The Album Review Club - Week #191 (page 1286) - Harlequin Dream - Boy & Bear

[FogBlueInSanFran]

Sorry everyone, work again has been crazy - luckily I start a new job next week though! Fed up of having to work nonsense hours on crap stuff! :)

Funnily enough, we were talking about The Lemonheads at a friends party a few weeks ago and we couldn't quite remember if they were good but the Mrs Robinson cover was awful, or whether the album was duff and the cover quite good. We all agreed that the cover was 'ok' but not a patch on the original and when we put the album on we ended up skipping a lot of the tracks. When I was learning to play the guitar, Paul Simon was a 'god' to me - what a guitarist and songwriter he is so I guess anyone who covered one of his songs had to do it well and differently. To be fair, The Lemonheads did but it just highlighted to me how good the original was.

Rightly, or wrongly, as someone who loved the grunge scene The Lemonheads were seen as 'fake'. They didn't have the authenticity of a Nirvana, Pearl Jam etc. The lead singer seems to want to be a pretty Kurt Cobain (from memory) and it just didn't feel right. So I guess this album was always going to land on tough ears. The Mrs Robinson cover probably made them even less authentic and maybe we saw them as a grunge band for people who didn't like grunge.

I had a listen to the album and to be honest, it's ok. It's not bad by any measure but I still can't help but compare it to the great grunge albums by Nirvana (Nevermind, Blech, In Utero, Incesticide), Pearl Jam (10, Vs), Stone Temple Pilots (Purple), Soundgarden etc etc and it's just not quite as good. However, it's a perfectly listenable album once I shrug off that 'grunge snootiness' I once had! :) the tracks still feel like ones for a party and background music but overall it was better than I remember.

7/10

I wouldn’t put this remotely in the grunge camp personally. It’s post-punk — fast, tight, short, and not especially serious or weighty. More Blink-182/Green Dayish. And those aren’t right either as they are punkier.

 

[threespires]

I wouldn’t put this remotely in the grunge camp personally. It’s post-punk — fast, tight, short, and not especially serious or weighty. More Blink-182/Green Dayish.

Was about to respond in a similar fashion. In fairness to Dando, whatever miscategorisation there was of this was more down to the music press than him. 'Lightweight' is typically used in a pejorative sense; here I think it applies but not in a bad way.

 

[GoatersLeftShin]

I wouldn’t put this remotely in the grunge camp personally. It’s post-punk — fast, tight, short, and not especially serious or weighty. More Blink-182/Green Dayish.

We classed it - rightly or wrongly, back in the day - as grunge! It sounded similar to it and I agree it had a punky vibe but it definitely had a grungey sound to us! :)

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

We classed it - rightly or wrongly, back in the day - as grunge! It sounded similar to it and I agree it had a punky vibe but it definitely had a grungey sound to us! :)

This is one reason I like the early/mid-90s in the U.S. especially — Nirvana (and others, but mostly Nirvana) overturned the apple cart on plastic hair metal and carved a new canyon on what the Pixies (and — ahem — Husker Du and the Replacements) did: they made “alternative” mainstream, with a branch that went down the rock path and a branch that went down the punk path, with Sonic Youth and Social Distortion and others going down (or between) both paths. So I’d say Lemonheads were down the punk branch (as were another band whose record we’ve had and I like — Everclear) and not the rock path (which was grungier). And this is where things diverge for Brits and Yanks, too, because while Yanks were in the post-Nirvana fertile period, Brits were immersed in their fertile Britpop period (voila: Oasis).

 

[LGWIO]

We classed it - rightly or wrongly, back in the day - as grunge! It sounded similar to it and I agree it had a punky vibe but it definitely had a grungey sound to us! :)

I think you could quite easily call "Lick" grunge but, if wanting to use that term, perhaps it should be "grunge lite". The likes of "Drug"/"Frank Mills", could never be classed at either really.
I'm guessing that alot of this album was written with the record company in his ear. Telling him he needed something more accessible to the public.

 

[GoatersLeftShin]

And this is where things diverge for Brits and Yanks, too, because while Yanks were in the post-Nirvana fertile period, Brits were immersed in their fertile Britpop period (voila: Oasis).

I'd need to check the dates, but the period from Grunge to Britpop was the era of what I'd call 'indie' where pretty much anything went in clubs. You could hear Nirvana, Metallica, Portishead, Nina Inch Nails, Josh Wink, Beck, Bjork etc within 25 minutes or so! It was very much a 'mixed bag' and that's what made it great!

Both periods were incredible though and a lot of brilliant music was made.

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

I'd need to check the dates, but the period from Grunge to Britpop was the era of what I'd call 'indie' where pretty much anything went in clubs. You could hear Nirvana, Metallica, Portishead, Nina Inch Nails, Josh Wink, Beck, Bjork etc within 25 minutes or so! It was very much a 'mixed bag' and that's what made it great!

Both periods were incredible though and a lot of brilliant music was made.

I agree — and it’s why when we did Oasis before I mentioned that while I always liked them, they didn’t have the cultural impact here (nor did Blur or many others) that they did there, which is a blind spot for me appreciating their importance.

 

[RobMCFC]

We classed it - rightly or wrongly, back in the day - as grunge! It sounded similar to it and I agree it had a punky vibe but it definitely had a grungey sound to us! :)

I've already made a similar note in the review I've started writing. Whilst it might not be grunge, the sound of this album (recorded 1991-92) is clearly influenced by Nirvana.

 

[mrbelfry]

Not super familiar with the Lemonheads beyond Into Your Arms and Mrs Robinson so had a quick listen to Lick which I would definitely say fits into a more grunge category than Ray. Lemonheads definitely had a grunge aesthetic and at times I'd say Dando does sound a little like Cobain's younger and better looking brother but I'd argue Ray is way too pretty to be grunge. I'd maybe even use Nevermind to prove my argument and demonstrate by how different it sounds to Ray. For example listen to Territorial Pissings on Nevermind and Bit Part on Ray and see how they differ after the spoken opening.


An argument can be made Nevermind isn't really a grunge record but if Pearl Jam are also a grunge band then perhaps the genre is wider than I perceive it to be. Not that it matters loads but Im hearing Ray as a jangle punk album just without the jangly guitar.

 

[Coatigan]

A band that has been on my list for proper listen for a while, so good to get a reason. Always thought I might like the Melonheads, so good to give them a go.

 

[threespires]

For me contemporaneous purchasing of a rock album in the early 90s was as rare as a walk-off inside-the-park home run. Haven't checked the index but this might actually be the first nomination from that era that I bought at the time!

 

[BlueHammer85]

A band that has been on my list for proper listen for a while, so good to get a reason. Always thought I might like the Melonheads, so good to give them a go.

You Melon.

 

[threespires]

A band that has been on my list for proper listen for a while, so good to get a reason. Always thought I might like the Melonheads, so good to give them a go.

Isn't there an NFL team that does what the Packers fans do but instead of cheese they put melons on their heads? But not foam ones, real ones? I might be imagining this. I'm glad we just waved our bananas around rather than strapping them to our heads.

 

[LGWIO]

Isn't there an NFL team that does what the Packers fans do but instead of cheese they put melons on their heads? But not foam ones, real ones? I might be imagining this. I'm glad we just waved our bananas around rather than strapping them to our heads.

Careful, talking about strapping on bananas is liable to bring Drone back to the thread.

jangle punk

Love it, a new genre has been created. Peter Buck/Johnny Marr play Crass.

 

[stonerblue]

It's a Shame About Ray - The Lemonheads

I first discovered them after hearing his cover of Luka. Being something of a sucker for cover versions with a bit of difference I started looking for other stuff and after enjoying "Lick" I bought this one.
Ticked all the boxes for me at the time, laid back slacker rock. Some good tunes, hooks. Not the most original and out there of choices, but its been one I have listened to every so often and still enjoy.

Apologies for not having more prepared.

Hope you take some enjoyment from it.

Thanks for choosing this, one of my favourite albums. Been played in my house constantly since its release and still sounds fresh as a daisy today.
10/10

 

[BimboBob]

A band that has been on my list for proper listen for a while, so good to get a reason. Always thought I might like the Melonheads, so good to give them a go.

That's lovely mate.


Then give the Lemonheads a go.

 

[bluejon]

Thanks for choosing this, one of my favourite albums. Been played in my house constantly since its release and still sounds fresh as a daisy today.
10/10

I was 17 when this came out, proud to say I have the original version before they re-released it with Mrs Robinson at the end. This album was huge for me, completely fell in love with it and ended up forming a band with a drummer and guitarist from a fellow metal band to start our own indie band, heavily based initially on the Lemonheads (and those two are still my closest mates to this day). Alison's starting to Happen is a particular favourite, along with drug buddy, and seeing them on this tour in 1993 at the academy is still one of my favourite gigs of all time (partly as we drove over from Chester with some money we'd made from a gig the night before and were able to blag a ticket off touts outside).

Yes, it's a bit cheesy, but we loved it. And yes, still gets listened to.

 

[threespires]

Love it, a new genre has been created. Peter Buck/Johnny Marr play Crass.

Not sure I've ever heard the term before but imo it fits. I understand why Fog mentioned the likes of Green Day/Blink 182 but this has quite a different feel to it in comparison and 'jangle punk' sums those differences up quite well I think. There's a lightness to this, if not quite wistful then not far off despite still having a bit of an edge. Throw in a bit of melancholy and it sidesteps that deliberately juvenile sound which I think is why I much prefer it to the bits I've heard of those other two bands.

 

[stonerblue]

I was 17 when this came out, proud to say I have the original version before they re-released it with Mrs Robinson at the end. This album was huge for me, completely fell in love with it and ended up forming a band with a drummer and guitarist from a fellow metal band to start our own indie band, heavily based initially on the Lemonheads (and those two are still my closest mates to this day). Alison's starting to Happen is a particular favourite, along with drug buddy, and seeing them on this tour in 1993 at the academy is still one of my favourite gigs of all time (partly as we drove over from Chester with some money we'd made from a gig the night before and were able to blag a ticket off touts outside).

Yes, it's a bit cheesy, but we loved it. And yes, still gets listened to.

Great stuff. Thats the power of music mate.
Got tickets for them at Ritz in August.
i don't think the album is ,cheesy', more just simple love songs with great lyrics and catchy tunes. almost classic 'pop' if you like.

 

[mrbelfry]

The first and only time I smoked weed was in Southern Cemetery when I was probably about 15. My sister's boyfriend's brother was a little younger than me but he had bigger brothers so I imagine he stole it from their stash. I didn't know what I was doing but I do remember it being a disappointing experience. But my first exposure to weed was at my dad's 40th birthday where I think someone had gifted him a joint. The kids at school who had access to drugs were all cooler than me and I didn't have a social group I mixed with outside school. Looking back but much to the disagreement of my mum I was the school tramp. My uniform was always in disarray, my teeth are a disaster and my hair resembled what would subsequently be known as Boris Johnson dragged through a hedge and then cut with a strimmer.

I don't really even drink since I realised at 17 it was not a good look for me. I was in Poland drinking cherry vodka trying to impress on my parents that Leonard Cohen was a musical genius. Drinking made me over confident in my own ability and knowledge. I am pretentious enough sober. Drunk I am largely insufferable. I also don't trust myself. It's a family joke that at every family gathering I will eventually try and argue that the Nazis were misunderstood and that's me sober. I enjoy being contrarian and provocative sometimes and add that to the drink I'm worried I might discover I'm a natural reform voter.

In any event I'm largely unimpressed by excess and substance abuse. One of the threads that weaves losely through my reviews is how stupid I think idolizing rock stars is. Substance use and excess is often used as substitute for personality and a vanguard against trying hard and failing.

Now I'm also aware that I'm probably contrarian and provocative because I feel largely insignificant and vanilla and my anti drug stance may just be lack of opportunity. Cool people take drugs and I am not cool so no one has offered me drugs. Screw you drugs. For reference it's that lack of opportunity that doesn't make me feel superior to crack heads. I've been married for 26 years and never even kissed another woman but that does not by extension make me a good or virtuous husband. Literally no one other than my wife has ever shown any interest in having sex with for 26 years. I'd like to think I'm a good and virtuous husband but it's never been tested. I might be a serial cheat. I dunno

Case in point - It's a Shame About Ray by the Lemonheads is an album about taking drugs. And in some ways it's using this as shorthand to demonstrate that the Lemonheads are cool despite their music being bland and unfinished. Frustratingly it works and against my better instincts this album won me over. I can't really explain why - this is the power of drug.

This is an album that is ultimately flavoured water. It is minimalist; not in the sense that someone has worked hard to remove all the unnecessary bits and boiled it down to the essentials but I'm the sense that someone thought "yeah this is good enough now. Let's go get drug". You could make the argument that it's no frills song writing without any gimmicks but I'd argue it's deliberately and ultimately charmingly unambitious.

Take for example Bit Part which is probably my favourite song. It doesn't want to be your first and last and everything it just wants to be a cameo. Like this album. It doesn't want to be your favourite and best album it just wants a place in your cd collection. Possibly my second favourite song is Alison's Starting to Happen which is again is pretty passive - something is happening to Dando rather than him being an active participant in his own life.

At this point the review is longer than the actual album. I did feel I wanted to give the guitarist a different amp or overdrive pedal, I also wished there was more backing harmonies on it and on my latest listen I did notice that I didn't like the reverb on It's A Shame About Ray (the same thing happens a little on My Drug Buddy) but there wasn't a song that I'd skip (possibly because that would require more effort than the band put in). I also think one of the reasons why The Lemonheads have had such a large turnover of musicians is because the songs are pretty boring to play BUT there is a charm to its smallness of ambition that isn't just a product of 'classic songwriting' but is perhaps a consequence of a drug inspired doing the minimum - this is an attitude I can get behind as long as it doesn't require much effort. I like the minimum because i'm lazy and not because of drug but i guess the result is the same. I'm not motivated to excel and neither is this so it's 7 out of 10 because game recognises game.