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Is it mere nostalgia, or objectivity, when things are viewed from afar? In the much-reviled 80s, was pop music produced with craftsmanship that seems lost today? Given that Julian Cope is one of the most endearing geniuses in the field, and that this is not his masterpiece (in my humble opinion, that would be his solo work "Fried," but the previous "Kilimanjaro" is also superior to this "Wilder"), one cannot help but be enchanted, many years later, by this collection of little delights.
A step back for those who haven't crossed the 'anta. Liverpool, not London. And so Beatles, not The Who. Late Beatles, of course. Psychedelia and pop coloring the afternoon. Punk that never seems to have materialized. The usual after-school companions: Julian Cope, Ian McCulloch, and Pete Wylie, in this case (and who is this last one, many will wonder, but Yours Truly will tell you about "Nah=Poh-The Art of Bluff" sooner or later). "Crucial Three," the first incarnation. Then, after Wylie left to form the "Wah!," we had "A Shallow Madness" for a brief period (what a fantastic name, and I just can't remember who said that "The Teardrop Explodes" was the best band name they'd ever heard... and here's the digression: it may seem strange but it wasn't coined by the aforementioned genius but appeared in a comic strip in issue 77 of Daredevil). Then McCulloch also left, and I believe you know where without needing a reminder.
Julian Cope wasn't just bothered by big names, but by almost everyone around him. So much so that the band continued to change formation, and here, compared to "Kilimanjaro," all the songs are already credited solely to him (another note, and I'm not being pedantic, this seems quite cute for those who didn't know: playing guitar in this was Troy Tate, who later became the ousted in pectore producer of the first "The Smiths," which is not surprising when you consider that "Wilder" is a keyboard album, not a guitar one).
But, returning to the point, having dispelled the post-punk gloom of the first album, there are eleven sugar cubes, only slightly flavored with gentle drops of psychedelia, not yet in Barrett's style, like when Julian would roam the countryside dressed only in a carapace. Ballads alternate with more lively tracks, and there are even a couple of pieces with "Beach Boys"-style harmonies: for me, it seems almost impossible to choose the song to pass on to posterity.
But if the sun still accompanies us for a few more days of this splendid October, put the record on the player on a Saturday morning, and everything will seem more cheerful (if you're young, you can pick up the 2000 CD edition, which contains a handful of not-at-all-disposable b-sides).
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
07 Passionate Friend (03:31)
The friend I have is a passionate friend
But I can`t see you buying
Love a dream of a love affair
That`s, over, past & dying
Celebrate, the great escape
From lunacy divided
Hunnanoo, I'm seeing you
But nobodys decided
A sound that`s drifting out from you
When the love has boiled away
Colours shape and there are things that need
A beating heart not a cheating heart
But a cheating heart, is still a beating heart
I believe in you today
My life see`s me wandering
Lost in smiles forever
Erase my mind see what I find
Axes dream together
I`ve got all sleeps secrets hidden in my bag
But a lot are leaving 'cos their not believing
That you could ever do that thing
And never bring yourself to sing
Bah bah bah bah bah
The friend I have is a passionate friend
But I can`t see you buying
Love a dream of a love affair
That`s, over, past & dying
Celebrate the great escape
Carry my soul away
From sufferance intolerance
Leaving you today
Bah bah bah bah bah
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