happy mondays

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depends on which Bummed you have... they're pretty different.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 7 November 2003 05:28 (9 years ago) Permalink

5 months pass...

are the happy mondays going to be re-appraised through a post-punk filter? will this increase their stock in america? is squirrel and g-man a postpunk record? is 87 too late for that? ive always thought of it as an island apart, but perhaps it is closer to postpunk than i had thought, i dont know, i dont like postpunk very much (unless the fall count)

or, to put it another way, are the happy mondays poised to undergo a revival, but with angular punkfunk 86-88 incarnation being the feted?

― gareth (gareth), Sunday, 18 April 2004 15:41 (9 years ago) Permalink

The Mondays will almost certainly undergo a revival of some sort. They're too good and too weird not to. If you allow for the standard 20-year cycle, it'll come somewhere toward the end of this decade. (One interesting thing about the coverage of the 24 Hour... movie was that it tended to focus on the first half -- the Joy Division years -- with a lot of reviews I read positing Tony Wilson's enthusiasm for the Mondays as part of his drug-addled decline. Which is not at all how the movie plays it, really -- I mean, it's named after a Mondays song -- but it came out too early to be part of a Mondays reassessment.)

― spittle (spittle), Sunday, 18 April 2004 16:01 (9 years ago) Permalink

I was listening to 24 Hour (the album) the other week -- had forgotten how *short* it was!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 18 April 2004 16:05 (9 years ago) Permalink

That recent reformation wasn't too good for the mystique ('The Boys Are Back In Town', indeed). And the fashion - day-glo T-shirts, awful flares - is nowhere near as attractive to the hipster contingent as all the skinny-fit post-punk stuff. So I'd say no revival, at least not for the time being. Of course, there's always the possibility that the next Mondays retrospective could be of the post-mortem variety, and judging by the state of Shaun recently, that's sadly by no means a remote proposition.

― Jason J, Sunday, 18 April 2004 16:13 (9 years ago) Permalink

*correction*, upthread I mistakenly attribute a funny to Blount (who *is* usually funny), when in fact I meant esoj!!!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Sunday, 18 April 2004 16:15 (9 years ago) Permalink

xpost, there's something very un-ironic about the Mondays. I've always felt their music was part of the same high-modern project as New Order. Despite relying on old grooves, they were used, 'futuristically'.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Sunday, 18 April 2004 16:17 (9 years ago) Permalink

xpost, esoj *is* usually funny too!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Sunday, 18 April 2004 16:18 (9 years ago) Permalink

but they werent dayglo in 87. look at the photos from this era, and its murky mancunian rainy b&w, it could actually fit in very easily

― gareth (gareth), Sunday, 18 April 2004 16:21 (9 years ago) Permalink

I was re-reading Swells interview with them and thought that it made interesting reading. I think he pushed Shaun pretty hard on the gay question. At first Shaun says he's not homophobic/ meets and works with gay people etc and then after much pushing he says "look I'm not a rent boy and I find sucking dick disgusting". I'm not so sure what was so offensive about it to be honest, it's like Swells just wanted a story.

His attempts at making him look evil for editing Penthouse seem a bit misguided too. Especially considering the fact Swells was last seen drooling over Daphne and Celeste.

― CRW (CRW), Sunday, 18 April 2004 16:24 (9 years ago) Permalink

but they werent dayglo in 87. look at the photos from this era, and its murky mancunian rainy b&w, it could actually fit in very easily

Granted - I mean, you can totally hear the Hannett production on Squirrel and G-Man, and consequently it's not so hard to trace back a thread to, say, early New Order or the Stockholm Monsters or whatever. But I think it's very much *because* the Mondays were very forward-thinking - that even on their early records they quite clearly pre-empted the spirit of acid-house (intentionally or not) - that they don't really fit too comfortably into the retrospective post-punk package.

Also, I don't think they've really dated that well.

― Jason J, Sunday, 18 April 2004 16:39 (9 years ago) Permalink

I thought Squirrel and G-Man was produced by John Cale. I've never owned it, for some reason.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 18 April 2004 16:40 (9 years ago) Permalink

I thought Squirrel and G-Man was produced by John Cale.

Doh, you're right. It was Hallelujah and Bummed wot were done by Hannett. So what was Cale's production like? I'll have to dig the record out and listen.

― Jason J, Sunday, 18 April 2004 16:48 (9 years ago) Permalink

i think they have dated very well indeed, though the earlier stuff better than the later (the production on pills'n'thrills sounds very dated, though the album is still good)

i think cales production was sort of scratchy and light, compared to the dense foggyness of hannetts bummed

― gareth (gareth), Sunday, 18 April 2004 18:45 (9 years ago) Permalink

i've been listening to lots of pre-Bummed HMs lately and enjoying it way more than i did at the time. "kuff dam" is sounding remarkably fresh to me right now.

― the surface noise (electricsound), Sunday, 18 April 2004 22:10 (9 years ago) Permalink

at the time of release, that is

― the surface noise (electricsound), Sunday, 18 April 2004 22:11 (9 years ago) Permalink

Speaking as a Hannett fanatic, and also as a Mondays fan, it's strange that the combination of the two on Bummed really didn't work very well, IMO. I'll take the first album and Pills n Thrills. When the first album came out, I thought they sounded a lot like The Fall!

― bimble (bimble), Monday, 19 April 2004 06:16 (9 years ago) Permalink

you don't like the production? curious indeed.

― the surface noise (electricsound), Monday, 19 April 2004 06:17 (9 years ago) Permalink

i listened to 'Bummed' for the first time ever the other week

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 19 April 2004 08:44 (9 years ago) Permalink

The Egg 12" is the best HM ever - a pity that it's never been dug out for CD. I agree with Bimble - despite my love for all things Hannett, I just don't like the *sound* of Bummed. There are some great tracks - WFL, Movin In With, Performance that seem to be fighting to get through the mix. However - I haven't given up all hope of one day realizing that it is, in fact, a work of genius and I've been missing something all along.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Monday, 19 April 2004 09:45 (9 years ago) Permalink

It is really hard to find the Mondays stuff in the US. I can't locate a copy of Squirrel and G-Man at all. Bummed I managed to get thru mail order. But my cassette copy of Pills n Thrills is almost dead and finding a vinyl copy of that is proving pretty difficult.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 19 April 2004 16:47 (9 years ago) Permalink

Yo, Shakey.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 19 April 2004 18:02 (9 years ago) Permalink

"Kuff Dam" is the only HM song worth sparing from the fiery furnace

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Monday, 19 April 2004 18:07 (9 years ago) Permalink

Yesss!! Thank you!!

x-post

― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 19 April 2004 18:09 (9 years ago) Permalink

"The Egg 12" is the best HM ever "

probably true but it's a secret. i feel like early mondays is holy grail-ish, and i actually find myself wanting to hear them pilloried and dismissed so as to insure their/its special-ness. stop this thread now!

― duke kongos, Monday, 19 April 2004 18:19 (9 years ago) Permalink

What the hell is the Egg 12"?

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Monday, 19 April 2004 18:22 (9 years ago) Permalink

i think they've actually undergone a bit of revival within the past few years, in new york. rock scenester kids, especially as they dip toes into house music, tend to see them as an effortless mix of dance and the beloved post-punk and have started the rehabilitation process. also, there's a sizable brit-pop contingent, sort of dormant for a while but regaining strength, who claim them by virtue of their nationality. add together these two factions, and you get perhaps three or four parties per week that will play a happy mondays track.

― lauren (laurenp), Monday, 19 April 2004 18:24 (9 years ago) Permalink

yeah but you can always count on some jackass replacements fan claiming it's crap. but that's what i want to encourage. "step off" is more like it. go back to your eternal barstool, there's nothing for you to see here

― duke tuesday, Monday, 19 April 2004 18:33 (9 years ago) Permalink

It's on the other side of Freaky Dancing, Mr Snrub.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Monday, 19 April 2004 18:38 (9 years ago) Permalink

I had never heard them before seeing 24 Hour Party People, which prompted me to proclaim their genius. I've been trying to start the revival ever since.

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Monday, 19 April 2004 18:57 (9 years ago) Permalink

despite my love for all things Hannett, I just don't
like the *sound* of Bummed.

I have to agree. Besides 24HPP, I also relistened to Bummed recently and it didn't leave as much of an impact. Felt like a great EP that led into a great album, or rather it felt like that's what should have happened.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 19 April 2004 19:10 (9 years ago) Permalink

The Egg 12" is the best HM ever - a pity that it's never been dug out for CD.

this was a BeMusic production, right? perhaps it will be appearing on the next LTM BeMusic compilation.. (i don't know if it is, but i guess it's entirely possible)

― the surface noise (electricsound), Monday, 19 April 2004 22:04 (9 years ago) Permalink

Bummed could really use a remaster

― the surface noise (electricsound), Monday, 19 April 2004 22:05 (9 years ago) Permalink

These guys' songs only really make sense to me when I see Bez or an actor playing Bez dancing to it.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 19 April 2004 22:28 (9 years ago) Permalink

but you can always count on some jackass replacements fan claiming it's crap

Hey now. In college, my Mondays and Replacements albums coexisted quite happily in my record crate. We played "Hallelujah" at parties, and "Here Comes a Regular" at the end of the night. Corny as fuck, OK, but there you go.

― spittle (spittle), Tuesday, 20 April 2004 05:19 (9 years ago) Permalink

that's unusual i think. that song in particular used to bum me out, man. i first heard the mondays and stone roses and the early 90's british stuff i love(d) on this radio show late sunday nites in houston where i grew up. he would be playing all this stuff that was new and awesome to me (incl. U.S. stuff like pixies) and then throw that in there and my heart would sink. like "that's the stuff people like along with this?!" i would just swear up and down i never would get into it because it seemed so cliched and ridiculous to me. so it goes back almost fifteen years now, my hatred of them. not that i'm justifying it, i'm only being honest about what their work engenders for me and always has. they are a (perhaps unfair) but very real scapegoat (of sorts) for me.

― duke gone, Tuesday, 20 April 2004 05:35 (9 years ago) Permalink

huzzah! My vinyl copy of Pill n Thrills arrived today! I am excited. I can feel the US baggy revival comin on... (okay maybe not)

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 28 April 2004 21:03 (9 years ago) Permalink

double huzzah! Today I received my copy of "Squirrel and G-Man". So which song on here has the "24-hour party people" lyric refrain...? Cuz I don't see no song called "24 Hour Party People" on the sleeve.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 5 May 2004 17:57 (9 years ago) Permalink

it ain't on that one. I think it was a b-side of "Wrote for Luck" but if anyone knows different/more step in (or step on, hahahah)

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Wednesday, 5 May 2004 18:18 (9 years ago) Permalink

You have the original version of the lp. 'Desmond' was replaced by '24 Hour Party People' on later copies.

― rw, Wednesday, 5 May 2004 18:26 (9 years ago) Permalink

say what? I feel cheated.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 5 May 2004 18:30 (9 years ago) Permalink

It looks like 24 Hour Party People was issued as its own single. I guess I have something else to hunt down now.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 5 May 2004 18:34 (9 years ago) Permalink

the song's also on the film soundtrack, slightly remixed

― sexyDancer, Wednesday, 5 May 2004 18:56 (9 years ago) Permalink

"carnt smile"

― duke union, Wednesday, 5 May 2004 19:02 (9 years ago) Permalink

What's the title of the last song? "Cobalt"? That's one of my favorite songs ever

― Baaderoni (Fabfunk), Wednesday, 5 May 2004 19:06 (9 years ago) Permalink

24 hour party people is on the "Loads" compilation that was released about 10 years ago. It was limited edition; however, it seems to be limited to anyone who wants one.

― Keith Watson (kmw), Wednesday, 5 May 2004 19:54 (9 years ago) Permalink

The double CD was limited edition, the single was more widely available.

― kit brash (kit brash), Wednesday, 5 May 2004 21:24 (9 years ago) Permalink

that song is also on the palatine box

― the surface noise (electricsound), Wednesday, 5 May 2004 21:46 (9 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

― charltonlido (gareth), Saturday, 12 June 2004 08:15 (8 years ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

I am "feeling" them again at the moment. Great.

― adam. (nordicskilla), Thursday, 16 September 2004 00:40 (8 years ago) Permalink

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