The Boo Radleys, Classic or Dud?

yes, one of the best albums of the 90's, it was their White Album.

anyways this link is a great read, especially where the fans were able to write their thought on this album. when it came out it was just so epic, adventurous and monstrous, it seem like the shoegazer scene, as it was called, was going to take over music. no other band outside MBV's Loveless was able to match what the Boos did but it was Oasis and Blur who broke out instead.

http://www.booradleys.co.uk/giantsteps/

http://www.booradleys.co.uk/giantsteps/fans.html

See if you can recognise some names on here!

http://www.booradleys.co.uk/giantsteps/fans.htm

or maybe even here instead.

OH FFS!!

This one. And this one is guanarteed.

http://www.booradleys.co.uk/giant_steps/fans.htm

No argument here. Wonderful record. I note above that 6 years ago I said C'mon Kids was their best but to be honest I don't know what I was thinking. Giant Steps is so much better.

It was Select's album of the year which I seem to remember is why I bought it

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-Boo-Radleys/dp/B000PHX0VO/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/202-1855647-9383050?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1181125138&sr=8-2

When did that squeeze out? Well, 7th May, obviously, but... Has anyone got it? is it the 12" version of Lazarus? What an odd tracklisting.

xpost- me too (about buying it) only "I didn't think it was great initially, thought it was great for a period, stopped listening to it after that period and still haven't really recoveredsold it"... also me too.

I remember a LOT of filler but it is/was a strong record. I suspect it's that I didn't find most of the songs/vocals very much to shout about in the end that led me to not caring...

It looks nicer than that 2cd collection.

Which started off being "Wake up boo: The Best of" but M.Carr stopped it, so the record company said "OK, you pick. but it has to have "Wake Up Boo, Lazarus, etc, etc, etc," until there was only about four tracks to pick from.

Anf the 'unreleased' tracks, ah hey I had the "Kingsize" single promo with them on anyway.

4am conversation? That's an odd choice.

I think I might marginally prefer 'C'mon Kids' to 'Giant Steps'.

not sure about that new best of... what the fuck?

'I've Lost The Reason' and 'Get On The Bus' are possibly my favourite two Boo Radleys songs, so their inclusion is very welcome. Underappreciated masterpieces both.

if there's something that annoyed me about the last two albums was that they were way too preachy for my liking. "Colours For The Blind", that millennium song, "Heaven's At the Bottom Of This Glass".

When did that squeeze out? Well, 7th May, obviously, but... Has anyone got it? is it the 12" version of Lazarus? What an odd tracklisting.

WTF? and don't know any answers to those questions.

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51v0G4LGP0L._SS500_.jpg

beautiful cover but has nothing to do with the band. found this on Martin's web site, as he was answering the question of why nothing from Everything's Alright Forever or Kingsize made it on to this comp.

"Eaf wasn't anything to do with sony and i can only guess that they have forgotten about Kingsize.

I won't be buying it.

Mx"

Haha, the sleevenotes to this new best of quote me (but without naming me, the cheeky gits).

haha what's the quote?

It reads, "GIANT STEPS IS THE GREATEST INDIE GUITAR RECORD EVER EVER EVER RIGHT."

Of Lazarus, "a big pop tune halfway between Dinosaur Jr. and The Beach Boys slapped in the middle of a great big dub instrumental" taken from http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/the-boo-radleys/find-the-way-out.htm

I've barely listened to anything else for the last 24 hours.

How come no one's ever mentioned Learning To Walk?

Jack Rabid wrote, "Though it's just a collection of their first three EPs dating back to '90/'91 (plus two unreleased covers), Learning to Walk is actually the best LP released by this great Liverpool band, even better than Giant Steps... Learning to Walk sounds like an LP, not a collection, and if we regard it as three sessions in one, it is the Boo Radleys' real second LP, and their masterpiece, even without the terrific 1991 Peel Session versions of Love's "Alone Again Or," and New Order's "True Faith" (retitled "Boo Faith," naturally) tacked on for extra value. With all three EPs out of print, Learning to Walk is even more valuable. Do not miss."

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

nah.

it's pretty good. i especially like "Foster's Van".

I said this on the poll thread the other week:
The two EPs in 1991 between the first and second album sound better-produced, but still essentially go for that mixture of extreme guitar noise and sweet singing. That wasn’t a problem for me as that was exactly what I liked back then. I love Naomi (off Every Heaven) and Everybird, Sometime Soon She Said and Foster’s Van (off Boo Up). I think these are all on Learning To Walk, but I’m not voting for that because it’s not a real album.

What is with the latest Boo Radleys revival/craze on ILM? It's not as if more than 5 people ever gave a fuck about them before and now there's a thread being revived every couple of days (I'm not complaining).

The new compilation put them back on my radar. I never could get into Wake Up and am wondering if I should try Giant Steps or the remastered two CD comp that came out two years ago.

The remastering on that comp is not good, in my opinion. I played Lazarus off that and the remixes EP from 1994 back-to-back the other day and the bass was doing all sorts of unpleasant things on the remaster.

I own a ridiculous amount of "Lazarus" e.p's, all different.

From the original issue CD, the promo with the 7" version added, through 3 different USA columbia promos and normal ones, to the UK reissue and so on.

I have the original 12" EP and the double-CD remixes thing.

I saw the video one saturday morning, Chart show, went out and got it that day.

ahhh screen goez all wobbly....

great band but really their masterpiece is Giant Steps even if i personally love one of their other album more

we had this just the other day F'n'B:

ILM POLL: Say there, what about Boo Radleys?

where i wrote:

my order would be:

1. Kingsize - this album has had a huge impact on my life, especially at the time. i have, at times, felt like Martin was writing out my life on this album. skip "Free Huey" and you have a remarkable album. also from Kingsize is one of those perfect three minutes in pop music with the song "Put Your Arms Around Me and Tell Me Everything's Going to Be OK."

2. Giant Steps - they did just about everything they could do with this album and made a classic. i still feel like this is the White Album of the 90's.

3. Learning To Walk - the third best shoegazer album ever. it, however, is just a collection of three brilliant singles. 12 songs total from the three singles with a couple of just OK covers thrown in.

4. C'Mon Kids - the guitars were back and were louder than ever. also contains their best song "Bullfrog Green."

5. Wake Up! - their stab at being commercial and made a accessible album expect for the lyrics. might be the boo's most honest work.

6. Everything's Alright Forever - this album simply doesn't have enough money behind it. great beginning but the heights were barely being reveled.

as far as the remastered is concerned, it's actually not a bad place to start because it gives you all their stages as each album is very different. with an extra bonus of a few b-sides thrown in for good measure. the b-side is where they have some incredible stuff (23 in all) and they need to come out on a comp. at some point.

*it's 23 singles in all well past 23 songs.

i'd definitely recommend "find the way out" as a primer going by the track selection.

http://www.cherryred.co.uk/cherryred/artists/booradleys.php

Kingsize
cdmred467

PREORDER NOW! Released on 20/09/ 2010. The Boo Radleys are - for reasons that are hard to understand - a greatly underrated band. Formed in 1988 in Merseyside and their own way through the changeable music scene of the 90 s leaving many classic albums and singles and a couple of massive hits. Kingsize was the bands sixth and final album they split on its release not helping its sales. It is a great album and well worth discovering twelve years on. It is presented here with bonus tracks and an exclusive booklet.

1. Blue Room In Archway
2. The Old News Stand In Hamilton Square
3. Free Huey
4. Monuments For A Dead Century
5. Heaven’s At The Bottom Of This Glass
6. Kingsize
7. High As Monkeys
8. Eurostar
9. Adieu Clo Clo
10. Jimmy Webb Is God
11. She Is Everywhere
12. Comb Your Hair
13. Song From The Blueroom
14. The Future Is Now
Bonus
15. Spanish Lizards
16. Everything Falls Away
17. In A Galaxy Far, Far Away

C’Mon Kids
cdbred468

PREORDER NOW! Released on 20/09/10. The Boo Radleys are - for reasons that are hard to understand - a greatly underrated band. Formed in 1988 in Merseyside and their own way through the changeable music scene of the 90 s leaving many classic albums and singles and a couple of massive hits. C'mon Kids is the fifth Boo s album although a departure from hit album Wake Up! it is still packed with classic pop based songs wrapped in wonderful soundscapes. The album is presented here as an enhanced double CD, positively packed with bonus tracks and a luxury booklet

Disc One:
1. C'Mon Kids
2. Meltinsworm
3. Melodies For The Deaf (Colours For The Blind)
4. Get On The Bus
5. Everythings Is Sorrow
6. Bullfrog Green
7. What’s In The Box? (See Whatcha Got)
8. Four Saints
9. New Brighton Promenade
10. Fortunate Ons
11. Shelter
12. Ride The Tiger
13. One Last Hurrah

Disc Two Bonustracks:
1. Bloke In A Dress
2. Flakes
3. What’s In The Box (Krisneedsmix)
4. Atlantic
5. The Absent Boy
6. Annie And Marnie
7. Spion Kop
8. To Beautiful
9. Bullfrog Green (Ultra Livingmix)
10. Nothing To Do But Scare Myself
11. From The Bech At Belvidere (Ultramarine)
12. Fourtunate Sons (Greg Hunter Remix)
13. Vote You
14. A Part I Know So Well
15. Everything Is Sorrow (Grantby Mix)
16. Roadie
17. Safe At Home
18. C'Mon Kids (Mekon Mix)

i'm upset at the Kingsize reissue. first, they don't have "Put Your Arms Around Me and Tell Me Everything's Going To Be OK." (that is the song i got my username from.) not only that but the song is three minutes of pop bliss but has never been released in the UK. this is the perfect time for that. they could have also added "Superintendent," "Tomorrow," "Last Night I Dreamt Of God" and their excellent Bob Dylan cover of "One Of Us Must Know."

Could have released a blank CDR, wd have contained the same number of tunes.

that makes no sense

i'm upset at the Kingsize reissue. first, they don't have "Put Your Arms Around Me and Tell Me Everything's Going To Be OK." (that is the song i got my username from.)

Where where these two songs available? I have the three others you mentioned as I found the promo single for Kingsize a long time ago. The C'mon Kids reissue looks good, Roadie is one of my favourite songs they did.

"Put Your Arms Around Me and Tell Me Everything's Going To Be OK." is one song. it was released on the US edition of Kingsize but wasn't on the Creation Records edition.

Yes, and the Australian version. And the UK LP version, I believe.

Didn't one of them have a 'rewindie' track?

kingsize has a short pre-track 1 track called 'tranquillo'

put your arms... isn't on my kingsize cd (which is an aus pressing)

Delighted to see these albums are getting a reissue, disappointed 'Kingsize' won't be gathering everything together from that era. If not now, then surely never.

'Everything Falls Away' is great though.

I think I need to reacquaint myself with C'mon Kids.

Yeah, I think they are missing "XFM is ace" and "There she goes"

The C'Mon Kids one looks absolutely essential. Kingsize has been shortchanged and Bee OK is OTM about Put Your Arms Around Me.

The only thing the C'mon Kids reissue is missing is the bonus 7" that came with some versions of the album on vinyl. I've never actually heard Skywalker or French Canadian Bean Soup, can anyone tell me if those songs are worth hunting down?

Skywalker was released for the Euro 96 cup IIRC. It's kind of dancey - sort of like Sunfly II from their early days. French Canadian Bean Soup features someone reciting a passage from the Illuminatus! trilogy with a kind of lolloping backing chorus. In typical Boo Radleys b-side fashion, they're rather charming and experimental although "essential" isn't necessarily the word.

I think I can probably live without those then, thanks for the heads up.

I'm definitely going to be hunting down Put Your Arms Around Me, the thought of hearing a new Boo Radleys song after all this time is really exciting.

Kingsize and C’Mon Kids have come out today.

So, "Kingsize" definitely doesn't have the extra tracks from the unreleased single?

I!L!M! (calling all)

please to post boo radleys videos so i may see the light. i mean i want to believe....