The Charlatans by The Charlatans

I've reminisced about the blisteringly hot summer of 1995 on a few occasions over the last month or two. 

T in the Park absolutely baked and I remember a dust storm when Black Grape and The Charlatans played the main stage. There was a lot of excellent music around to soundtrack the time and later that month The Charlatans would release their eponymous album.

The Charlatans - T in the Park 1995

The band had barely paused for breath, the LP was released only 17-months after Up To Our Hips and with the run of singles off both albums, it seemed pretty seamless. That is something The Charlatans have always had, particularly through the glorious 90's - consistency. Quality and quantity.

The Charlatans was originally going to be called The First Shag In Ages! Which would of course have been an excellent title, but on reflection, the eponymous title is a definitely more classy!

Lets revisit the album, a melting pot of songs, grooves & jams. The Charlatans have always had a lovely sense of looseness about their work, but on this album in particular, it's showcased in a beautifully raw way, more so than anything before or since. 

Nine Acre Court opens the album and there is a groove and urgency to the track that the band really had in 1995. I always remember the band opening their Knebworth set with this song. Emotions were running high on stage and off. 

They take it up a notch with Feelin' Holy. Tim Burgess lays the band's drug intake bare in his Tellin' Stories autobiography and there is no doubt what he is on about here. The band gel superbly on this LP, there is a raw live feel to much of the album and a sense of energy, purpose & belief.

One drop, can make you feel how I love

One sweet buzz, can make you feel how I feel

Feeling holy, hello bellow me

Just Lookin' has a super cool vibe to it, the band know they are on form - you can feel it and you can see it in the video and footage from their appearance on Later with Jools. It's super loose, the band are locked in a groove and Burgess sounds fantastic. I love when the beat cuts out allowing him to sing;

I bet you talk about freedom

Then throw it to the sea

You better smile on for my sweet dreamer

You'll never shake it away from me

The closing 45-seconds capture The Charlatans at their best, Jon Brookes gives things an added kick, Mark Collins is in the zone - lovely!

Just Lookin' official video

Just Lookin' - Live on Later with Jools

Crashin' In is simply sublime. The sound of a band smashing it. This is one of my all time favourite Charlatans songs and my favourite ever TV performance by the band was them tearing through it on The White Room. Just look at Tim looking on in admiration at his band and Jon Brookes on drums in particular. They are on fire. Did I mention Mark Collins being in the zone? He's all over this album, guitars pushed to the fore.

Crashin' In official video

Crashin' In on the White Room

Then the classic Charlatans hammond sound takes over for Bullet Comes, the beats are heavy, Burgess starts with a whisper, building to ask what you gonna do when the bullet comes round? And then giving the advice to live it like you love it

It's a great groove. When I look back to this era and this year, The Charlatans were capturing a loose live sound on record like no other band at the time. At 3 minutes 28 seconds you can hear Burgess mumbling something, which makes me think this was captured live. The last 90-seconds are the sound of the band lost in music and Burgess urging live it like you love it.

Talking of grooves, Here Comes a Soul Saver rides in on one, Burgess sounds sweet, the organ is just sublime, everything gels beautifully for the instrumental and then Tim comes back in it's the sunshine of your life, can you feel it when it's right?

A real favourite. Check this live performance from the Phoenix Festival in 1997.

The loose Stones-y sunshine vibe of Just When You're Thinkin' Things Over sounds just as fresh today as it did back in 1995. You look good when you're heart is on fire, it's a matter of taste yeah! is one of my favourite Charlatans lyrics. There is plenty of time over the 5-minutes for the band to groove, the first instrumental starts quite slow and then builds with Mark Collins really fizzing on guitar, building it up and then letting it fall back into the shuffling Stones-y riff & rhythm. The last minute is the band in full flight.

Official video

From Stones-y to stoned. Tell Everyone has a lush, dreamy, slow & stoned feel to it. Toothache is a dirty, loose n raw jam with such a menacing groove that it attracted a remix by The Chemical Brothers, who released their debut album Exit Planet Dust in that glorious summer of 1995. Then we're into No Fiction, The Charlatans are totally on it.

A sense of escapism comes across on See It Through, it takes a while to get going, and then there is a flowing vocal  melody underpinned by Rob Collins on hammond. 

I want to free all the monkeys

Don't want to live in the zoo

Thank You closes the album, a funky psychedelic instrumental, save for Burgess saying a few words, beginning by saying thank you, as if talking to fans. 

I've really enjoyed revisiting the album and hope you do too.

A great little documentary came out on the band via Granada as they were recording the album. Check it out below.

Losing My Edge

Trust Me #33 

20-years ago a band called LCD Soundsystem burst on to the scene with their debut single Losing My Edge, released on leader James Murphy's label DFA Records.

Last month Murphy announced a series of 20th anniversary residencies and parties for his band, including a run of nights at the Brixton Academy in London.

So for this month's Trust Me blog I thought i would revisit that astonishing single. It really was a breath of fresh air. I caught them live at The Barrowland back in 2004 (I think) supporting Too Many DJ's and the way they all huddled around a bank of synths and created a party atmosphere blew me away. The following year my wife (then girlfriend) and I went to Benicassim and they came on stage at 2 in the morning and whipped up a frenzy. I've caught them a couple of times at the Barrowland since then. It's a bit of a home from home for them. I was hoping (still am) that they might sneak in a wee Glasgow residency for their 20th anniversary ...

But back to Losing My Edge.

Everything about this song is cool, clever and funny. Murphy's spoken word, the vast variety of synth sounds, the beats and the way it somehow all hangs together and sounds brilliant.

Over 8-minutes Murphy tells a tale of paranoia - is he losing his edge? 

Murphy highlights what his paranoia is based on - hip young kids from France, London, Tokyo, Berlin and Brooklyn coming through in the music scene, but he then balances that by repeatedly coming back to reflect how hip he was/is. 

I was there in 1968

I was there at the first Can show in Cologne

Is Murphy losing his edge? How can he be? He was there at the first Suicide practices in a loft in New York City, working on the organ sounds. He was the first guy to play Daft Punk to the rock kids at CBGB's and everyone thought he was crazy.

The squelchy synth bass is slightly distorted, sounding super cool as Murphy yells I was there! 

Murphy goes on, trying to convince himself as well as those listening. He's never been wrong, he heard everything first, he was in the DJ booth at Paradise with Larry Levan.

Yet then there are better-looking people with better ideas and more talent. Paranoia that we all face as we get older! 

Murphy reflects on these youngsters - they have incredible compilations, all the great Beach Boys songs and Modern Lovers tracks. Rare vinyl on import or white label. 

As the song develops, through Murphy's inspired rant, the music builds in tandem, that squelchy distorted bass continues though, underpinning everything.

I heard that you and your band have sold your guitars and bought turntables

I hear that you and your band have sold your turntables and bought guitars

Murphy asks, have you seen my records? Then listing a number of bands and artists ending with The Sonics, The Sonics, The Sonics, The Sonics before the song veers off into a glorious hook you don't know what you really want that is repeated time and time again.

Official video / Full length version / Live at Madison Square Garden

Search for Everything Flows Trust Me playlist on Spotify. Search for Everything Flows Trust Me or CLICK HERE 

Previous Trust Me blogs

1. Something On Your Mind by Karen Dalton

1A. Crimson and Clover by Tommy James and the Shondells

2. I Am, I Said  by Neil Diamond

3. Where's The Playground Susie?   by Glen Campbell

4. If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lighfoot

5. Gimme Some Truth by John Lennon

6. Gone With The Wind Is My Love by Rita and the Tiaras

7. In The Year 2525 by Zager and Evans

8. The Music Box by Ruth Copeland

9. The Ship Song by Nick Cave

10. Sometimes by James

11. I Walk The Earth by King Biscuit Time

12. Didn't Know What I Was In For by Better Oblivion Community Centre

13. When My Boy Walks Down The Street by The Magnetic Fields

14. The Man Don't Give A F**k by Super Furry Animals

15. All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun by Jeff Buckley and Liz Fraser

16. Are You Lookin' by The Tymes

17. A Real Hero by College & Electric Youth

18. Feelings Gone by Callum Easter

19. Sunday Morning by The Velvet Underground

20. Did I Say by Teenage Fanclub

21. Don't Look Back by Teenage Fanclub

22. Your Love Is The Place Where I Come From by Teenage Fanclub

23. Belfast by Orbital

24. Clouds by The Jayhawks

25. Dreaming Of You by The Coral

26. Everlasting Love by Love Affair

27. Walk Away Renee by The Left Banke

28. Teenage Kicks by The Undertones

29. Shaky Ground by Sneeze

29. Rill Rill by Sleigh Bells

30. I Can Feel Your Love by Felice Taylor

31. The State We're In by The Chemical Brothers w/ Beth Orton

32. Sunshine After The Rain by Ellie Greenwich

26th May 1999 - The Treble

I can recall May 1999 like it was yesterday, even though it was 20-years ago. I think of it regularly; the football, friendships, music, girls, the adventure, a more innocent time. I was 23 and having the time of my life.

But I'll start by going back a little further. To the beginning of my love affair with Manchester United Football Club. Growing up in the West of Scotland, my parents shielded me a little from the Old Firm. Motherwell was my local team and my Dad took me to some games, but we were also fortunate that my Aunt and Uncle had moved to Ellon, just outside Aberdeen. This coincided with a time when Aberdeen Football Club were sweeping all before them, led by Alex Ferguson, with the spine of Leighton, McLeish and Miller and starlets like Strachan, Black and Weir.

We ventured north regularly to visit my Uncle Murray, Aunt Mary, cousins Tom and Katy and also our Great Aunt Ina who was also up there and to the great delight of me and my brother we went to see Aberdeen play and train. I distinctly remember Aberdeen playing Dundee United and my favourite player Gordon Strachan was on the bench and the Dons support chanted bring on the wee man, bring on the wee man.

Aberdeen won the Cup Winners Cup in 1983, beating the famous Real Madrid in the final. Amazingly, this incredible team still trained in a public park in Aberdeen - Seaton Park.

It was here that as a youngster I experienced Fergie's hairdryer close at hand as he barked and swore at Willie Miller as the team set off on runs round the park with Miller lagging behind. My dad smiled. It was amazing to see these players up close and personal and we got our picture with my hero Gordon Strachan.

As we drove out of Seaton Park one time my Dad asked my brother and I to look behind us. It was the Aberdeen team bus and Fergie was sitting in the front to the side of the driver. He recognised us and smiled, waving back every time we waved at him.

I don't know why, but most kids had a favourite English team. Most supported Liverpool through their strong Scottish contingent of players like Dalglish, but I had fallen for Manchester United and in particular their swashbuckling captain Bryan Robson.

Old school Adidas

So I was delighted when my favourite player Gordon Strachan signed for them in 1984. United became my team. I fell for the club, the history, the Babes, Busby, Best, Charlton, Law and the 1984/85 team with young Norman Whiteside, Jesper Olsen, Robson - the leader and Mark Hughes.

I became United daft and had the home, away and third tops that year. The 3rd top, the blue one with the hoops was my favourite. Scottish football was virtually abandoned, if asked, I was a Manchester United supporter and that's the way it has been ever since.

Possibly my fave United top

But anyway, if you're reading this, you're probably reading it because it is about 1999. So let's fast forward to 1998 and I was down in Manchester with my girlfriend at the time, trying to buy a ticket for United v Leeds but not having any luck. However luck did come my way during a stadium tour when the guide told me that there was a Glasgow Manchester United Supporters Club that ran a bus to every single home game. I was stunned!

It was true, I joined the branch. My first trip on the bus was to see United wallop Wimbledon 5-1 with goals from Beckham, Giggs, Yorke and Cole (2). It was brilliant to meet fellow United supporters who shared my passion and I was amazed to learn about Jim Haw the Branch Chair following United home, away and in Europe. And branch secretary (and exiled Mancunian) Dave Sharkey encouraged me to bring a mixtape after learning of my love of music. Driving towards Old Trafford in the sunshine with Regret by New Order blasting out felt like a dream.

I put my name down for every game and by Christmas I was a regular. I was living my dreams, travelling to Manchester every other week to watch incredible football, I was making new friends, listening to great music, drinking beer and generally having the time of my life.

What a team! A midfield of Beckham, Keane, Scholes and Giggs, Jaap Stam in defence, Yorke, Cole, Ole, Teddy, Schmeichel, and then the less heralded Neville Brothers, May, Berg, Johnson, the ever dependable Irwin, Butt, Blomqvist, the emerging Wesley Brown ... there were goals galore... a both ends.

The 2-0 home win against Inter in the quarter final was one of the best atmospheres I have experienced at Old Trafford. I was up in Tier 3 of the North Stand and people were falling over seats when the second goal went in, I was worried someone might go over the edge. It's pretty steep up there!

The semi final came quickly, too quickly for tickets to be posted to Dave Sharkey, so the bus left a little early and we literally drove up to the ticket office at the front of Old Trafford. Changed days! We pulled up next to what we thought was another supporters bus, but it was the Juventus bus! What a laugh as we flicked fingers, banged on windows and one lad popped a moon, the Juve players gave as good and we laughed with them. It wouldn't happen these days and if it had it would have been all over social media.

Juve were sensational. I was low down in k-stand and marvelled at Zidane bossing the game even with a bandaged knee. He always seemed to have space and time. United clung on and we were somehow still in it.

Planning for Barcelona began immediately after United had displayed incredible determination and spirit, led by Roy Keane, to come from behind and win 3-2 in Turin.

Some lucky members of the branch got tickets, I remember some crying with relief when they picked them up before the Spurs game to win the league. The rest of us that planned on going either booked independent travel or decided to book via a company called Millwest who promised flights, 2-nights accommodation and a ticket for something like £200 (from memory). I went with that option along with many others including a guy called Phil who also started travelling on the supporters bus that year. We'd become great friends, bonding over music, football and fashion.

Full steam ahead Barcelona

Although the flight didn't leave on time!

On Monday 24th May 1999 it is safe to say that I was extremely excited. I'd planned to stay with my friends Phil and Mary at their flat in Victoria Road in the southside of Glasgow that night. Phil would then be driving me, Gary and Richard down to Manchester Airport first thing on Tuesday morning for our flight to Barcelona.

Phil is originally from Cheshire and has an enthusiastic lust for life that brings a smile to the faces of anyone he comes into contact with. His passion for United, for music, for his family, his profession (dentist) and life in general is loud (sometimes very) and proud. We met going down to see United on the Glasgow Manchester United Supporters Club bus and bonded over football, music and fashion and remain great friends to this day.

Anyway, back in 1999 I didn't have a mobile phone. I don't recall many people having them at that stage. I was back home from work and the phone went. It was Phil.

Phil - Guess what?

Me - What?

Phil - I've got us 2 tickets for the final!!!!

Me - WTF?

After the glorious semi-final victory over Juventus in Turin, Phil and I (along with many others) had signed up for flights, hotel and tickets with a company from Manchester called Millwest. As time progressed they wanted an extra £50, another extra £50 and then another extra £50 on top of the initial cost to secure tickets. We were all rather suspicious. Although we paid!

Phil explained that a lady had come into his practice that very afternoon (Phil in 1999 had not long moved to Glasgow after graduating in dentistry and was working in Hamilton, where he is now a partner) and they had got talking and Phil in his usual enthusiastic manner, probably even more enthusiastic than normal given that he was heading to Barcelona, told the lady everything about the final and the ticket fiasco.

To Phil's utter astonishment the lady told him that her son had two tickets for the final but could no longer go. I think he was going through a divorce. He lived in Kilmarnock and was involved with Kilmarnock FC, would Phil like them?!

My jaw hit the floor as Phil told me all this. He was leaving Hamilton to drive to Kilmarnock and told me to get the train to Glasgow and wait with Mary for his return.

Me - Drive carefully!

I headed to Glasgow and jumped a cab out to Phil's flat and waited with Mary. We heard a key turn in the lock and Phil entered with a wild gleam in his eyes.

In what seemed like slow motion Phil pulled two beautiful tickets from his pocket and I ran to him and we jumped about like schoolkids. It was a magical moment. I slept with my ticket under my pillow.

26th May 1999 - my ticket by fate, signed by Sir Alex

Do you believe in fate?

I do.

The next morning a convoy of cars departed branch secretary Dave Sharkey's house in East Kilbride to head to Manchester. Dave, an exiled Mancunian was bristling with pride. My mate Tel literally came in from the hospital where his wife had given birth to their son. He was allowed to go! What a wife! I don't think Tel slept until he got back home!

Exiled Manc and lover of northern soul Gary took one look at Phil's beat up Fiesta and uttered a line from Star Wars 'you came in that thing, your braver than I thought.'

There were a few hairy moments on the drive to Manchester but we got there. I don't think Phil would have cared if he left the Fiesta there, we were on the way.

Well, we should have been.

There was no-one at Millwest at the airport to meet us with the promised tickets for the game. We were told there would be someone to meet us in Barcelona. Phil and I had decided to keep quiet that we had secured two as we really felt for our friends.

The flight was delayed, at one stage there was a rumour that Millwest hadn't even booked a flight.

I'm not sure what happened as I did what I did regularly as a 23 year old. I went to the bar and got drunk and had a laugh, hoping that things would sort themselves out.

Glasgow Reds hoping for a flight

Miraculously, they did. We were put on flights to Barcelona and then bussed out to Salou, arriving at some ungodly hour but still finding a bar open. There had been no-one from Millwest at Barcelona airport or at the hotel.

I remember sitting outside the bar with some hardcore United fans talking about Millwest and one of them told the others not to worry as Millwest offices were getting firebombed. Sure enough, they were!

It was a very, very long day and I didn't get much sleep after having a Mrs Robinson moment with a 36-year old blonde from Manchester. Quite a day and night!

The next day we all met up in a bar for breakfast and briefly hung around the pool to discuss tactics as, not that we were surprised by this stage, there was no Millwest bus to take us there.

Despite challenges, we were within reach of Barcelona and the Champions League final. How were we going to get there though? Would everyone get a ticket?

The morning of the final

We walked to the train station in stifling heat. The trains were mobbed and we weren't allowed on at the station. My instincts kicked in and I dived into a hotel and got them to book 3 taxi's from Salou to Barcelona. They were £100 each but no-one cared, we had come this far.

The taxis all got split up. We decided to get dropped off at the ground, we'd had enough stress of getting there. We found a lovely tapas bar and bunkered in with some locals before walking to the ground.

Phil and I were pretty wrecked by the time we wandered round the ground in the blazing sunshine. Things were not as organised back then as they are now.

We wandered through the Bayern fans singing 'Jankers got a little prick, little prick, little prick' a song we made up on the spot. These days we would probably have been lifted, but we were young, drunk and harmless. The Bayern fans just laughed.

We couldn't believe we were there ... in Barcelona ... about to watch our team play in a Champions League final. I think we may have been a little hysterical.

We got into the ground early and the Bayern end was already pretty full. United pretty much took over the rest of the stadium over the next couple of hours. Before then we were treated to impressive choreographed chants from Bayern, we met others from the branch who had bought tickets on the black market and watched the full build up with beers. It felt like a beautiful dream.

Meeting fellow members from the Glasgow branch who managed to get tickets

To this day some say the beer was alcohol free ...

United end prior to kick off
Freddie Mercury's Barcelona blasted out

The sun went down and the teams came out. It was on.

For some reason Phil's ticket was a section along from mine. There was a section for odd numbers and a section for even. Either that or we were drunk. But we didn't sit or stand next to each other for the game - weird.

Bayern scored, United didn't click. Keane and Scholes were missing and the midfield of Beckham, Butt, Giggs and Blomvquist seemed a little disjointed. Bayern should have been out of sight, hitting the post, the bar, pulling saves from Schmeichel.

They thought they had won it. You could tell from the cheers after their substitutions. They took off Lothar Matthaus, their captain.

Sheringham came on and I can remember him fluffing something on the wing. But United were getting more of the ball, their energy levels seemed higher. But we were not breaking through and I looked across at the clock opposite me and 90-minutes were up.

It was hot, but I had my United bar scarf on, I clung to it and prayed. All around me people were starting to get a little anxious and the mood was changing as some chanted about winning two world wars.

Then United got a corner.

Everyone seemed to go quiet for a minute and then explode into action. We had a chance, Schmeichel was coming up.

Sheringham scored. The place went mental.

Before I knew it we had another corner and everyone seemed to know we were going to win at this point.

Ole scored....

And Solskjaer has won it - Getty Images

There was overwhelming emotion - relief, joy, happiness, elation. Strangers hugged, sang and danced. Bayern were out on their feet, some couldn't get up.

The whistle blew.

I ran into the aisle looking for Phil and he was running towards me. We hugged, eyes ablaze with tears of joy, we climbed over a wall and got down to the very front of the section we were in.

The celebrations seemed to go on for ages. Time was no issue, we could have stayed there all night singing and dancing, celebrating with the players who must have done 3 or 4 laps of the United support. Keane and Scholes came out to huge cheers. All the players got their own turn with the trophy in front of the main United support behind the goals. Sit Down by James was played 2 or 3 times.

If I hadn't seen such riches I could live with being poor

Armed with a disposeable camera, my mate Phil caught the elation at the end

And I caught him

It was magical. I wish I could go back in time and watch the younger me for a few hours from the final whistle.

Ferguson was hoisted on the shoulders of young Wes Brown and reserve keeper Raymond van der Gouw right in front of us and I thought back to seeing Fergie back when I was a youngster. What a journey I had been on with this great man, what a journey he had taken everyone on, what a journey he had taken the club on. He had a vision. Football eh? Bloody hell.

The treble was concluded on the birthday of the late Sir Matt Busby the man who built the traditions of Manchester United, believing in youth and attacking football to give the workers around Old Trafford something to be proud of. Ferguson shared those beliefs.

I vaguely remember walking out the ground in a daze, United fans in absolute harmony.

My next memory is of somehow bumping into other Glasgow branch members in a bar, god knows how, again fate must have played a hand.

There were some Bayern fans there and a couple of them handed out cigars to United fans which I thought was a very touching and classy gesture. Cigars they must have been close to lighting.

Richard Ashcroft from The Verve was outside the bar looking super cool. Someone handed him a scarf and he tied it round his tiny waist. I wondered when he was going to stop pulling the knot!

We jumped a bus to La Rambla and after a couple of cans from somewhere we settled down to sleep along with other United supporters who had no chance of getting back to their hotel that night. But then my Mrs Robinson ran over to say she had found a taxi to take us to Salou and we jumped in and sped off into the night.

We got back to the hotel and our friend Tel was waiting up for us. Thankfully he had got a ticket and we hoarsely talked until we passed out from exhaustion.

United had done it, football, bloody hell.

We had another long day on 27th May at Barcelona airport, drinking and singing. We got up the road and my friends came up at night to watch the game all over again as my Mum had recorded it for me.

It was so special. 20-years ago.

Thank you to Sir Alex, all the players and staff and to all the wonderful supporters who made it such an incredible experience.

Moon Safari

The other day I was alerted to the fact that Moon Safari by Air is 20-years old. What an album it is! Flowing, imaginative, funny, soulful and reflective, full of joyous and melancholic synths, intertwining riffs and melodies, beautiful vocals and a real sense of freedom. It really is majestic.

Earlier on today I played the album, lounging around as the snow fell outside and I was reminded of all of the above and more. I've actually listened to it 3-times today!

I caught the band playing the Old Fruitmarket as they toured the album. Sean Lennon supported and I actually stood beside him in the lead up to Air coming on stage. The DJ dropped The Word by The Beatles and he went back side stage. The 22-year old me was desperately caught in two minds regarding whether to talk to him or not. I wish I had!

La Femme D'Argent is a stunning opener. There is a groove to the bass, flowing synths, dreamy backing vocals and beautiful melodies. It is so easy to get lost in this song. I always used to put it on mix tapes and mix CD's.

Sexy Boy was the 'hit'. The video of Nicolas Godin and Jean Benoit-Dunkel walking about New York City and buying a monkey with a Sexy Boy t-shirt on and subsequently going off to fantasise about things was genius and helped take Air and Moon Safari overground. There guitar/synth riff and Sexy Boy hook are captivating from the off, the sultry French vocals are the sugar on top. The instrumental solo section is sublime.

The reflective side of Air comes across on All I Need, beautiful psychedelic folky riffs combine over simple percussion and more dreamy vocals take the listener on a trip.

All I need's a little time

To get behind the sun and cast this weight

Air's sense of pop that they displayed on Sexy Boy is taken a step further with Kelly Watch The Stars, a song that takes the listener on a different kind of trip via repetition rather than they flowing riffs and melodies that are evident throughout the album. That said, there is still plenty of space in the song for Air to flow and the instrumental section really does lift the song to another level.

As for Talisman, I can't recall an instrumental as emotive, it really does speak volumes. Rising and falling and generally just evidencing sheer brilliance. Remember features repetitive lyrics, but again it is music that captivates.

You Make it Easy is the most 'wordy' song on Moon Safari and it is a tale of love asking questions of how the lovers found each other and marvelling at how life now is.

You make it easy to watch the world with love

You make it easy to let the past be done

The layers of riffs and melodies are pure and sublime on Ce Matin-La with gentle horns introduced alongside strings. Another melancholic soulful masterpiece. Who needs words?

Moon Safari really does take the listener on a trip. As a complete body of work it is stunning, yet individually each track is capable of doing that as well. New Star In The Sky is moody and broody (great album for the bedroom!).

The trip ends with Le voyage de Penelope and again it is so easy to immerse yourself and get lost in the gorgeous music and vibes that the dup create.

Moon Safari is a truly captivating album that sounds like it was conceived with an incredible amount of love, care and attention. I found myself listening to 3-times today. Enjoy, whether you are listening to it for the first time ever or the first time in a while.

20-years since Whats The Story Morning Glory

(What's The Story) Morning Glory? was the album that propelled Oasis towards Maine Road, Knebworth and breakdown. The band pushed it as far as they possibly could between 1994 and 1996 - they burned bright - white light, white heat.

It was released 20-years ago today. I was 19-years old. The band had been an important part of my life, a fixture, since April 1994 when I saw them supporting The Boo Radleys at the Tramway in Glasgow ahead of the release of Supersonic. They blew my mind - the look, attitude, the songs...

They were f**king consistent - in fact they were better than that - they were improving all the time; live and in the studio. Noel was becoming more confident by the month.

Lets take a look back at the album that took over the world in 1995.

It's worth noting the b-sides that were released at that time and thinking of the album it could have been! Talk Tonight, Acquiesce, Round Are Way, The Masterplan...

On to the album - it just blew up. Some Might Say and Roll With It were the singles that proceeded the album. Cracking songs, much in the vein of Definitely Maybe. But Morning Glory was much more varied than Definitely Maybe, which in the words of Noel Gallagher was '10 singles with a nice corny track at the end.'

Morning Glory had the mellow acoustic moments like Wonderwall (an out and out love song) and Cast No Shadow, the emotional Don't Look Back In Anger (with Noel on lead vocals!) and the sky scraping Champagne Supernova. Definitely Maybe remains my favourite Oasis album, but Morning Glory was an important step away from the debut - along with the b-sides mentioned above, it highlighted that Noel was developing as a songwriter and he had a lot to his cannon. Noel wanted his band to mean as much to people as The Smiths, The Roses, The Jam and The Pistols...he succeeded!

The album opens with the cheeky glam stomp of Hello with Liam singing 'it's good to be back, it's good to be back'. In truth, the lads hadn't been away. They kept on gigging and releasing throughout 1994 and 1995 and all the while Noel Gallagher was writing and storing songs away. An interview with Bonehead from the time of release said that he was in tears when Noel played the album on acoustic guitar to him.

Everyone was familiar with Roll With It due to the summer slanging match with Blur that set the peaking point of Britpop that lasted a full year until Oasis reached Knebworth the following summer.

Wonderwall was the song that took Oasis to a different audience. A crossover smash hit, this was a song that transformed and transfixed the nation. I remember going for a drink in neighbouring Wishaw at the time of release and me and my friends were walking about town after the pub closed and unfortunately came across a gang who looked like they were going to kick our heads in. They shouted across the road asking what we were doing in their town and despite not being a fighter I remember taking my belt off, thinking I'll get a good whack in first before we take a kicking.

Then one of them saw I had an Oasis t-shirt on. Within seconds, both groups of lads were singing Wonderwall and punching the air in delight! Next time we were in town we met for a drink!

This song probably deserves a blog in its own right. For all their self proclaimed love of The Beatles, this was the first time Oasis produced something that could be termed Beatlesy and the nation fell in love with it.

Liam's voice sounds incredible - rich and soulful. He was only 23 when it was released, so would have been a youthful 22 when he recorded it. His voice stretched and strengthened from over a year on the road from the release of Supersonic.

The structure is what would become classic Noel - verse - bridge - chorus. Some bands talked of only writing and recording songs for themselves, in interviews around this time Noel talked of writing songs to be whistled by the milkman and the guy off to buy his 20 Benson and Hedges. With Wonderwall, he got the country singing.

Noel famously said to Liam during recording the album - 'You can either have Wonderwall or Don't Look Back In Anger, but not both.'

Liam took Wonderwall and despite a heft trawl through the wonders of the internet - there seems to be no evidence that he ever demo'd or has ever sang Don't Look Back In Anger - at least not recorded.

So Noel gets DLBIA which begins with the chords of Imagine pounded out by a kid from Burnage. It is a bitter sweet song, Noel is in fantastic form with vivid lyrics and his voice suits the song, soaring for the chorus. Funny at times, especially with;

Please don't put your life in the hands, of a rock n roll band

Who'll throw it all away

Other lyrics go back to his childhood - stand up beside the fireplace, take that look from off your face

And the you ain't ever gonna burn my heart out line was one that you sang from the very bottom of your heart with full gusto. And did we ever find out who Sally was, or is the myth that Liam suggested the line true?

Hey Now, at least in my humble opinion, is a total plodder. Round Are Way, The Masterplan or Acqueisce would have been a much better selection on the album. From memory Noel said he was wanting to write something like Neil Young - he failed. In comparison to the highs of Wonderwall, DLBIA, Cast No Shadow and Champagne Supernova then this is a low and probably the most boring song in the Oasis cannon up to that point. It unfortunately lasts for almost 6-minutes, far too long.

Swamp Song is 45-minutes of a promising jam with all kinds of gutsy attitude that would become Oasis entrance music for a while.

Meanwhile, Some Might Say soars towards the stars. The guitars are turned up and sound magnificent. This was Oasis' first number one. It is pop rock perfection. Doesn't really mean anything, doesn't matter. Noel dovetails Liam throughout and it all just sounds glorious. And any song that allows Liam Gallagher to sing suuunnnnnssssshiiiinnnnneeee is a winner in my book.

Some might say, we will find a brighter day

Cast No Shadow is dedicated to the genius that is Richard Ashcroft in the sleeve notes (remember them?!). Mellow, heartfelt and soulful, it is one of Liam's best vocal performances. Check out his exceptional performance at Knebworth below.

Bound with all the weight of all the words he tried to say

And as he faced the sun he cast no shadow

One of my abiding memories of Morning Glory is travelling from Carluke to neighbouring Lanark in my mate Dave's car listening to the album. We were heading to the house of some guy he worked with at the time and it was in quite a rough part of Lanark. The sun was shining, windows were open and the sounds of Morning Glory were everywhere. It was incredible. She's Electric was blasting out of Dave's friends house, it just sounded absolutely perfect for the time and the environment. I love The Beatles story of McCartney taking Sgt Peppers to a party and opening the windows of the flat at dawn to blast it out. It seemed like every single house in this estate in Lanark was playing Morning Glory on this sunny Autumn day.

Somehow She's Electric has become a bit of a staple at weddings. It is poppy, catchy and funny. You can't fail to like it.

Morning Glory is electric - absolutely sensational - Oasis in pure punk form and Liam really going for it with the vocals. I was lucky enough to be at Knebworth in 1996 (in the front pit after bribing security) and my mate Elliott hoisted me on his shoulders for this. Looking back at 125,000 people going nuts was unbelievable. Ferocious.

Untitled/Swamp Song 2 eases us into the closer. Paul Weller allegedly appears on Swamp Song and Noel apparently wanted to call it The Jam which would have been amazing!

Champagne Supernova is a skyscraping anthem. It feels fantastic, starting off with acoustic guitars and Liam singing his heart out and then it just builds and builds. The beat kicks in and Liam and Noel lead the song towards the sun.

Cause people believe that they're gonna get away for the summer

 You and I, we live and die

The world's still spinning round

We don't know why

Why, why, why, why?

There is a brief respite and then Noel launches into one of his most stratospheric guitar riffs, just to tease us, before Liam comes in and lulls us down before it all kicks off again.

Someday you will find me, caught beneath the landslide

In a Champagne Supernova, a Champagne Supernova in the sky

This is a gem, an absolute belter, with moments of searing brilliance leading to some of the most tender and soulful Liam lyrics in the Oasis catalogue.

Where were you while we were getting high

We were getting high, we were getting high....

Oasis were certainly getting high 20-years ago and they took a hell of a lot of people along for the ride. Take some time to listen back to (What's the Story) Morning Glory? over the weekend and think back to those heady days when Oasis kicked down the door to the mainstream and a whole heap of bands rushed through. A seminal album from the time.

Grand Prix by Teenage Fanclub - 20th anniversary

Grand Prix by Teenage Fanclub was released 20-years ago on Creation Records; it is an album jam packed with all of the things I love about the Fanclub and listening back it still seems to have a special zip and zest to it.

From the opening chords of About You, through guitar pop gems like Sparky's Dream and Discolite, reflective moments on Mellow Doubt and Tears and the outstanding Don't Look Back - Grand Prix is the sound of a band at their very best.

Norman Blake, Gerry Love and Raymond McGinley share the songwriting duties and Grand Prix is an album that reflects magnificently on their progress as writers and musicians. In many ways Grand Prix was the start of another stage in the Fanclub journey, leading on to Songs From Northern Britain and Howdy!

The quality was always there from the debut single Everything Flows, through A Catholic Education, Bandwagonesque and Thirteen. However it is turned up a notch - the songs, the musicianship and production are sublime.

Quinn, Blake, Love and McGinley - 1995

About You sets the tone for the album, warm sounding guitars, upbeat, harmonies and a sense of urgency - all wrapped up in well under 3-minutes. It is almost un-McGinley like; not only for its lyrical simplicity but also for the fact it is so upbeat and urgent; Raymond's work is usually more melancholic and reflective.

Gerry Love contributes 4 exceptional songs to Grand Prix, beginning with Sparky's Dream, the playful riff at the start suddenly explodes into life and Love is (or has been) head over heels but has discovered that love isn't always so easy.

If she lived in space, man

I'd build a plane....

Need a crystal ball to see her in the morning

And magic eyes to read between the lines

I took a wrong direction

From a shooting star

In a love dimension

Fading fast from taking this too far

Sparky's Dream quickly became a live favourite and the band still play it to this day. Love is full of hope and also reflection as the song builds into the flowing chorus, backed by beautiful backing vocals.

The Quietus described it thus;
It never stops ascending. Even where pop songs usually calm down, in the bridges and buffers between the major melodic attacks of verses and choruses, there is no break in the skywards gradient. In some genres this might be more common, but pure pop onslaughts as unrelenting as this one are rare and exhilarating in indie rock.

The opening trilogy concludes with the Mellow Doubt and the three songs remain staples in most Fanclub sets.

I remember going to see the band at King Tut's on the Mellow Doubt 'tour' when they played 3 gigs in Glasgow. As always, there was a degree of humour with the Fanclub, especially when Norman whistled the solo to huge applause. This happens at their shows to this day.

Mellow Doubt is a beautiful song, full of love and heartbreak and aptly named as it is by far the most 'mellow' song in the Fanclub cannon up until that point. I listened a lot to Teenage Fanclub when I went travelling back in 2007 and into 2008 and the song took on a new meaning when I was thinking of proposing to my girlfriend through the lines.

There is no choice, in what I must do

Nothing is greater, than to be with you

Norman's voice is soulful and true throughout the song, particularly in the line;

these feelings don't go away

Gerry Love is in sensational form through Grand Prix. Don't Look Back is a song of pure beauty, shining like the sunshine that Love mentions early on and containing the gem of a line;

I'd steal a car to drive you home

The pace, structure and feeling on this song is just perfect and the guitars that kick in at the end just lift the song superbly to conclusion.

Raymond can be very playful with his lyrics and melodies and that is highlighted on Verisimilitude, although it is the simplest lines that get me when listen back.

I always feel good when I look at you

In you I know our needs are the same

Neil Jung was written by Norman for a very dear friend of his. The guitar chords are warm with a melancholic riff picked out over them. At almost 5-minutes, it is the longest song on the album, allowing the band time to create some gorgeous sounds on their guitars and for Norman to get his message across to his friend.

Norman reaches out to another friend, Creation Records boss Alan McGee, on the piano based ballad Tears. The strings are beautiful and horns come in to just give the song that little edge.

Gerry Love has written some exceptional songs in his time and Discolite is one of my very favourites. Classic Love; it starts with nice warm chords and you can almost hear Gerry chewing his gum as the beat kicks in, the guitar speeds up and the band are off- flowing superbly. There are ooh's, there are aah's as the song speeds up only to return to the warm slow chords at the start before the beat kicks back in and we are off again.

Love takes the song to a new euphoric level with the section below; something that will leave you punching the air in delight, especially if you have the good fortune to catch Teenage Fanclub playing it live.

When the DJ plays your tune

There's a light inside your moon

If the takes don't take you

And the breaks don't break you

Get the train on time, I've waited much too long

The pace slows for Raymond's Say No and he displays his incredible talent for song structure and feeling with clever rhymes allowing the song to flow.

Gerry Love is on fire again with the stunning Going Places; a chiming guitar riff ushers things in gently and Gerry is in a reflective mood yet also finding the space and time (as always) for a lovely romantic line;

I've requested the stars to shine

The song slows superbly for the got the notion... section before lifting to glorious conclusion.

I'll Make It Clear bursts immediately into life; Norman is hopelessly in love and it is the two of them against the world, no-one else understands.

Raymond's last song on the album is the mellow I Gotta Know before Grand Prix closes with the appropriately titled Hardcore/Ballad that explodes into life with a furious jam before dropping to a delicate acoustic guitar with Norman sounding in love but hurt and reflective.

You're my friend but that's not all

We're above them all

Staying here, staying dear

And love is easy to define

Mine is yours as yours is mine

Through the pain, through the pain

20-years down the line Grand Prix remains an astonishing album with real depth to the songwriting, playing and production - timeless.

The Second Coming - 20 year anniversary

20-years ago today I took a half day at work, nipped into HMV and bought the Stone Roses Second Coming on CD and vinyl. I got the train home from Glasgow back to the sleepy suburb of Carluke and me and my brother put the record on and sat back on the sofa to listen with eager anticipation.

I don't think I've ever felt such a sense of anticipation about a record since. The Roses eponymous debut album had been one that my brother and I had fallen for madly. However we had been too young to fully embrace it when it came out in 1989, I was only 13 and my brother was only 10.

1991 was the year I fell for the Roses, I was 15 and songs like Made of Stone and Mersey Paradise were staples on mix tapes in the 5th year common room at school.

Like many, I got to know every riff, hi-hat, melody and beat of their debut album, it was like a drug, you wanted more and you found something new every time. The look of the band, their artwork, lyrics and style just made me fall for them hook, line and sinker.

The Roses became an enigma, shrouded in mystery; no gigs since Glasgow Green in 1990, no new material, legal battles, a new huge record deal, rumours, false dawns, retreating into their own world.

Pre internet I poured over the NME and Melody Maker on a weekly basis in the hope of some news, the NME even sent reporters to track them down to find out what was happening. As is the case in 2014, the Roses kept quiet.

Ian Brown tracked down by the NME

And then it happened; the Second Coming was announced and it was happening in December.

Back in Carluke I got home and put the CD on (I had also bought the double vinyl being the Roses geek I am) and my brother and I sat entranced as the sound of Breaking Into Heaven came out of our speakers. The intro was cinematic and epic, jungle sounds akin to Apocalypse Now, distorted guitar and tribal beats.

A full 4 minutes and 30 seconds pass before a menacing groove kicks in and we hear Ian for the first time;

I've been casing your joint for the best years of my life

Like the look of your stuff

Outta sight

This was different, yet mesmerising; Mani and Reni were tighter than ever, Squire just oozing class and Brown sounding cool and menacing. The shift in pace towards the middle eight is glorious;

How many times do I have to tell you, you don't have to wait to die?

You can have it all any time you want it

Yeah the kingdom's all inside

Squire is let loose for the closing 150 seconds, riffing off himself as Mani and Reni keep the groove. It is an epic opener, all 11-minutes and 21 seconds of it, continuing the religious imagery of I Am The Resurrection that closed the debut in such memorable fashion. You wouldn't be pogo-ing to this at the indie disco though, this was a more mature Roses with a harder edge.

Driving South emphasised that the Roses had moved on from the chiming guitars that were all over their debut. Rumours had been circulating that Led Zep were never far from the Roses/Squire's turntable and this was proof. Squire is all over this - it's an OK song, far from the best the Roses produced.

Ten Storey Love Song is one of the Roses finest moments. Any hints of Zeppelin are banished as chiming guitars are ushered in gently after a loose jam with Reni in top form.

Tears streamed from my eyes when I saw the Roses playing this in Amsterdam in 2012. It is one of those songs that just generates a special feeling within.

When your heart is black and broken

And you need a helping hand

When you're so much in love

You don't know just how much you can stand

Squire's guitar is dipped in honey, producing sugar sweet rushes. Brown responds to the melody he has been given and his vocals on this tune are amongst the best of the album.

Daybreak is a loose jam, coming in straight after Ten Storey Love Song. Squire, Mani and Reni are exceptional musicians and I would personally love to get access to the hours and hours of recordings from this era that must be lying in a studio somewhere just waiting to be dusted off. I imagine there must be a lot of jams - the vast majority without vocals - but they would be great to hear.

I personally really like Daybreak, it sounds pretty fresh, the guitars haven't been piled on like they have on other tracks. There are not many bands who can play like this.

One more for the dreamers

Fans were first introduced to Your Star Will Shine as the b-side to Love Spreads. It is a beautiful song; acoustic guitars with some backwards effects going on. The harmonies towards the end are spine tingling. 

Hush my darling don't you cry

I'll stay by your side until morning

Straight To The Man is Ian Brown's sole songwriting contribution to the Second Coming. The Squire/Brown team that had brought us so many songs that we had fallen for had essentially split due to the fact that they no longer lived close to each other, the court case, drugs and family life. It is very organic, akin to much of Brown's future debut solo album. It's loose and funky.

Every time I listen to Begging You I think of the lost albums/songs the Roses could have made during the wilderness years. In my imagination there is an album containing this alongside the likes of Fools Gold, One Love and Something's Burning.

Those 3-songs were exceptional. No other band was producing anything like it. Can you imagine the kind of tripped out psychedelic album the Roses could have created if they didn't have their legal issues hanging over them?!

Ian Brown at Spike Island with the world in his hand

Begging You was released before the Chemical Brothers sensational debut album Exit Planet Dust came out in 1995. It is a fascinating insight into what Squire and the Roses were all about and I'm amazed they weren't tempted to try and create more tunes like it.

The Roses on Top of the Pops

Tightrope is quite simply beautiful. I'd highly recommend the live version released on the ltd edition Crimson Tonight EP; check it out here.

The album version starts quite raggedy. The guitar is very un-Squire like; sounding really raw and almost out of tune. It's like the Roses have gathered around a campfire.

Lyrically it has to be one the most poetic Roses tunes on offer. Brown sounds great and Reni harmonises with him beautifully.  

Are we etched in stone or just scratched in the sand

Waiting for the waves to come and reclaim the land

Good Times is more Zep influenced rock. Where Squire's guitar playing was once measured and considerate, here he lets rips, showing his talents in a different way.

When I listen to this I can't help that the band are talking to themselves but aren't convincing that the good times are going to roll again.

who stole away our time?

how many days have I been lying on my back

Tears is an absolute masterpiece, the Roses at their very best. A beautiful acoustic riff ushers us in, Brown is measured and considered for the first two verses before he ups a gear as the band hit their stride and Reni comes in on the drums.

So if you hear me crying or talking in my sleep

Don't be afraid it's just the hours that I keep

We got a love to last for a million years

A love that could never fade through the tracks of your tears

Squire is in absolutely sensational form on Tears - riffing off himself and taking the song to new levels. Vocally, it is up there with Brown's best performances.

The extended instrumental section is exquisite, highlighting how formidable Squire, Mani and Reni are when they get in the groove. This is 6 minutes and 50 seconds of the Roses at their majestic best.

How Do You Sleep is vintage Roses, chiming guitars, a strong melody, imagery, the band stretching out, Brown in good form.

Love Spreads was the comeback single and it closes the album. It's back to menacing bluesy rock, Squire allowed to let rip over the super tight rhythm provided by Mani and Reni. The importance of the backbone of the Roses cannot be understated, their playing on the Second Coming is sensational, totally on it. Check out the isolated drum track of Reni playing below.

Second Coming doesn't flow like Stone Roses, but then not many albums do. In an old post-Roses interview Squire agrees with it being a flawed masterpiece. I like that description.

One of the reasons I find the Second Coming to be an excellent album to return to is the variety of styles on offer - largely, I believe, due to the length of time taken to record it.

To my ears there are 6 styles making up Second Coming;

Epic - Breaking Into Heaven, Tears; Dance/Electronic - Begging You;

Rock/Zep - Driving South, Good Times, Love Spreads; 

Classic Roses - Ten Storey Love Song, How Do You Sleep

Loose jams - Daybreak, Straight To The Man; Acoustic - Your Star Will Shine, Tightrope

We can only dream of the Third Coming....