of their other stuff which has also passed me by

Congratulations to you and your family. And well done for squeezing in some music listens as well!