Interesting, I literally didn’t know that REM were still having chart records, well into the 21st century (having given up on them mainly after the New Adventures in Hi-Fi album, though I still knew that they were going strong’ish).
Though they may have been bought primarily by their fanbase, a top 40 record (particularly back then), was STILL a hit record. I do remember them occasionally playing this on the radio, but almost as an afterthought, as in “Yes, we know you have fans and your big, but. . . “
Their first was back in 1987, with the seminal The One I Love, a #16 in 1987:
Whilst there last, number 32 in total!, was Wanderlust, which hit #27 in 2005.
Still remember these lads from Manchester at Reading Festival all those years ago, complete with a marching band (majorette led!), during their finale with Biggest Mountain, a delightful slow number, ending in a sweet rift to finish. Where initially I wasn’t sure if their sound was big enough – it was! They completely filled the farm with a huge, organ led blast.
They to me, combined the early rave / Madchester sound, with an early Britpop feel, largely due their Farfisa organ sound, played by the man, himself – Clint Boon. What a sound!
They always had both a hip, poppy beat, at the same time as having a downbeat or cynicism with the lyrics, though I still have no idea who wrote them, perhaps their always so serious / miserable lead singer, Tom Hingley.
I always felt that it was these two’s band, as in reality, they were much older (I thought) than the others, with them being in their 30s, when they suddenly packed it in – after something like 15 Top 50s in four or five years, with 4 albums being in the Top 20 (2 in the Top 5).
But for the few years, they were not ever out of the charts, and also ALWAYS had their very own keyboard / organ sound, and fashion sense; with them selling trillions of white, long sleeve t-shirts, with the “Cool as F*ck” logos.
Whilst annoyed they quit so soon, it’s my one hope that other bands would do this, as let’s be honest, who really gives a shit about a band after their first several albums.
Equally, they gave me one of my lasting “gig” memories, when after some drunk pelted Boon’s organs with a pint (at a university in Glasgow), Hingley stated; Who threw that? Who FOOKING threw that!, and with the help of their drummer (I believe) both went after the dick / culprit on the dance floor, to give him a doing. Classic!
With the lockdown still around, I plan on putting more travel from the past on here fairly soon. Trips ranged from the USA to Hong Kong and China, but first, my choices for last year’s music.
It was as usual, a dreadful year in mainstream music, so hence my top faves are probably not the highest hits on Spotify, et al.
Albums of the year:
1) Escape: Expanded Edition, Moon Duo
This trippy, gothicy, new age, type of psychedelic drone, just grows and grows on you. Superb to put on in the background, and just go in and through the waves of sounds.
2) Shore, Fleet Foxes
They returned, with a standard that their earlier stuff would approve of. “Nice”, and flowing, like a big log fire staring out at the forest.
3) Northern Songs, Asteroid #4
Contains my single of the year, the title track, and combines those sixties jangles, with a devotion to a minimal shoe-gazing, that only improves after a few listens.
Time flies, naturally, and everyone knows what’s been going down the last half-year, but finally, the blog is now on a schedule to come out of its hibernation.
We collected a monstrous amount of future blog posts, be it, travel, consumerism, wit, film and music. Who knows, maybe it will be updated every week or even every day!
To start off, my Single of the Year so far, Northern Song, from the neo-psychers, the Asteroid #4. And puhleeze don’t tell me it sounds like The Byrds. It’s better!
Curious Bystander 