•
Rating:
“If we are The Beatles, where are The Rolling Stones… they're certainly not the f***ing Shed Seven,” Noel Gallagher to Melody Maker… 1994.
The words of The Chief alone are enough to understand that we are witnessing a great debut. Really great.
“Change Giver” was released in September 1994 and, to tell the truth, it reached “only” the 16th position on the sales charts in Great Britain, but it is one of those albums that absolutely do not go unnoticed, neither by industry professionals nor by contemporary and “future” musicians. “Dirty Soul” and “Speakeasy” are the two tracks chosen to open and they do so perfectly… a combination of sustained guitars and wavy melodies, starting from the Madchester of Stone Roses, Inspiral Carpets, and especially Charlatans to reach Oasis themselves, but they are from York and their sound is much softer and “”intimate”” than that of the Gallagher brothers, as perfectly demonstrated in the subsequent “Long Time Dead.” At times, the band of Rick Witter and Paul Banks plays at being Blur who play at being The Smiths, yet they manage to keep everything at a high and especially original level in the final form, “see” a track like “Heads And Hands.”
“Casino Girl” (AA side of the single “Mark,” the band's true debut and a tribute and homage to the sound of Morrissey and Marr) seems to come straight from “Second Coming” by Stone Roses, even though there is still a year to go for the second installment by Ian Brown and co. “Missing Out” is of a touching delicacy and “Dolphin” (the last of the four singles taken from the album) is the perfect compendium of British ““indie”” music from the second part of the decade and much of the first half of the new decade. “Stars In Your Eyes” and “Ocean” are perhaps the two weakest links of the lot, cute and simple dream-pop, made as if Ocean Colour Scene had momentarily forgotten all their problems…
“On An Island With You” (my absolute favorite track by Shed Seven) worthily closes, with its abundant 8 minutes, the best English album of 1994 by a distance, if only “Definitely Maybe” hadn't been released…
In short, one of the top 5 “Brit-Pop” albums of all time… simply.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Speakeasy (03:19)
Will there be another breakdown? (Lost in your words)
Communication is a let down (In your own world... speakeasy)
When you speak is it easy? (Lost in your words)
You're trying too hard to please me (In your own world)
Speakeasy, easy
I know what you think
I think the same things as you
And do the things that you do
Don't break the habit of a lifetime
You broke the habit of a lifetime
I see through everything you do
Will there ever be a right sound? (Lost in your words)
Communication is a let down (In your own world... speakeasy)
You wouldn't speak for a million (Lost in your words)
Give me your honest opinion (In your own words)
Speakeasy, easy
I know what you think
I think the same things as you
And do the things that you do
Don't break the habit of a lifetime
You broke the habit of a lifetime
I see through everything you do
Talk is cheap
Talk is loud
Communication is a letdown
Speakeasy, easy
I know what you think
I think the same things as you
And do the things that you do
Don't break the habit of a lifetime
You broke the habit of a lifetime
I see through everything you do
I see through everything you do
Don't break the habit of a lifetime
You broke the habit of a lifetime
07 Dolphin (03:37)
Would you give blood if you had any
Would you say I'm good or are there far too many fish in the sea
Won't you please say that again
Shame on you
There's something in my head
And its got its back to me
One day I think you'll sing my praises
But at the moment you're far too lazy to
Get down on your knees
I'm begging please say that again
I'll carry on for as long as I have to
Come round to my house, and I'll show you how to
Get down on your knees
I'm begging please say that again
Shame on you
There's something in my head
And its got its back to me
Would you walk near me if you knew how to
Could I ever see you and do you know how to
Get down on your knees
I'm begging
Please say that again
Shame on you
There's something in my head
And its got its back to me
There's something in my legs
And they never walk to me
Would you give blood if you had any
Would you say I'm good or are there far too many fish in the sea
Won't you please say that again
Shame on you
There's something in my head
And its got its back to me
Shame on you
There's something in my legs
And they never walk to me
Shame on you
There's something in my head
And its got it's back to me
09 Mark (03:41)
Mark my words:
Don't forget where you are
Don't forget who's the star
Do you think that I'll go far
Mark my words:
Don't stop if it's wise
I can see through your eyes
And I've left my mark
Lover
I wanna swap you for another and another
We could mate, we'll make great lovers
Mark my words:
Don't forget who I am
Don't forget I'm a man
Do you think you ever can
Mark my words:
I think it's probably true
Why you think like you do
And I've left my mark forever
Lover
I wanna swap you for another and another
We could mate, we'll make great lovers
11 On an Island With You (08:15)
I said the first thing
She said the first thing in her mind
There's nothing here to see
There's nothing here to see
I point the arrow
She shoots the arrow at the sea
Then the fire drowns and she's shouting at me
You're running towards me
I can hear the sound of your feet
I can still shut my eyes and see
You're getting faster
I can hear it
I can still shut my eyes and see
I said the third thing
She said the third thing in her mind
There's nothing here to see
There's nothing here to see
I point the arrow
She shoots the arrow at the sea
Then the fire drowns and she's shouting at me
You're running towards me
I can hear the sound of your feet
I can still shut my eyes and see
You're getting faster
I can hear it
I can still shut my eyes and see
I'm on an island
I'm on an island with you
Loading comments slowly
