Yes, I know that "Britpop" was a stupid label, but somehow it stuck. The British press needed a counterpoint to the onslaught of grunge, and bundled together a bunch of young and talented UK groups, investing them with a patriotic aura, and relentlessly trying to sell them as the "next big thing" in music. Suede were the band that kicked it all off - that Select issue with Brett Anderson and the Union Jack on the cover under the title Yanks Go Home! is often cited as the birth moment of the "movement". The were also the only band of the so-called "Big Four" (the other three being Oasis, Blur, and Pulp) which I hadn't seen until recently. A few days ago I learned that they'd play at 013 Poppodium, and we decided to make the trip to Tilburg to see them, for old times' sake. And I'm glad we did, because the guys still got it: Brett Anderson is a great performer, and the setlist was a mix of classics and pretty strong new material. Brett's delivery was less melodramatic than in the records, but his stage presence was energetic, and music louder - closer to post punk than "Britpop" - whatever that is.
Suede closed last week's concert with their latest single "Dancing with the Europeans". My initial impression is that it was a politicized song, an anti-Brexit reaction. Then I remembered that they had expressed similar sentiments three decades ago, when such a possibility was unthought of: “Europe Is Our Playground” was a wonderful synth-driven ballad celebrating young love and freedom of movement in the EU. One of their strongest Coming Era tracks, it was surprisingly relegated to a single B-side. Sometimes these decisions show lack of faith for a song, but in this case it signifies a show of force on part of the band: when others fill their single releases with covers and live versions, Suede wanted to impress that they've written so many great originals that they can waste them, hiding them in the B side of their singles. Or maybe they did it to elevate their singles to the level of a short but memorable release; a few other British bands of the era did the same - Belle and Sebastian come to mind. Certainly this was the case for the opener of this CD "My Insatiable One" a flamboyant glam-rocker opener with obvious commercial potential. This logic paid off when the band gathered all their B sides in this compilation; achieving equal status to their regular albums, it garnered rave reviews and climbed to UK Top Ten. It covers the 1992–1996 era, containing material from Suede, Dog Man Star, and Coming Up - related singles. Most of Disc 1 covers the Bernard Butler era when he and singer Brett Anderson worked closely as a songwriting duo; these songs are dark, romantic, and decadent. Anderson's theatrical and melodramatic vocal is the band's hallmark, though their ability to create dreamy, atmospheric soundscapes should not be underestimated. Disc 1 highlights also include haunting goth ballad "My Dark Star", semi-acoustic "The Living Dead", the nocturnal horns of "The Big Time". There's some nice distorted guitar on the fatalistic "He's Dead" and glam punk “Killing of a Flash Boy”; "Whipsnade" sports a rare new wave rhythm with reggae-fied bass and Spanish guitar influences. An underrated song that differentiates from their usual style, it reminds me a bit of Simple Minds. The last track here featuring Butler is a melodic and romantic pop song called "Modern Boys". It also signifies the brighter, poppier, direction the band would take on their next album, Coming Up. It's followed by the upbeat "Together", co-writen by new guitarist Richard Oakes. Disc 2 opens with the melodic pop of "Every Monday Morning Comes" and new wavey "Have You Ever Been This Low?" followed by brooding ballad "Another to One" and dramatic rocker "Young Men"."The Sound of the Streets" celebrates London's nightlife, while "Money" displays the band's punkier side and "W.S.D." is more experimental, almost funky. "These Are the Sad Songs" is one of those melancholic epics that Suede excel at, while the album closes with a trio of ballads; "Sadie" is a gentle and acoustic, "Graffiti Women" has a psychedelic flavor, and "Duchess" is atmospheric, organ-based, new wave. People often remark (and I can't help but agree) that Sci-fi Lullabies may well be the best "odds and ends" compilation since The Smiths' Hatfull of Hollow (I'd probably add Oasis' The Masterplan). Disc 1, especially, would have made for a great standalone LP; together with the two Butler-era studio albums they form a trilogy of sorts. While it still doesn't contain any bad songs, Disc 2 is slightly inferior, meaning that some songs actually feel like B- sides i.e. not bad but somehow redundunt if you get my drift. In general, there's a definite shift towards a brighter, more optimistic sound, while stylistic detours as in "Money" and "W.S.D." give it a patchier feel. But, then again, that's what B-sides are about, experimenting with different styles without disrupting the flow of your regular albums. I'll say this: the overlong (2+ hours) duration of this compilation is probably its only downside, as it makes hard to swallow in one sitting; the existence of some more upbeat numbers like "Flashboy" and "Money" is a welcome change in pace. All in all, I'd say this is an essential compilation for fans; it also somehow signified the end of the band's prime as I feel they went somewhat downhill after that, finally calling it quits in 2003. When they reformed in the 2010's it was to relative indifference; for most people (myself included) they were part of the Britpop phenomenon of the 90's. I, too, went to the concert to hear their hits of that period. They didn't disappoint me in that respect, but I also liked the newer material; a bit less glam and more gothic, I thought - a good direction for them. People should give them another chance.
**** for My Insatiable One, To the Birds, He's Dead, The Big Time, High Rising, The Living Dead, My Dark Star, Killing of a Flash Boy, Whipsnade, Modern Boys, Europe Is Our Playground, These Are the Sad Songs, Money
*** for Where the Pigs Don’t Fly, Together, Bentswood Boys, Every Monday Morning Comes, Have You Ever Been This Low?, Another No One,Young Men, The Sound of the Streets, W.S.D., This Time, Jumble Sale Mums, Sadie, Graffiti Women, Duchess
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