Initially conceived as Brit-pop's answer to the Monkeys, Supergrass always seemed like fun guys, playing a kind of upbeat power-pop that, though hip to the times, was well schooled in classic rock and pop songwriting. In 2010, and with their main band disintegrating, singer/guitarist Gaz Coombes and drummer Danny Goffey decided to take time off and record a tribute album to their influences. As you may well imagine, those included the cream of rock and new wave songwriters. There are, nevertheless, two who are conspicuous by their absence: The Beatles and Rolling Stones. A bit of searching, though, reveals that covers of "Drive My Car" and "Under My Thumb" were recorded but kept out of the CD, maybe because they were too obvious. The Kinks are represented here by an outsider, Village Green's "Big Sky" played in a hard rock style reminiscent of The Who (another notable absentee). The Doors' "Crystal Ship" is marred by loud outbreaks. Guys, it's called the crystal ship because it's fragile. But lads are always prone to smash stuff, so that's somehow to be expected. One unexpected cover is The Beastie Boys' "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)" - a raucous rap-metal 80's classic that's a world away from Supergrass' smart power pop. They chose a whimsical acoustic approach that belies the lyrics, but it's great fun nevertheless. You can't not chuckle to a line like "Man, living at home is such a drag/ Now your mom threw away your best porno mag", regardless if it's sung with indignation or self-pity. Many songs are a bit more karaoke, meaning that the band just play their favourite songs without bothering for arrangements. They play well and are having fun with it, so the outcome isn't at all dismissable. "Queen Bitch", "Lovecats" and "Pump It Up" are slightly sped up while "Love Is The Drug" and the semi-acoustic "Damaged Goods" are funked-down (or whatever is the opposite of funked-up), but otherwise they're not radically different. Neither is the whimsical psychedelic pop of Syd Barrett's "Bike". Squeeze's "Up The Junction" is slowed down to a ballad and the Sex Pistols' "E.M.I." is played acoustically but thankfully retains its edge, sounding a bit like the Violent Femmes' acoustic folk-punk. I now realise I -unintentionally- left the first song for last. It's a rockin' version of Velvet Underground's "I Can't Stand It" - a garage-y take not far from the original, but an appropriately feel-good way to open the album anyway. For a low-key side project, this was quite enjoyable - I sang along to it while driving to the beach and everything. I daresay I like it better than most of Supergrass' CD's, though it's still far from essential listening. If you happens upon it, indulge yourselves...
**** for I Can't Stand It (Velvet Underground), (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)(Beastie Boys), "Damaged Goods (Gang of Four)
*** for Big Sky (Kinks), Love Is The Drug (Roxy music), Pump It Up (Elvis Costello), Lovecats (The Cure), Queen Bitch (David Bowie), E.M.I. (Sex Pistols), Up The Junction (Squeeze)
** for The Crystal Ship (Doors), Bike (Pink Floyd)
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