312) The Beta Band - The Three E.P's

We have discussed this before but by 1995 I realised I had totally cocked up my life, I got married in 1995, the marriage ended in 1997, we both knew it was wrong back in 95. These were not happy times but as usual people came through for me on many levels on a personal level and certain records and books made life a bit better.

Without knowing it one of these people who made my life better was Nick Hornby, I never had any desire to read Fever Pitch (yes a bitter Liverpool fan) but when I heard he had written a book about a guy who owned a record shop I sought it out. I loved the book and although I wish the film had been set in the UK, like the book, I enjoyed it.

Now I knew The Beta Band as my mate had asked me to pick up a CD called The Three E.P’s as I worked in Glasgow and he didn’t, I handed over it to him that night and forgot all about it.

We all know the scene where John Cusack plays Dry the Rain to entice people to buy the record, I’m one of those people who fell for that, I remembered my mate had bought it and I found it in a second hand shop a few days later.

Guess what, The Three E.P’s record was made up of three E.P’s that had previously been released. I’ll teach you all how to suck eggs next!

Dry the Rain opens the record and is superb all trippy with the joy of added trumpet as it builds into a hypnotic pleasure. I Know is moody noodling, Mason low in the mix but just enough to hook you in and I have always been a sucker for an accordion in a pop song, and it is all over Dog Got a Bone.

The House Song Is Steve Mason singing acapella before the band join in with backing vocals, well over thirty seconds before sounds start around the voices, not sure about the rap three minutes in but that’s the joy of this record, it goes everywhere.

She’s the One is beautiful with harmonising and acoustic guitar, and Dr Baker Mason is out-front over a simple piano before someone throw an assortment of instruments down the stairs.

Its not all great but then you have to remember it was three separate records initially and The Monolith is fifteen minutes I could do without and I cannot get into Push It Out at all but overall this is a band well worth your time and John Cusack could have got me at his till if he had chosen to play many of these songs.

7/10

GIVE IT A STREAM: Dry the Rain