mrbelfry
Well-Known Member
Supergrass - I Should Coco
I’ve already hinted that this could easily dissolve into a nostalgia fest as it was a big album for me when it came out. I was talking to the wife yesterday and reminiscing about listening to Steve Lamaq, Jo Whiley and John Peel on the radio. I had happy memories which I assumed she shared. I was apologising for becoming old and boring and not like the youthful energetic man she had fallen in love with. She informed me that she was faking interest in many things that I liked just so that we could go out and she found most of that stuff far too sincere and pleased with itself. If you read my review of the Chameleons last week you’ll see she was bang on the money.
So I’ve attempted to come at this album divorced from my own history with it and spun up the Spotify to listen to songs that I probably hadn’t heard in over 15 years. It was instantly familiar and I was able to sing along and remember most of it easy enough. It is fun and youthful and energetic and a very easy listen. It’s also largely unsubstantial and lightweight like lightly flavoured water.
I read this review of the album but it’s like I’m hearing a different album. Lyrically I don’t get much from it. There are lots of repeated verses and if they are meant to be ambiguous or open to interpretation that’s not really suggested by the actual content. They were young men however so maybe this is a harsh criticism. The songs that take a day in the life approach like on Caught By The Fuzz, Alright and Sitting Up Straight are probably the highlights for me - reminded me of The Streets :). They also have a youthful energy that serves the band well but we can’t stay young forever sadly.
By far the worst track, and the only track I would skip, is Lose It. This reminds me of later Supergrass stuff which I tried hard to convince myself I liked but sometimes the impact of later albums works backwards and I stopped listening to this as a subconscious protest. In truth I haven’t really missed it despite enjoying the company it’s provided even as I’ve become reacquainted with it. It was even nice to hear Alright again.
There are no songs other than Lose It I would be unhappy to hear again. Lenny’s intro builds some tension nicely, Time has a nice groove and Caught By The Fuzz is probably a classic of the era. In 1995 that song felt very teenage rebellion and I was surprised to hear a f-bomb dropped casually in the chorus of Strange Ones which I definitely did not catch in any previous listen. Some of the impact has been dulled 30 years later and it’s more shocking to hear lyrics about smoking cigarettes, particularly hearing the word fag, than it is about smoking “blow”. It’s odd how societal taboos change - we become more liberal in one area as we become more puritanical in another.
In 1995 I hadn’t heard much music to be honest. I definitely do remember the intro of Sitting Up Straight reminding me of the film review show with Barry Norman and She’s So Loose has always reminded me of Blow Out from Radioheads first album. Now though I know that that song is called I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free (t feels very inappropriate to use it as a tv theme tune) and I’ve now heard She’s A Rainbow by the Rolling Stones. Would I be happy to hear this album again? Yes! Would I much rather prefer to listen to Supergrass’ record collection than an actual Supergrass record including this one? Also yes
It’s with a hint of sadness that I can’t score this a nostalgia infected 9 and instead need to settle on a 6. I’ll have left this album behind again as soon as next weeks nomination is made. It's fun whilst it lasts and it will be interesting to read the opinion of those hearing most of this for the first time.
I’ve already hinted that this could easily dissolve into a nostalgia fest as it was a big album for me when it came out. I was talking to the wife yesterday and reminiscing about listening to Steve Lamaq, Jo Whiley and John Peel on the radio. I had happy memories which I assumed she shared. I was apologising for becoming old and boring and not like the youthful energetic man she had fallen in love with. She informed me that she was faking interest in many things that I liked just so that we could go out and she found most of that stuff far too sincere and pleased with itself. If you read my review of the Chameleons last week you’ll see she was bang on the money.
So I’ve attempted to come at this album divorced from my own history with it and spun up the Spotify to listen to songs that I probably hadn’t heard in over 15 years. It was instantly familiar and I was able to sing along and remember most of it easy enough. It is fun and youthful and energetic and a very easy listen. It’s also largely unsubstantial and lightweight like lightly flavoured water.
I read this review of the album but it’s like I’m hearing a different album. Lyrically I don’t get much from it. There are lots of repeated verses and if they are meant to be ambiguous or open to interpretation that’s not really suggested by the actual content. They were young men however so maybe this is a harsh criticism. The songs that take a day in the life approach like on Caught By The Fuzz, Alright and Sitting Up Straight are probably the highlights for me - reminded me of The Streets :). They also have a youthful energy that serves the band well but we can’t stay young forever sadly.
By far the worst track, and the only track I would skip, is Lose It. This reminds me of later Supergrass stuff which I tried hard to convince myself I liked but sometimes the impact of later albums works backwards and I stopped listening to this as a subconscious protest. In truth I haven’t really missed it despite enjoying the company it’s provided even as I’ve become reacquainted with it. It was even nice to hear Alright again.
There are no songs other than Lose It I would be unhappy to hear again. Lenny’s intro builds some tension nicely, Time has a nice groove and Caught By The Fuzz is probably a classic of the era. In 1995 that song felt very teenage rebellion and I was surprised to hear a f-bomb dropped casually in the chorus of Strange Ones which I definitely did not catch in any previous listen. Some of the impact has been dulled 30 years later and it’s more shocking to hear lyrics about smoking cigarettes, particularly hearing the word fag, than it is about smoking “blow”. It’s odd how societal taboos change - we become more liberal in one area as we become more puritanical in another.
In 1995 I hadn’t heard much music to be honest. I definitely do remember the intro of Sitting Up Straight reminding me of the film review show with Barry Norman and She’s So Loose has always reminded me of Blow Out from Radioheads first album. Now though I know that that song is called I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free (t feels very inappropriate to use it as a tv theme tune) and I’ve now heard She’s A Rainbow by the Rolling Stones. Would I be happy to hear this album again? Yes! Would I much rather prefer to listen to Supergrass’ record collection than an actual Supergrass record including this one? Also yes
It’s with a hint of sadness that I can’t score this a nostalgia infected 9 and instead need to settle on a 6. I’ll have left this album behind again as soon as next weeks nomination is made. It's fun whilst it lasts and it will be interesting to read the opinion of those hearing most of this for the first time.