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Rating: After the success of the debut LP "Suede," the pomposity of the following "Dog Man Star," and the departure of guitarist/composer Butler, here come the new Suede with "Coming Up."
"Coming Up" is undoubtedly a cornerstone in Suede's discography as it marks a line of demarcation between the sound of the early Suede, which borrowed much from The Smiths and Morrissey, and outlines the new lineup that benefits from the composition of the newcomers, namely: Oakes on guitars and Codling on keyboards.
The introduction is necessary because if the first two albums are the offspring of the Anderson-Butler duo, the present "Coming Up" is rightfully the child of the pen, at least from a strictly musical standpoint, of the adolescent Oakes.
The album opens with the captivating "Trash," a sort of glam pop manifesto of the '90s that in some way prepares the listener for a mini-revolution in the Suede camp. The track is pervaded by the synth riffs of Neil Codling and the metallic voice of the singer, as well as the subsequent "Filmstar," this time with the addition of a drum with electronic sounds and a chorus with atmospheres directly taken from the best Bowie.
"Lazy," on the other hand, offers us a composition by Anderson alone that delights us with a very Brit track with a bouncy beat. "By the sea" (another track by Anderson alone) is a delicate piano composition that delights with the singer's notorious and sensual "she's."
The least good track of the entire album is "She," a hammering piece that leads nowhere, as does "Starcrazy," which hides its low level behind an enticing production of omnipresent guitar riffs and drums.
The masterpiece track of the album, however, is "Beautiful Ones," with Oakes' initial arpeggio, Anderson's splendid voice climbing glam mirrors, and lyrics about English teenagers of the '90s, making it one of the best tracks by Suede and the entire Britpop genre.
"Picnic by Motorway" is a splendid dreamy and acidic composition, with one of Anderson's best vocal performances, a smoky and dreamy atmosphere made of vehicles and picnics by a freeway. One of the best pieces on the album. "The Chemistry Between Us" is a delightful ballad complete with an orchestra and mischievous choir falsettos and Lalalala. To close the album, the delicate "Saturday Night," a charming track, with a nice guitar arpeggio, excellent orchestral production, and once again a typically Suede-like lyric.
The album is very compact thanks to the production and the use of similar tones throughout the entire album. The sounds are often the same, the guitar timbres repeat throughout the album as does Brett Anderson's hyper-produced voice.
Definitely a more accessible album than the previous "Dog Man Star" but analyzing the level of singles extracted from the LP, undoubtedly a step back compared to "Stay Together," a single signed by Butler. The following "Head Music" will venture into more electronic sounds (also because it will mostly be authored by keyboardist Codling) and thus it can be rightly stated that "Coming Up" is the true album to preserve from Suede.
Beautiful, glam, dreamy, nocturnal, to be listened to in a car along the desolate roads of bygone adolescent loves.
It was the '90s...
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 By the Sea (04:41)
She can walk out anytime, anytime she wants to walk out, that's fine
She can walk out anytime, anytime she feels that life has passed her by
And when I start my new life I won't touch the ground
I'm gonna try hard this time not to touch the ground
He can walk out anytime, anytime he wants to walk out, that's fine
He can walk out anytime, across the sand, into the sea, into the brine
And when I start my new life I won't touch the ground
I'm gonna try hard this time not to touch the ground
So we sold the car and quit the job
and shook some hands and wiped the make-up right off
And we said our good-byes to the bank
left Seven Sisters for a room in a seaside shack
And when I start my new life I won't touch the ground
I'm gonna try hard this time not to touch the ground...
...it's by the sea we'll breed....
...into the sea we'll bleed...
03 Europe Is Our Playground (05:08)
Run with me baby, let your hair down
Through every station, through every town
Run with me baby, let's take a chance
From Heathrow to Houndslow, from the Eastern block to France
Europe is our playground, London is our town
So run with me baby now
Run with me baby, let your hair down
Through every station, through every town
Run with me baby, let's make a stand
From peepshow to disco, from Spain to Camber Sands
Europe is our playground, London is our town
So run with me baby now
04 Saturday Night (05:02)
Today she's been working, she's been talking,
she's been smoking, its gonna be alright
Cos tonight we'll go dancing, we'll go laughing, we'll get car sick
and it'll be okay like everyone says, it'll be alright and ever so nice
We're going out tonight, out and about tonight
Oh whatever makes her happy on a Saturday night
Oh whatever makes her happy, whatever makes it alright
Today she's been sat there, sat there in a black chair,
office furniture, but it'll be alright
Cos tonight we'll go drinking, we'll do silly things
and never let the winter in
And it'll be okay like everyone says, it'll be alright and ever so nice
We're going out tonight, out and about tonight.
Oh whatever makes her happy on a Saturday night
Oh whatever makes her happy, whatever makes it alright
...we'll go peepshows and freak shows,
We'll go to discos, casinos,
We'll go where people go and let go...
...oh whatever makes her happy...
06 Lazy (06:06)
Here they com with their make-up on
as lovely as the clouds, come and see them,
Boys and girls and their mums and their words
and their romances and jobs and their sons,
Barking mad kids, lonely dads
who drug it up to give it some meaning,
From the raves to the council estates
they're reminding us there's things to be done.
But you and me, all we want to be is lazy,
you and me, so lazy...
Here they come gone 7am
getting satellite and Sky getting cable,
Bills and Bens and their mums and their friends,
who just really really want to be loved
Uncle Teds and their legendary vests,
helping out around the disabled
From the flats and the maisonettes
they're reminding us there's things to be done
But you and me, all we want to be is lazy,
you and me, so lazy...
Its you and me, its you and me, you and me...
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Other reviews
By shermanoaks
The release of 'Coming Up' in 1996 surprised many, confirming that Suede could still carve out a niche amid the rising Britpop tide.
'Beautiful Ones' was an excellent attempt to combine rock conciseness with the classic glam allure of the London group.
By GrantNicholas
A few weeks later, no one is smiling anymore.
For many, "Coming Up" is Suede’s best album; it is undoubtedly their masterpiece after Butler.
