Throw out your arms for a new sound: The Boo Radleys - C'Mon Kids poll

we have also done:

Boo Radleys - Giant Steps Poll

voted 'four saints', it's like 10 songs in one. 'fortunate sons' is my least favorite.

of course this poll was inspired by the third place finish of this poll: Britpop era follow up to successful albums poll

Back then it would have been 'Ride The Tiger', but time has seen my choice be 'Everything Is Sorrow'.

I still wear my C'mon Kids t-shirt (small)

I'll have to play this again before voting. Always loved Ride The Tiger but looking at this list I'm thinking New Brighton Promenade or One Last Hurrah might get my vote.

Agree that Fortunate Sons is the weakest song.

I still wear my C'mon Kids t-shirt (small)

― Morrissey & Clunes: The Severed Alliance (PaulTMA)

Pretty sure I can't fit into mine anymore. Had a Wake Up one too for a while.

Quickly voted Meltin's Worm before my sense could kick in and stop me.

lovely bit of nonsense British psychedelia.

has elements of the Beano, the Goons and 60s whimsy fed through a 90s Creation records Stompbox.

Definitely 'Ride the Tiger' for me although 'New Brighton Promenade', 'Bullfrog Green' and 'Everything is Sorrow' are all really good too.

I only listened to this yesterday! 'Bullfrog Green' got my vote, but it could have been several tracks. 'Fortunate Sons' is my least favourite song on here too.

Always been tempted by the double CD (remaster?) but it was so well recorded, I've never felt the need for a remastered version.

This is a good album, i really love it, buy it's not their best. There are some parts that irk me just a little bit, and it's this side of the boos that would carry through to their swansong, Kingsize, where certain lyrical moments just tip into embarrassing territory. Think I'm gonna vote for Four Saints - a really underrated little song that shows the boos at their weirdest. Really though, this isn't as difficult a listen as people make out. Wake Up is just as strange, if a bit more consistent in tone.

There are some songs I just don't really like very much in retrospect - the singles C'mon Kids and What's In The Box are clumsy attempts at the Britrock craze of the time, and didn't suit the band. Melodies for the Deaf always struck me as a bit worthy, with a laborious metaphor indicative of Carr's later songwriting. Get On the Bus seems throwaway. Shelter and Fortunate Sons felt like Sunday school attempts at rap. The rest is good to great though. Bullfrog Green and Ride The Tiger are nicely psychedelic. Everything Is Sorrow perpetuates Wake Up's angstier moments and New Brighton Promenade is a neat addition to the song cycle going through Barney & Me and From The Bench At Belvedere. This album spawned some decent b-sides (always where the Boos hid their most strange and brilliant moments). But on the whole, their best days peaked with the From The Bench EP, and they'd never quite make a perfect record again.

Well, it was true that Martin Carr loved Oasis (it was Paul Weller he notoriously didn't like), and I too think 'C'mon Kids' and 'What's In The Box' definitely have little bit of Oasis in there. But while I'd never care about listening to an Oasis record ever again for the rest of my life, I still get a kick out of listening to both of those Boos tracks. 'What's In The Box', especially.

Is this album really good? no I don't think so

There's some problem with sequencing or something that really keeps me from retaining much about this album, even though there are a bunch of songs on it that I like a lot. I've had it pretty much since it came out, play it at least a few times a year, and can never remember much about it when it's not on...

(I guess I vote for Everything is Sorrow.)

Agree with dlp9001; I know I like this record, I've had it for years and years, I know the two main singles really well (and really like them; awesome guitar sound, really good riffs, great fun), but I can't remember much else about it. I'd have to listen to it again before voting.

It's just not a very cohesive record - not like Wake Up or Giant Steps which hold together and inhabit their own space. Giant Steps feels kind of nocturnal, romantic, dreams of life in the city, stars in its eyes while remembering small town days. Wake Up's got this suburban sense of loss and melancholy running through it - crisp April mornings and weekend outings to the country.

C'mon Kids?
I dunno, I don't really get a sense of place - it's really just a jumble of songs with hints at ITV psychedelia.

Don't get me wrong, it's a good record with some great moments, but not (as I might have once assumed) their best.

I got a promo of the album in advance of the release, I think I've played it twice or thereabouts. I did like the b-sides from then, though.

Does anybody else think Sice sounds like FMercury on the title track? (patticularly on "have we ever let you down?" (and, heck, on "See whatcha got" too)

It's true - unless you've "opened the box" on their b-sides, you haven't properly checked this band.

Shelter and Fortunate Sons felt like Sunday school attempts at rap.

There was definitely a trend for this in the late-'90s, indie bands doing this sub-Beck stuff with hip-hop beats, it never worked very well. 'Susan's House' by Eels for example.

I can groove to Susan's House tbf, but yeah, it went hand in hand with indie bands employing a "DJ" to "scratch". hideous.

http://www.paduiblog.com/uploads/image/Harrisburg%20DUI%20Lawyer%20autodiluter%20issues.jpg

Somehow I think they managed to get away with it... I hardly think the Boo Radleys believed they were ever trying to be 100% convincing at rapping.

there is no rapping on "Fortunate Sons," it is more of a stab at trip hop or something along that nature. there is no attempt at rapping just some heavy distortion on part of the vocals and some really heavy beats.

Bit of a strange album, this one. There's something a bit cheesy about it in places. I like the title track. The best bit is Four Saints followed by New Brighton Promenade. I'm going to vote for the latter even though I think it's spoiled by the rock guitar that comes in.

Indie bands employing a 'DJ' to 'scratch' during live appearances on The Word. - Classic

Bullfrog Green. an incredible track, kinda spoiled by that last third of it. i'm convinced had it stayed like a pop song all the way through it could have been a single, a big hit and would be their 3rd best known song after Wake Up Boo and Lazarus.

.. oh there was a 7 inch that came with the vinyl too.

this is a great album. i don't understand the criticism for taking chances on most of the tracks. when they went backwards(traditional) on the next album it got a bit dull. that said i don't much like sice as a yeller, much better in a softer frame. c'mon kids vs eggman? i love the eggman album.

what is being flushed down the toilet in that picture upthread, is it the nineties

so i re listened to most of this album on Friday. i was head over hills in love with it. i was trying to take it all in and see if the criticism of this thread was warranted.

"C'mon Kids" is a great opener, it kind of says we went through our Beatles stage on our last album and now lets turn up the guitars to 11. it starts off "C'mon Kids don't do yourself down, throw out your arms for a new sound."

not sure if "Meltin's Worm" is a good choice for the second song as it goes on some sort of psychedelic trip that sounds of base after such a crunchy beginning. ""Melodies for the Deaf (Colours for the Blind)"and the almost single of "Get on the Bus" get you in the proper mood for this album. "Everything Is Sorrow" is absolutely brilliant. the hate just builds up where Sice is screaming at the top of his lungs. than they go to "Bullfrog Green" to close out the side. one of the Boo Radleys best songs, but not even close to the best song on this album.

will do side two later, after another listen...

Bullfrog Green. an incredible track, kinda spoiled by that last third of it. i'm convinced had it stayed like a pop song all the way through it could have been a single, a big hit and would be their 3rd best known song after Wake Up Boo and Lazarus.

― piscesx, Saturday, May 19, 2012 3:19 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I don't think the last third of it spoils it all; I absolutely love it! I'm not convinced it would have been a pop hit in ANY form, though.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

and now on to side two:

i always think of childhood exuberance when i hear "What's In the Box" as you just want to get to the good stuff when you are like 12 years old. i know the lyrics are saying something totally different. then you come to the center piece of this album "Four Saints" is my favorite song by the Boo Radleys. when he goes "I believe in Love" i just melt and than they follow that up with "New Brighton Promenade" which is fabulous. the next two songs are a major come down after those song and could be called filler. "Ride the Tiger" is cool but probably should not have been a single and "One Last Hurrah" is a great finish.

the Boo's fourth best album unless you include Learning To Walk than it drops down one more slot.

I love this album unreservedly and with no apologies. I am pretty sure that it is both a poke in Britpop's eye AND a love letter to it, I feel all the subtle experiments on the earlier records led to the loud ones here, and the anti-structure of a lot of the songs masks the extremely careful structure of the album itself.

But then again maybe I don't know a damned thing about this album or this group because I haven't ever heard the b-sides, or because I am from America.

The single edit slaughtered Ride The Tiger. Bullfrog Green sounded great on the radio, the one time it was played on The Evening Session.

the Boo's fourth best album unless you include Learning To Walk than it drops down one more slot.

― Bee OK

I'm guessing you rate Giant Steps as the best (Only Geir doesn't) how would you rank the other albums?

Voted for New Brighton Promenade in the end, could have gone for Ride The Tiger, Everything is Sorrow, Four Saints or One Last Hurrah. Love this band.

Agree that Bullfrog Green should have been a single. I like the psychedelic bit in that song but it feels a little tacked on. Ride The Tiger too - a good pop song that sounds like Carr wanted to 'weird up' and add some backwards shit in the middle 8. I love their weirdness, but on these tracks it sounds a bit forced. Not so much on Four Saints, which I'm glad is getting props here as I always thought I was alone in thinking of it as a highlight. If C'mon Kids had been full of tracks as effortlessly bizarre as this, it would have earnt its reputation as the most out-there Boos record. Speaking of which, I think it's a shame the band went to such lengths in covering up their little idiosyncrasies - editing the stranger bits out of their single versions and pretty much only releasing straight-up pop songs as A-sides (resulting in a skewed public perception of them as a happy clappy no-nonsense pop band).

i am moderately fond of Giant Steps but had not heard this album, so this thread inspired me to listen to it. kinda wish i hadn't. voted for track 1 because it's all downhill from there.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Sad I missed this. Would've been a tough call between "Everything Is Sorrow" and "Bullfrog Green." Prefer Wake Up! and Kingsize as records but these songs are as experimental and successful as anything Martin Carr ever did.

I remember we went to a 'preview' gig around this time. Arthur Baker was stood in front of us, seemed unusual at the time.

Two people think Meltin's Worm is the highlight of this record???

I'm guessing you rate Giant Steps as the best (Only Geir doesn't) how would you rank the other albums?

i'm a huge fan and they are by far my favorite band of the 90's and i even own every single. i also have a slightly different order than probably most.

1. Kingsize
2. Giant Steps
3. Learning To Walk
4. Wake Up!
5. C'Mon Kids
6. Everything's Alright Forever

1= C'mon Kids
1= Kingsize
3= Giant Steps
3= Wake Up!
5. Everything's Alright Forever

1. Giant Ste;s
2. Kingsize
3. C'mon Kids
4. Wake Up
5. Everything's Alright Forever
6. Learning To Walk
7. Ichabod & I

Looks like Kingsize should be the next album to get a poll. Really glad other people rate that album.

1. Giant Steps
2. Kingsize
3. Everything's Alright Forever
4. Wake Up
5. Ichabod & I
6. C'mon Kids
7. Learning To Walk

1 giant steps
2 everything's alright forever
3 wake up
4 c'mon kids
5 kingsize
6 learning to walk
7 ichbod & i

1. fuck off
2. you bollocks
3. stick the 90s
4. up your bollocks
5. fucking indie
6. wank
7. wank wank wank wank wank

ignore the troll

anyways these list are interesting as everyone is having different opinions of what are the best album. Kingsize is interesting, when i was on the bravecaptain board it seems like a bunch of hard core fans really, really like that album. like the jewel of the Boo Radleys albums that casual fans seems to dismiss.

can't believe i trolled another fucking indiestalgia poll

kingsize is pretty good, let down by containing their most wretched track "free huey"

er, xpost

Kingsize prob the most Brave Captain-friendly album so

hard to disagree w/ NV's premise tbh

but every thread i see him post in it negitive.

this is ILM, it's a board to discuss music (iirc), if he is not interested in the thread than stay the fuck out.

it it's

.. and yet the brave captain himself was very ho-hum about the album

It's a bored, dying album by a bored, dying band. Giant Steps is the only full length I return to with any frequency.

Kingsize-era Boos has some great ideas let down by some very precious songwriting. I feel that Carr's lyrics became increasingly insipid after Wake Up, to the point where most Brave Captain material makes me reel.

tbh, irrespective of my feelings about this shite, i crossed the line into boorish cuntiness and i'd like to apologise Mr OK