72) Northside Chicken Rhythms

Early 90’s and it’s the holiday to Kavos and then Tenerife. Drinking and dancing all night, in my case failing with women, lying by the pool nursing a hangover, and repeating that experience for 14 days before coming home to recover. A shell of the person before I left. One bar we went to played a song that I loved and I would ask the DJ what it was, he would tell me, I would forget and then ask again and forget. Years later we went on a weekend away and on the minibus my mate stuck a CD on and that song came on. I was quick to ask what it was, I was sober so was able to remember. Northside, Shall We Take A Trip? At last, I knew. Opener Take Five catches the mood of the album, the start reminds me of Transvision Vamp, and we are well over a minute in before the vocals come in. Whilst not up there with Stone Roses debut or Happy Mondays Pills it is an enjoyable album with catchy rhythms and excellent guitar, especially on Yeah Man.. Weight of Air has a lovely chugging guitar sound and A Change is on It’s Way shows they may have developed to a more mature sound if given a chance but they were late comers to the Manchester scene and things went wrong for them with Factory going bankrupt scuppering any momentum. Wishful Thinking is another highlight and all these years later had me nodding along. I do not feel I can call this a classic but it took me back to happy times and good memories, that’s what music is meant to do is it not? 6/10 GIVE IT A STREAM: Shall We Take A Trip?