Charlatans(UK) C/D

No, I'm thinking of the Charlatans.

I think it is a context thing, Dan, but not an ubiquity thing. Certainly a very useless thing.I mean they're not vile like Primal Scream, they're just not....anything. A bit baggy, a bit Roses-y THEN whooo! Timmy discovers Blonde on Blonde and Sticky Fingers and we get a youth club version of The fucking Rolling Stones fronted by Booby Zimmertwat. I mean did we ever need them? Why aren't people more fucking critical? They didn't even come from Manchester properly. Hell - even the Inspiral Carpets were better.

It's my way of weeding out the wheat from the chaff. The 'classic or dud' conundrum is how I have always viewed music. Snap decisions, good or bad, in or out. I don't want 'average'. I'll come down harder on 'average' than 'crap'. It's just my way - it's of no importance what I think anyway.

I was at an upscale bar tonight that I didn't willfully choose to be in with some people I wasn't particularly interested in knowing and I managed to identify after a long period of thought that the song I heard played over the PA in there was one of their absolutely classic b-sides "Occupation H. Monster". Unbelievable. Thank goodness it was finally released on CD years later in the US otherwise...

theme from the wish!

I did hear "Weirdo" a couple of weeks ago and felt inexplicably happy.

Up To Our Hips sounds awfully fresh lately. I think I underrated it upthread.

'flower' is a terrific song

Do you know why I don't have the Some Friendly album anymore? BECAUSE I AM A DUMBASS, that's why!

No! I'm wrong! I just found it in my CD stacks!!!!! WOOOHOO! POLAR BEAR IS FIRST!!

Charlie Howard is OTM.

Whoa

Download the new Charlatans album for free

Yikes, four songs in and feeling like this is gonna be worse than Simpatico.

Ned you promised to change Norwich to Northwich 5 years ago. sorry to nag and all that :-)

It's a shame the Charlatans haven't produced a truly great album - or at least one that is worthy of the accolade and reissue treatment that some of their 90s contemporaries have received.

But as others have said, they were more than just a good singles band. Most of their albums are patchy but have more good tunes on them than just the single releases.

Can't imagine there's much inspiration left in them now...but always good fun live

This album isn't bad at all, though it doesn't much sound like any particular band (i.e. it's a little bit genericly "English" sounding). Was worth the download, and includes a couple of semi-memorable tracks.

I came to the realization a couple albums ago that The Charlatans haven't been any good at all since Rob Collins died. I don't know if that's a causal link, but it definitely makes sense.

I don't think anyone is going to agree, but I find myself playing "You Cross My Path" with surprising frequency. It's not great or anything, but is pretty solid all the way through and makes for a good default play when I'm sick of all my usual favorites. Faint praise maybe, but the play count is mounting. Possibly the closest to classic rock (in terms of consistency, etc.) that I've been able to find of late. Definitely a lot of New Order in the genes.

So I'm utterly burned out on the whole "play your album complete" schtick, but I'd would like really like to see this one.

The Charlatans have announced they will play their debut album Some Friendly in its entirety later this year.

The band will perform at The Roundhouse on May 31 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the LP's release.

Tickets will be available from February 5.

man I love Some Friendly a lot

Like, there are some obviously awesome songs here (the singles, "Sproston Green"), and then there are tracks like "Opportunity" and "Flower" that just sneak up on me with awesomeness every time I come back to them.

Most of the time you are happy – you're a weirdo.

Like the earliest two, LOVE the middle three, HATE everything that came after those.

I came to the realization a couple albums ago that The Charlatans haven't been any good at all since Rob Collins died. I don't know if that's a causal link, but it definitely makes sense.

― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, March 4, 2008 3:16 PM (2 years ago)

I still stand by this.

I think they were good through Up To Our Hips, then they went shit.

But I absolutely love the first 2 albums.

I consistently forget about the song "Weirdo", because I never got the second album.

"Then" is great too! I can do without two or three of the songs on it but o/w I like the album a lot.

I listened to the 2-disk Some Friendly recently, and the alt. tracks were nothing special. Also seems weird that there is a special edition of this album.

The second album is the only one I owned, and it's pretty colorless.

"Then" is a full-on monster

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anHPUP7O6pc

"most shaggable band"

Really dug these guys a lot circa 97-01, and I would rep for all the albums up to Wonderland. I do think "Some Friendly" is underrated - I like it the most out of the first four records. "Tellin' Stories" is brilliant though. I once had "Rob's Theme" on loop for like a half-hour.

I'm by no means a huge fan of the band: love Some Friendly and Up To Our Hips. But you know, You Cross My Path is sneakily very very good. Easy to overlook, and doesn't break any new ground, but very solid.

Kind of wonder how the new one is? I never hear about them in the news, so have to remember to check websites...

Martin Blunt = incredibly underrated bass player. For all that's deservedly written about Rob Collins, it's Blunt and drummer Jon Brookes that I love most about the Charlatans.

i like to love their first six albums including Tellin' Stories. their self titled and debut album both have excellent singles and the best album tracks "Feeling Holy," "White Shirt," "Toothache" and "Sproston Green."

Not my favourite ever, but this band were always relegated to "second-tier drab Northern band" status by the British press when in fact they were a lot more exciting than this. I love "Weirdo" (especially that organ break), "Then", "The Only One I Know" and th Us & Us Only album which I really should dig out again soon.