Charlatans(UK) C/D

You know the person at work who *always* comes out with the most *obvious* jokes, always parrots the standard line on the issue of day, always gives you 'fun' advice like 'don't do anything *I* wouldn't do'? They're not hateful, quite amiable even, but ultimately.....you'd rather do anything than have to converse with them. Well that's the Charlatans. Standard issue. Ordinary. Does What It Says On The Tin. Fuck them.

the Charlatans are nothing like that Dr C, you're thinking of Travis or Athlete perhaps.

ah re-assurance and reliability...

This is a context/ubiquity issue, isn't it? The Charlatans were never shoved down our throats over here and we weren't inundated with 800 bands doing the same thing unless we wanted to be, ergo some of us in the US have developed very different attitudes towards "the obvious targets".

Also, I think I can count the number of Happy Mondays album tracks that I've liked on two fingers, only I don't actually have any recollection of them. For a good long while Primal Scream and Happy Mondays were duking it out for Most Overrated Singles Band In The UK in my mind, but then I realized that outside of "Slip Inside This House" I thought that _Screamadelica_-era PS was irredeemable shit across the board.

the one charlatans fan i met was a very nice guy. he liked ocean colour scene, paul weller and so on but i conversed with him though i lost touch after college...for me its not to do with the fans but the music just relies so much on that organ and i never feel the others are contributing too much to the sound (this is from listening to a handful of singles, which after listening to them neevr encouraged me to go any further with it).

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.

He was solid with them live when I last caught them three years back.

I bought tickets and am psyched

Good to see them kicking off with a hometown gig.

I saw The Charlatans with The Dandy Warhols at the Fillmore in San Francisco around '97, so the Tellin' Stories tour. Zia McCabe went top less that night and I was totally transfixed. Couldn't keep my eyes off of her, such beauty.