Worst Poll Scenario - the dEUS albums poll

I'm aware of the possibility that it could just be Dog Latin and I voting in this, lol. Crawl out of the woodwork, fellow dEUS-heads!

oh i'm p sure they have a good following on ILM. Thought this was the debut album poll.

I'm definitely going for In A Bar - it holds so many memories for me and it's one of the great nineties 'chocolate box' albums that just pulls out surprise after surprise. Worst Case Scenario has some great moments but feels a bit disjointed and could have done with trimming; The Ideal Crash has some great songs as well, but is the point where they started feeling like a different band, dropping some of the more experimental folk and art-pop tendencies to concentrate on a more rock-oriented sound.

Still need to hear My Sister = My Clock I think

The poll was inspired by finding 'In A Bar' in my glovebox yesterday and putting it on again. Classic album obv, but for me it will always be second to WCS and Ideal Crash. WCS is def erratic but it's the first one I heard, just after it came out, and blew me off my socks. It was a portal to discovering Beefheart etc, energy levels through the roof. And yes, the memories attached to it.

But I'm still deciding between 'Worst Case Scenario' and 'Ideal Crash' because the latter, to me, is pretty much a perfect album from start to finish, so focused and unisono in feel and emotion and what they wanted to serve up. Of course, after 'Ideal Crash' there were many line-up changes and it fell to pieces faster than I imagined it could. I included all their later albums but I don't bother with those myself tbf.

I did include 'My Sister = My Clock' because while it was experimental ditty, it's got a couple of my favourite dEUS songs ('Only A Colour To Her' and 'Void').

I think I heard a lot of the songs off WCS via singles a long time before I heard the album itself, so that might be why I hear it as disjointed. I should go back to it really. Hotellounge is probably my favourite dEUS song.

Still have trouble with Ideal Crash, just because it sounds so different to what came before.

Man, I think I'm gonna have a dEUS day today. Thanks for this poll, LBI

First three albums all classic but The Ideal Crash is the most accomplished, dense, and gorgeous thing they ever did. I know it doesn't have the wackiness that sometimes crops up on the earlier albums but I....don't really need that, tbh

Anyone going to vouch for the post-Ideal Crash albums? I bought Pocket Revolution which has some sweet, sad and tender moments mixed with some kinda boring moments. Dropped off on Vantage Point after one listen, but rediscovered some songs via the best-of compilation that came out a few years back. Quite like 'The Architect'.

Seeing them live in London was interesting as they concentrated on the more recent stuff. I get the impression that in Europe it's the post-In A Bar material that is most popular, so when they announced 'Serpentine' as if it were a 'just for the fans' deep-cut, I think they were surprised that most people welcomed it as a familiar fave.

"The Architect" and "Slow" were good singles and Pocket Revolution has a few highlights ("Sun Ra", "Include Me Out", "7 Days 7 Weeks") but overall the later stuff leaves me cold.

'Quatre Mains' is some good noir soundtracky stuff.

'Nothing Really Ends' is probably my favourite post-IC songs, but I think it might have been recorded a while before the other songs on that album.

Also, is everyone familiar with this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2HnleSPNYw

Also, who wrote "I skipped the part about love" first - I take it that was R.E.M.? Or is it a reference to something sooner?

In a Bar, Under the Sea which was my aoty in 96, lol. haven't heard it in ages, will do tonight. to me, poll is only between WCS and Under The Sea. after that they became almost... linear. there's really great songwritting to be found in TIC iirc, but not as compelling, like crucial pieces were missing. Carlens was missing ha, and soon i found out the goods, to me, were beeing delivered in Moondog Jr./Zita Swoon. either way don't think i would pick any ZS over In a Bar

there's an earlier version of "Nothing Really Ends" on the singles comp so I've always counted it as a dEUS mk. I song

Is Stevie Nixed still on this board? She's the other big dEUS fan here

Welcome DL! :)

Agree w/ Simon that while 'Pocket Revolution' has two good singles, as an album - after many line-up changes - it's ultimately forgettable. And like Gaudio said, Carlens took the more freaky bits with him to Moondog Jr./Zita Swoon.

'Nothing Really Ends' is probably my favourite post-IC songs, but I think it might have been recorded a while before the other songs on that album.

It was recorded during the 'Ideal Crash' sessions, when the band stayed in Ronda, Spain, for a couple of months. They thought it was a great song, too, but just couldn't seem to find a place for it on 'Ideal Crash'. They passed it on to the singles comp Simon mentions, made it a single too.

I get the impression that in Europe it's the post-In A Bar material that is most popular

From my experience (and I'm sure Stevie Nixed would back me up on this) this isn't the case; the first three are canon, after that - apart from an odd single here and there - it's become a bit 'meh' sadly.

They did a 20th Anniversary of Ideal Crash tour last year, playing the album in its entirety, in Belgium and over here. I hesitated but ultimately decided against going. I've seen them loads live back in the day, so no need really.

I think I read on Tom Barman's instagram that they wrapped up a new album.

shit man i never checked out moondog jr. listneing to greasy black feather now and it's ticking a lot of my boxes

Also, who wrote "I skipped the part about love" first - I take it that was R.E.M.? Or is it a reference to something sooner?

I remember reading an interview with Tom saying that playing R.E.M. while busking in the streets was their worst case scenario, so yes, definately R.E.M.

I think I heard a lot of the songs off WCS via singles a long time before I heard the album itself, so that might be why I hear it as disjointed. I should go back to it really. Hotellounge is probably my favourite dEUS song.

It has two tracks of the Zea-EP, they seem out of place on WCS. OTM regarding Hotellounge.

Off WCS which I'd heard before the album: Suds & Soda (on a comp), Jigsaw You (Live B-side), Via (Single), Hotellounge (Single), Great American Nude (B-side), Secret Hell (B-side)... So it looks like I'd heard most of it in some shape or form before actually hearing it.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

not really surprising

It is to me, a bit! Thought 'In A Bar' would be second to either of the two others tbf. Good showing, relatively speaking.

I honestly think they've been received very differently in the Anglophone world than they have in the rest of Europe. They were never MASSIVE in the UK (although the show I went to see at the Scala in London was busy and the crowd was fervent), but from where I'm standing it was IABUTS that won most people over to them.

I remember the first album getting some rapturous reviews over here, by the time In A Bar... came out it was one Britpop explosion later and from then on they seemed to be treated as a kind-of-interesting but basically peripheral band. It hasn't occurred to me to listen to any of these in two decades and tbh I'd forgotten about them but revisiting them might be a rewarding project over the next few days.

I revisited In A Bar... a few weeks back, playing dEUS to my housemate who hadn't heard them before. Was surprised to find that the songds I used to love (like the title track and Little Arithmetics) hadn't aged so well, while others like Theme From Turnpike which I wasn't that keen on really came into their own.

I think you're right DL. Holland and Belgium were properly swept away by WCS. Funny you mention 'Little Arithmetics', because I to me that one def stood the test of time. The title song less so. Good idea to play it now to/with someone who's not heard of them before though, I might try that.

(In the end I voted with the heart and went for WCS, first love and all that)

Curious what you think Matt DC!

I still love Little Arithmetic, but there's a whimsicalness and a preciousness about parts of In A Bar which made more sense in the nineties (or at least to me in the nineties) than it does now. The other albums don't really do this as much.

I discovered dEUS because our local record shop was giving away WCS-era singles on CD for 50p each, and being a school kid with no money and a hunger for music they were very welcome. I also remember reading an interview with Tom Barman in one of those Volume CD/booklet compilations. My guess is that UKers' interests were piqued by WCS but it was In A Bar that they rushed out and bought.