Review 316 was Sneaker Pimps Becoming X where I mentioned Morcheeba and thought I must review that record.   I am very much a guitar indie man, a woman in my work always asks me what I’m listening to and after my reply the response is either “never heard of them,” or “bloody hell that must be forty odd years old.”   I can’t deny I know what I like, constantly go back to old favourites and if it is new, it usually has an indie vibe. Some of the requests on here have turned me

I have a female friend who is same age as me and we do the same job, when you work that close together on Teams you end up singing the odd line from a song whilst waiting on the other. I never know what she is singing, this is for two reasons, one she is terrible (says tone deaf man) and two it’s usually something she has listened to on the radio and Shazamed.   I haven’t listened to music on the radio for about twenty years because why would I want to listen to adverts, the

I think I have spoken a few times of my love for my job. If anyone has ever read any of these reviews, they know this is a total lie. I work in an office doing the wonders of Finance, to be clear its boring and crap but like many pays me enough to afford a house and some of the nicer things in life, the day I retire I will not think about it ever again.   Some years ago, we had a guy in the office who I would go to if I couldn’t do something on Excel (sorry I know this is get

We are back in ignorance territory to be honest. I do know the name but they are another band where I have never heard a note. The usual extensive research (okay reading the internet) tells me that two of the band were in Symposium who I had totally forgotten about but I didn’t mind their song Fairweather Friend so they have a pedigree.   This record, their debut, made the UK top twenty back in 2003 but like their previous band the record company messed them about and they ne

We reviewed New Gold Dream back in review 57 ( https://www.albumsin200words.co.uk/post/57-simple-minds-new-gold-dream ) where I felt as they hit the big time we lost a bit of interest in Scotland.   They had emerged in 1979 and their new wave style was given time to develop releasing four albums to moderate success until they broke through with New Gold Dream,  In this day and age not many bands would be given time to develop over several albums but this was their moment and

As we all know when this record was released the band were known as British Sea Power but in 2021 due to the way the world has sadly become, they became Sea Power, so let’s stick with that.   Sea Power have been around for thirty years and have released ten studio albums, to me they are one of those bands where I enjoy their music, have bought their records and I could not tell you one single thing about them. So, a usual review from me then.   Open Season was their second re

Losing Mani was a shock, he had been on podcasts recently and was about to go on tour talking about his career. Sadly, he had lost his wife a few years earlier, rough years but we should never forget what a musician this man was.   The Wedding Present were nine years. Massive Attack fifteen years, The Undertones we haven’t had one in eighteen years, and it took The The twenty-four years. Nowadays acts can go years without releasing a record so what was the big fuss about The

CBGB’s is just one of those places everyone has heard of, wishes they had seen some of the acts that played there, and those acts say it was a dump. Ramones, Patti Smith, Blondie Talking Heads to name just a few. Another group who had a residency there was Television.   Marquee Moon is just eight songs long but constantly appears in greatest albums lists and is considered one of the most influential albums ever.   This record had a huge influence on the UK punk scene but is n

Their debut, The Eight-Legged Groove Machine, had made the top twenty and  each single was selling more and charting higher, they were certainly on the up.   Hup would be the last record released with the original line up with Rob “The Bass Thing” Jones leaving the band and sadly dying in 1993 but before all that sadness the band continued their upward trajectory with this record making the top five.   Two singles were released Don’t Let Me Down, Gently wonderful opening and

Radiohead did nine albums in twenty-three years and its nine years since we last heard from them with A Moon Shaped Pool however, they have recently announced concerts so let’s hope for a new record one day.   Each member has done individual projects but as I said back in review eleven over three years ago a band called The Smile produced the single of the year for me with You Will Never Work in Television Again.   Unless you have been living in a cave  you will know that The

We are back in the early 80s where either you buy the album, or your mate buys it and then we copy it for each other. Anyway, my mate copied me The Hurting by Tears for Fears, the singles were excellent as we all know and overall a pretty good record. Then they went mega mainly on the back of Everybody Wants to Rule the World, I hated that song, I can’t remember if I just got sick of it as it was everywhere or if I just didn’t like it from the get go, still don’t. Then they d

I know The Lotus Eaters, anyone with a passing interest in music of a certain age knows their hit The First Picture Of You which peaked at number fifteen back in 1983. Reading up on them for this review they formed in 1982 and were in the top twenty before they had even played a concert. They must have thought this pop star business was a doddle. Sadly, they never troubled the top forty ever again and this, their debut album, spent one week in the UK charts making number nine

BAD we’re on the up with their first two records and Mick was not looking back towards The Clash and I’m sure had a wee grin to himself when he heard Cut the Crap.However, BAD’s third record, I personally felt, was not as strong as the first two and had sold poorly.  They would need to hit back and quick.Sadly, Mick then got pneumonia with a chest infection and was admitted to hospital and was in a coma, at the time I thought Mick was a genius (still do I guess) and was const

We have already reviewed XTC before ( 225) XTC - Drums and Wires ) and just over a year after that album they returned with their fourth record.I heard Andy Partridge on a podcast and cannot say I warmed to him, I know next to nothing about him so maybe he was having a bad day, we all do so I am not judging him but clearly in later years  he clashed with Dave Gregory and Colin Moulding with Gregory leaving and Moulding and Partridge calling it a day back in 2006.   As the yea

I am under no illusion that anyone under thirty, possibly forty, reads these reviews. My daughter will often say someone is old and when I ask, she will usually say about forty, I point out that I am a lot older than that and she says “yes, you re my dad, I know your old. “ She is twenty-four I am fifty-four so of course she is right I would have thought someone of fifty-four was bloody ancient when I was her age.   Dave Ball died last week and he was only sixty-six, which is

Gorillaz are where Damon Albarn can basically do what he wants, it’s a clever concept and has certainly been effective, Gorillaz have sold more than records than Blur. I can’t really be bothered with the cartoons, but I’ll usually have a listen and there is usually something to connect with.   These reviews are meant to be brief so I cannot go into all sixteen tracks and at an hour long a couple of tracks may have been best left on the studio floor (Sweepstakes I found partic

We have already done two Cure albums, my favourite Head on the Door and the most recent, Songs of a Lost World.   From this most recent release I think we can say their legacy is now assured as that record has been rightly lauded and The Cure are, and will be always, known as one of the UK’s best bands.   Since they arrived back in 1979, they have had thirteen band members and have released fourteen records.   Let me take you back (picture The Young Ones scene at the start of

We are in rare territory a request for an artist I know. I remember hearing The Crane Wife and really enjoying it but for some reason I have never listened to any of The Decemberists other records, don’t know why, can I go with the stupidity card again? On first listen I am vaguely reminded of early REM up to Out Of Time period and on reading up Peter Buck guests on three tracks, almost as if I know what I’m talking about, let’s not go there. Buck is on the opener, Don’t Carr

It had all been going so well for Kevin Rowland with the first two Dexys albums, both yielding number one hits.Then they released Don’t Stand Me Down which was a commercial disaster although thankfully it now receives the praise it deserved. (https://www.albumsin200words.co.uk/post/242-dexys-midnight-runners-don-t-stand-me-down) Because of You made the top 20 the following year (I remember it was the theme tune to Brush Strokes a truly dreadful BBC comedy) and that was goodn

Goodbye Mr Mackenzie were a six piece, and they were at their best as a six piece, but keyboardist Rona Scobie had left before their third record Five and guitarist John Duncan also moved on, famously becoming involved with Nirvana. When working on Five there had been plans to push Shirley Manson’s vocals more to the front, but this had only happened on the track Normal Boy. Time for a re-think.   From the outside the lead singer becoming the guitarist and the backing singer