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Rating: On Debaser, the Boo Radleys are practically unknown, reviewed only once! I must remedy… Principles, Grant Nicholas… don’t you know them?
well… indeed they don’t figure among the best Britpop groups, they are excessively psychedelic, but in 1995 they managed to place their fourth album, ”Wake Up” at number 1 in the UK, only to follow with a couple of flop albums and then disappear definitively.
The album I am reviewing today is the one known by many as their best: “Giant Steps”, unknown here, made a splash in 1993 in England, praised by critics (NME and Select crowned it as album of the year) and appreciated by the public: it was the period when Britpop was “emerging” with albums by Suede, Auteurs, and Blur.
It is very peculiar, but too psychedelic: the audio quality is rather poor and often the voice is overwhelmed by psychedelic sounds and instruments.
There are tracks in full Britpop style: just listen to the singles “(Barney)”, with an irresistible refrain and “Wish I Was Skinny”, with an Oasis-like rhythm. A less predictable single is the first one, “Lazarus”, which begins as a reggae-mariachi to continue as a (obviously) psychedelic track with vocoder vocals and plenty of brass. “Leaves And Sand” can be defined as a shoegaze track, rich in feedback and calm, in the style of tracks like “Sing” by Blur and those of the early Verve. The opening track, “I Hang Suspended”, is peculiar, with very bizarre harmonic solutions. Tracks like “Spun Around” and “Run My Way Runway” best summarize what I wrote at the beginning: the voice, already filtered, is drowned in a sea of feedback and orchestral sounds in the first and in the sounds of trains traveling in the second… nice, but too cacophonous. An awful track is “Rodney King”, unlistenable, with a synthesizer as annoying as nails on a chalkboard. The ghost of the Beatles from “Hey Jude” heavily hovers over the track “White Noise Revisited”, with ultra-psychedelic verses (obviously, right?) and a refrain repeated to the point of nausea. Beautiful melody, but far too repetitive (from minute 2’58’’ to 5’03’’ the band incessantly sings “Hey, what’s that noise…. Do you remember?). “Take The Time Around” reminds me of Beatles mixed with Grunge anger… it’s quite a noisy track.
The album, as already mentioned, is not a masterpiece in terms of sound quality, but it adopts melodies and arrangements more original than those of classic Britpop… so it deserves praise for its compositional brilliance.
Note: all tracks are interconnected with noises, chords in the full style of albums like “Dark Side Of The Moon” and “Sgt. Pepper’s…”… have you ever heard of them?
It would be worth four stars on its own, but the poor sound quality affects the rating, which drops to three… Grant. Principles… listen to them if you don’t know them… after all, they are Brit artists! For their sound, they can be likened to the more psychedelic Verve, the Beach Boys, and Dinosaur JR.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 I Hang Suspended (03:57)
(...700 hertz)
Ain't that just you
you know the facts, but you
haven't got a clue
about me or my life, why don't
you try and take the time
till then what am I supposed
to do? but then that's just
like you to leave me
I hang suspended on your
words, yeah you leave me
I hang suspended on your words
don't you care? I don't read
minds and I did I'd be
elsewhere, tell me what's on
your mind so I can rectify in
time, or else I won't know
what I'm to do, but then that's
just like you to leave me
I hang suspended on your words
06 Rodney King (Song for Lenny Bruce) (02:46)
Do you know my name before you
tear me apart?
Do you care who I am?
07 Thinking of Ways (03:49)
Just drop me here I can find my way clear back to my house, I’m finding
it hard trying to stay on my feet on
my own i’m thinking of ways I can
get out of things just like always
with a head full of beer I will try
and tell someone tonight
I gotta get away step on the gas
go giles! (go, go)
... later
I’ll just have one more then I’ll have
to be going, someone’s waiting
I’ll just have one more, it can’t do
any harm anymore, I’m thinking
of ways I can get out of things
just like always with a head full of beer
I will try and tell someone tonight
08 Barney (...and Me) (04:42)
Now it’s getting colder my hands chilled to the bone I watch you breath and trace it’s steps as it mingles with my own. The lake is almost frozen the grass is silver air the wind is high in the blue sky I wish that I could care. I recall when we were younger we shared the streets of home spoke of our dreams and soaring schemes and places we would go, if I stay much longer I’ll never leave again, I have to move I cannot stay, believe the voice that tells me leave it all behind me, I know that I know that I am wrong, I’ll never leave now it has been so long and now I’m getting older, I still can’t find the words to empathise with what’s inside, express the way I feel and now I’m getting older It’s easier to hide, to run away day after day betray the voice that tells me leave it all behind me, I know that I know that I am wrong, I’ll never leave now it has been so long
11 Best Lose the Fear (04:12)
The pure lights beckon
and the music calls
but you're trapped inside
those four walls
it's not your fault that
she has changed
it's not her fault
you're still the same
you both work hard
and you feel the pace
but you're the one who
knows it's not a race
to be won
and I know you'd like to disappear
you'd like to lose the fear
you dream the love you had
is near
you feel so down cos you
haven't been out
your ears are still sore
from the latest bout
something's gonna have to change
arrangements must be re-arranged
and I know you'd like to disappear
you'd like to lose the fear
you dream the love you had
is near
you know you must go
but you're frightened to leave
you'd love to stay but
you're too scared to breathe
13 Lazarus (04:38)
I must be losing my mind
I keep on trying to find a way out
but it’s ok you don’t lock the door anymore
I, you know I never go out
and you know that I start to forget things
but it’s ok they weren’t essential anyway
I, and when I start to look back
I feel like I’ve spent my whole life just kicking round
and not getting in the way
and now, and maybe now I should change
because I’m starting to lose all my faith
while those around me are beaten down each day.
14 One Is For (01:36)
One is for
Man is god
god is now
end is near pain
is good time is
dear
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Other reviews
By elroy
For the time it’s astonishing.
They were the creation of Martin Carr, who wrote all the songs, in addition to playing guitars and keyboards and also being present as a vocalist.
