I really like the album "Interpreter". Maybe it's unfair to call it his Brit-pop album, but it does have some musical and production similarities with other albums of the time, like "Different Class" or "Denim on Ice". It's eclectic, well produced pop music that is very seductive because of the idiocyncratic author and some more interesting influences than most pop records at the time.
― everything, Friday, 16 October 2009 21:34 (fourteen years ago) link
A lot of posters seem to respect the man but slight the music.
I realise that I wrote above that I'm "not a fan of his music". That was rather sloppy of me. I should have said that I've not yet gotten to know his music. I actually reckon he'd be right up my alley. So thanks for the recommendations. The Citizen Cain'd LP especially sounds perfect.
― Duke, Friday, 16 October 2009 21:41 (fourteen years ago) link
He played a couple of solo shows in Italy last week and I'm told they were beautiful affairs (friend band Father Murphy supported him in Rome).Cope on acoustic guitar, casiotone and piano, a lot of old and new favourites, including Teardrop Explodes stuff like You Disappear From View.
Screaming Secrets:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysbtAOtF-w8
Pristeen:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj5tizDPubg&feature=related
― Marco Damiani, Saturday, 17 October 2009 08:03 (fourteen years ago) link
Citizen Cain'd is great. It includes two brilliant lengthy songs in a kind of perfected heavy ecstatic Neil Young vein: "I Will Be Absorbed" and "Feels Like A Crying Shame".
Contenderizer OTM- his every record has duds, but his way with a killer hook is too seldom noted.
― im Haus der Lols (Jon Lewis), Monday, 19 October 2009 23:20 (fourteen years ago) link
I must say I quite liked last year's Black Sheep. A very good acoustic-tinged album, with more than a few nods to Jehovakill and Fried.
― Marco Damiani, Tuesday, 20 October 2009 09:56 (fourteen years ago) link
so, no one loves Autogeddon, then? I'm about 5-6 albums deep & thinking of picking up that one (or 20 Mothers) next
― i look at the interior of my sack and feel sad (ilxor), Saturday, 27 November 2010 17:38 (thirteen years ago) link
Autogeddon's no Jehovahkill, but it's decent enough imo. This was a pretty bizarre Top Of The Pops appearance from that era:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nttnQxRpKrg
― Krampus Interruptus (NickB), Saturday, 27 November 2010 19:15 (thirteen years ago) link
Autogeddon has more than a couple of good songs - I even like Starcar, that's nothing more than a blatant rip-off of Maggot Brain.
There's a lot of filler in 20 Mothers, but I listened to it a lot at the time and again there is more than a nice pop song.
― Marco Damiani, Sunday, 28 November 2010 15:28 (thirteen years ago) link
I always loved Robert Mitchum. Not sure if it's on an album, but it was done for a Radio 1 session as tribute to Pete de Freitas.
― Dr X O'Skeleton, Sunday, 28 November 2010 19:57 (thirteen years ago) link
I remember a funny interview Cope did about the time of Autogeddon, admitting that he'd very recently learnt to drive, and was really enjoying his new-found driving freedoms.
― Neil S, Sunday, 28 November 2010 20:37 (thirteen years ago) link
That version of "Robert Mitchum" is on the new expanded version of "Floored Genius 2".
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Sunday, 28 November 2010 21:54 (thirteen years ago) link
A version of "RM" is on Skellington, I believe.
― Mark G, Monday, 29 November 2010 09:38 (thirteen years ago) link
Yeah, that's pretty much what 'Ain't No Gettin' Round Gettin' Round' is about iirc.
― Krampus Interruptus (NickB), Monday, 29 November 2010 10:08 (thirteen years ago) link
Well, he's back:
Happy New Year and welcome to PSYCHEDELIC REVOLUTION, the first of two albums of Julian Cope songs for 2012. Gone temporarily are those massed percussion Black Sheep workouts of recent years, replaced across PSYCHEDELIC REVOLUTION’s two half-hour-long CDs by eleven epic examples of the Archdrude’s most scrupulously-written balladry. Listen to those fucking lyrics! And as CD1 and CD2 are dedicated to Cope’s two most politically intense heroes and heroines – Che Guevara and Leila Khaled – listeners will be right to expect the always fiery intensity of the Archdrude’s performance. Expect tales of insurrection, tales of building new cultural traditions and tales of sexism, racism and even species-ism. Yes, both intellectually and sonically, this is a record to engage deeply with the listener’s unconscious. And with its massed banks of Mellotron 400, wah-acoustic guitars, oboe and brass, this new Cope album ! is one to Send You Under again and again.PSYCHEDELIC REVOLUTION features chanteuse Lucy Brownhills taking lead vocals on the title track, and arrives with a 16-page booklet chock full of new political art and poems from the Archdrude. Dig PSYCHEDELIC REVOLUTION and look out for its sibling REVOLUTIONARY SUICIDE later this year. It’s 2012, fuck yeah!Phase of CHE GUEVARA Raving on the Moor Vive Le Suicide Cromwell in Ireland Revolutionary Man As the Beer Flows Over Me Hooded & BenignPhase of LEILA KHALED Psychedelic Revolution X-Mass in the Woman’s Shelter Roswell Because He Was Wooden The Death of Rock‘n’roll
PSYCHEDELIC REVOLUTION features chanteuse Lucy Brownhills taking lead vocals on the title track, and arrives with a 16-page booklet chock full of new political art and poems from the Archdrude. Dig PSYCHEDELIC REVOLUTION and look out for its sibling REVOLUTIONARY SUICIDE later this year. It’s 2012, fuck yeah!Phase of CHE GUEVARA
Raving on the Moor Vive Le Suicide Cromwell in Ireland Revolutionary Man As the Beer Flows Over Me Hooded & Benign
Phase of LEILA KHALED
Psychedelic Revolution X-Mass in the Woman’s Shelter Roswell Because He Was Wooden The Death of Rock‘n’roll
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 8 February 2012 15:36 (twelve years ago) link
I got this today. The pic doesn't do it justice, with it's black lizard-skin looking cover, the layout, print, even paper used, it looks like an ancient holy text.
http://www.faber.co.uk/media/cache/c6/ea/c6eaa7c0dabf52f7f6ec3351d172977f.jpg
Review: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/171487-julian-cope-copendium/
― Fastnbulbous, Thursday, 6 June 2013 18:20 (ten years ago) link
where'd you get it?
― Spectrum, Thursday, 6 June 2013 18:23 (ten years ago) link
thought this revival was going to be someone telling us that the new album was a return to form as the pr gumph goes on about peggy suicide.
"Welcome to 2013 and the truly Post-Thatcher Age, and Welcome to Julian Cope’s long delayed new album REVOLUTIONARY SUICIDE: eleven sumptuous and highly charged songs that teem with outrageous orchestrations and compellingly-crafted words of protest, activism and historical richness. Weep along with the dreadful beauty of the Archdrude’s most epic ever song ‘The Armenian Genocide’, sway with the bucolic agricultural rhythms and devotional lyrics of ‘Hymn to the Odin’, pump your fists in the air to the Detroit soul of the title-track, or just give yourself entirely to the divine-but-gaping 70-minute-long musical maw, nay, the Hot Mess that is REVOLUTIONARY SUICIDE. New poems? You got it! New concepts? You got it! We got the Mayans’ predictions out the way and we’re all still here. So maybe everything that went before 2013 was just a dry-run for what’s to come. Perhaps you’ll even be! lieve that once you’ve heard the enormous scope and vision of REVOLUTIONARY SUICIDE.
love the write up, but i cant deny that i fear the druids output these days.
anyone heard it yet ?
― mark e, Thursday, 6 June 2013 18:41 (ten years ago) link
I live with the drummer from Spanish Doom rock band Orthodox who are reviewed in the book, so was lucky to get Copendium for cheap. It is indeed a fine looking object.
Agree with whoever said upthread search the books and destroy the music though.
― Benny B, Friday, 7 June 2013 18:10 (ten years ago) link
I ordered it, but it isn't here yet. Once you get beyond Interpreter, you've really gotta love the guy to want to buy his records. There's lots of fun to be had, but... I don't know what to say. It's like being a fan of classic Doctor Who or something. Does anyone else, and I say this coming from a position of totally loving the guy, think his current aesthetic gives off a power Euro-racist vibe? Maybe it's only from the American POV. But all the Norse gods, white-red-and-black, psych metal, Germany and Japan stuff... sets off aesthetic alarm bells. Maybe he's reclaiming it or something.
Woden is pretty fun, if you liked Odin, if you like 70 minutes of rumbles, drones and space noises. I do!
― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Friday, 7 June 2013 18:42 (ten years ago) link
Unreservedly loving the new album. First Cope album I've listened to compulsively in a dog's age. Takes a couple listens, but the melodies are fantastic and there's a bit of variety in style/vibe(two things I wasn't finding much of in his work of the last 10+ years). Definitely hearing something here that I haven't heard since Jehovahkill and bits of 20 Mothers.
If you rate Jehovahkill, there's def something here for ya.
So... should I go back and try the last few albums? Initial listens on most were VERY underwhelming. What did I miss?
― mr.raffles, Thursday, 20 June 2013 12:39 (ten years ago) link
genuinely disliked it on a cursory first listen (sad, cuz i'd love to love some new jc), but i'll come back in a couple days and try again.
― controversial vegan pregnancy (contenderizer), Thursday, 20 June 2013 17:55 (ten years ago) link
genuinely disliked it on a cursory first listen (sad, cuz i'd love to love some new jc),
well, that's me done.
hard work JC = not interested JC.
i don't mind listening to an album a few times for the click to happen (in fact those albums are often the best), but he has drifted too far away from my world in recent years for me to give him another chance ..
― mark e, Thursday, 20 June 2013 17:58 (ten years ago) link
Raffles, I highly rec Citizen Cain'd. It's too long but the good stuff is v v good and it is song-form in a kind of crazy horse style.
― folsom country prism (Jon Lewis), Thursday, 20 June 2013 18:21 (ten years ago) link
I believe I have Citizen, Mr. Lewis, so... will try (try try). Thanks for the heads up!
Mark E - didn't really find this a difficult listen at all. after a handful of listens, I can hum 70% of the tunes on it from memory. Been awhile since that was the case w me and JC. I can certainly see it not being everybody's cuppa though! It IS on Spotify, so... try before you buy applies!
― mr.raffles, Thursday, 20 June 2013 18:27 (ten years ago) link
also, i think i saw a non-special edition of the 'Copendium' compilation today.i.e a pretty basic 3 cd boxset edition - no book .. just the cds.is it worthy of a lot of £££ ?i have never heard of any of the bands ... is it unlistenable gumph, or worthy ? well, i have heard of some of them, but never knowingly heard them .. for reference - i like some of the f*cked up mad prog stuff on finders keepers - is that a valid reference point ?
― mark e, Thursday, 20 June 2013 18:27 (ten years ago) link
cool idea re spotify ..
didn't think he would be part of that crowd ..
will listen as i think i need to reconnect with JC after many years of distance
( i mean, there was a time he was my #1 all time, and so when he fell off from the top spot, never mind the list completely, i took it personally !)
― mark e, Thursday, 20 June 2013 18:29 (ten years ago) link
Never picked up Compendium. Been years since I used to purchase anything with his name on it (hey ho Modern Antiquarium).
If anyone has info, I'm curious too.
re: Spotify: for some reason, the first three songs are listed in the single section... and the RS in the album section is songs 4-11.
Cope is on twitter now... has a mailing list... and he's putting new things on Spotify. Lookit him go!
― mr.raffles, Thursday, 20 June 2013 18:33 (ten years ago) link
you know what really pisses me off .. if he did a 'f*ck it here's the classics' tour for festivals etc, it would totally totally rule (if skinner were allowed into the band of course!).he has a brilliant back catalogue, and yet he seems so intent on burning all good will that us old f*ckers have towards him.if ever there was a dictionary definition of the phrase 'ever decreasing circles' then all they would have to do is put in the explanation as 'julian cope' and all would understand.such a shame ..
― mark e, Thursday, 20 June 2013 19:00 (ten years ago) link
Weirdly, I was pondering buying the Modern Antiquarian yesterday ... now that you can buy it for 20 odd quid from Amazon (I must confess I have previously bought a copy and sold it without reading for £100+).
― djh, Thursday, 20 June 2013 20:19 (ten years ago) link
IIRC he played a st julian track and a teardrops song the one and only time i saw him but i could be wrong.
but yeah this is probably the "f*ck it here's the classics" tour i'd most like to see in the world
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Thursday, 20 June 2013 20:36 (ten years ago) link
The only time I saw him was solo at the Middle East back in, I think, 1995. Round 20 Mothers, I think.
Was a pretty amazing show for one dude with a guitar/keyboard. I remember him walking onto the stage, SUPER LATE, and doing a whole stetching, yawning act about just waking up... complaining about "city dwellers" and the strange hours we keep. He also played a song while walking back and forth on the bar. High entertainment!
As for "f*ck it here's the classics" - Rooster and DRS would be necessities!
― mr.raffles, Thursday, 20 June 2013 20:51 (ten years ago) link
It's not impossible this was the very time I saw him!
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Thursday, 20 June 2013 22:39 (ten years ago) link
I think it was the only time he's played Boston since the Peggy show(s?) at the Paradise in 91 or so (which I was out of town for. grr), so... probably?
Hi!
― mr.raffles, Thursday, 20 June 2013 23:00 (ten years ago) link
Yeah, must be, I'm almost sure the show I saw was at the Middle East, and it was definitely a solo.
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Friday, 21 June 2013 14:48 (ten years ago) link
I was at that Middle East gig as well! Brilliant it was. Also not been into his work since, alas.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Friday, 21 June 2013 16:41 (ten years ago) link
only 100 people attended that show but every one of them wasted the rest of their life on ilx
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Friday, 21 June 2013 16:53 (ten years ago) link
JC MidEastShow Support Group
If my memory isn't tricking me, I remember he also did a pretty fun interview on 'BCN when he was in town, which struck me as odd, as they were mainly playing Stone Temple Pilots and Candlebox round that time. He either played or had them play that tune that mentions Madonna and Courtney Love too, which the internet tells me is "Conspiracist Blues."
― mr.raffles, Friday, 21 June 2013 17:14 (ten years ago) link
Quietus review sounds about right:
http://thequietus.com/articles/12603-julian-cope-revolutionary-suicide-review
― mr.raffles, Friday, 21 June 2013 21:03 (ten years ago) link
http://i57.tinypic.com/2u3vdvr.jpg
Fucking hell, man.
― "a bit of goatery, some demonry" (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Tuesday, 16 September 2014 11:18 (nine years ago) link
like some sort of neolithic boogie-rock dustman
― john wahey (NickB), Tuesday, 16 September 2014 11:53 (nine years ago) link
a silbury hillbilly
― john wahey (NickB), Tuesday, 16 September 2014 11:56 (nine years ago) link
that's pretty much what the records sound like these days too.
― erry red flag (f. hazel), Tuesday, 16 September 2014 13:39 (nine years ago) link
has the band name WAZZOCK been taken yet?
― john wahey (NickB), Tuesday, 16 September 2014 14:24 (nine years ago) link
i'm getting a hellboy vibe from the gloves
― arthur treacher, or the fall of the british empire (Jon Lewis), Tuesday, 16 September 2014 17:07 (nine years ago) link
Why the WTF? have you not seen him a while or something?
― Shugazi (Branwell with an N), Tuesday, 16 September 2014 17:10 (nine years ago) link
He's looked like that (on and off) since about 1982.
― everything, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 17:29 (nine years ago) link
He had to give up the Scott Walker to do it, though.
― Mark G, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 17:41 (nine years ago) link
― john wahey (NickB), Tuesday, 16 September 2014 11:56 (5 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
V good.
― djh, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 17:43 (nine years ago) link
i'm about as likely to read his novel as i am to wake up tomorrow speaking perfect inuit, but i think i would probably enjoy reading his thoughts on bono/blake or scottish independence right now
― john wahey (NickB), Tuesday, 16 September 2014 18:51 (nine years ago) link
Autogeddon is amazing btw - I prefer it to Peggy Suicide if not Jehovahkill. So goddamn crazed and psychedelic - it's almost up there with Fried in terms of pure beautiful goofball madness, and it evokes a state of confused apocalyptic bliss - driving as the ultimate freedom as well as the means of damnation
― twunty fifteen (imago), Saturday, 7 November 2015 00:25 (eight years ago) link
I gotta say there is one blemish in that imperial drude phase and its name is autogeddon
― realistic pillow (Jon not Jon), Monday, 30 January 2023 20:12 (six days ago) bookmarkflaglink
but it rules
― imago, Sunday, 5 February 2023 18:11 (one year ago) link
I like the song where he brains a fucker but it’s mostly dud for me
― realistic pillow (Jon not Jon), Monday, 6 February 2023 01:28 (one year ago) link
Autogeddon is kind of crucial in two different sequences of Copework - it's a self-consciously "minor" album after Peggy and Jehovah, keeping a similar crew of regular players and ambitious songwriting, but with less production and more focused themes to the writing - which paves the way for the similar restricted instrumentation and non-fussy production of 20 Mothers - which broadly takes a more positive approach to themes than the 'hovakill->'geddon sequence, and continues up to the outright "fuck it, pop star!" vibe of Interpreter. (The sonic approach of Autogeddon also suits the lyrical concept, ofc.)
But it's also the culmination of an extremely minimal detour with Rite and Skellington 2 - it works as a final chapter in that trilogy, as a bridge back to fully-arranged songs, or as a grounding/reset after the two major-label double-albums.
― more crankable (sic), Monday, 6 February 2023 02:07 (one year ago) link
This looks interesting -
https://superdeluxeedition.com/news/the-teardrop-explodes-culture-bunker-1978-82/
― MaresNest, Thursday, 6 April 2023 15:39 (one year ago) link