Screamadelica: the poll

As much as I love the title track, I think it's all about Don't Fight It, Feel it.

Wait, no, it's the title track. Parts of this album have aged really, really badly - but the good bits are still SOOOO good that they seem to transcend all that. But then again, maybe it was a time and place.

When the drums kick in about 2:48 on Higher Than The Sun, it's still absolutely magical.

ARGH. DECISIONS. stop polling my misspent youth.

The title track is a b-side on the Dixie Narco EP, Kate; wotchoo talkin' abaht?

the title track isn't on the album tho

xpost

What am i thinking? this should be titled screaPOLLdelica

DFIFI was better as a single.

ARGH. I meant Higher Than The Sun. Sorry, acid flashback, I'm losing my mind.

Voted for Slip Inside This House, although I love most of the things already mentioned pretty much as much.

DFIFI was better as a single.

Isn't this true of all the tracks that were released as singles? Never really got into this album because of that.

not true.

I liked the remix 12" of Don't fight it, it's not here.

Went for the dub symphony.

Isn't this true of all the tracks that were released as singles? Never really got into this album because of that.

― I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE UP TO (Colonel Poo), Tuesday, March 24, 2009 10:56 AM (41 seconds ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

i never really liked the farley/heller version of 'come together' but w. DFIFI basically the 7" mix is pure gold, whereas on the LP it's a bit unfocussed -- even less so than the 12" mix iirc. whereas they just put on the 12" mixes of 'come together' and 'loaded' which are both great. and they put on the 7" of 'higher than the sun' i think.

This should be deluxified.

(You seen those latest Radiohead 3 disc versions of their first three albums?)

OH GOD I WOULD SO BUY A DELUXE OF THIS ALBUM.

Still can't make up my mind. Loaded is never as good as I remember it being.

"Higher Than The Sun". Combines melodic songsmith qualities with an interesting use of electronics to the best effect.

I was thinking specifically of Come Together - I much preferred the single version of that to the album version - I ended up buying some US import of the Come Together EP to get it.

time and overexposure has largely spoiled this record for me. loaded would be my first choice to listen to.. it was also the first primals i ever owned (though i heard ivy ivy ivy first)

xpost yeah, and I think the elongated version of the single version was on one of the 12" singles (and nowhere else)

My favorite track from this always alternates. These days it's Slip Inside This House.

Higher Than The Sun is their best song ever.

Even last month live when they turned the last third into a blues jam.

Come Together 4EVA!!!

Although this record is very dated

More love from me for the title track. I had it tightly wound in its entirety round one side of the Dixie Narco 7" - I'm amazed the needle didn't carve through the disc every time I played it

In its absence, 'Don't Fight It, Feel It' is the only one I ever listen to, so that

Apart from Movin' on Up, Come Together & Loaded, I don't think this record is dated at all. Still sounds amazing at 3 in the morning. Voted for Shine Like Stars.

htts (dub symphony)

I could never get into this record- I don't know maybe you had to be there or something. Perhaps Kate's right that a lot of it has aged badly and by the time I heard it in the early 00's it just didn't sound so great- I actually like Vanishing Point better. Also, the original "Slip Inside This House" is far superior. I don't know, maybe I should give it a another listen one of these days.

Damaged ftw

guess which one i'm gonna vote for

it would be easier if you just told us.

"I Belong to Glesga (Dear Auld Glesga Toon)"

but it's obvious which one i'm gonna vote for

Why would it be obvious to anyone but you?

SOOO OBVIOUS, GOD

"A Plague of Shitehouse Keechers"?

Anyway, until CM deigns to reveal all, I have a soft spot for "Slip Inside This House", but, I think it has to be "Higher Than The Sun [dub symphony]"

DFIFI because no Bobby lol

^^ same reason im probabyl going come together

here's what you've all been waiting for

come together, duh

you being a huge balearic guy, how could we not have guessed.

it is also the best song called "come together" (non-controversial opinion imo)

(dude did you not see me repping for Studio lolz)

sometimes think this is the best British indie canon album of the 90s because it's got just enough sense of fun on board not just 'miserable splendour' like Loveless, Dummy, Maxinquaye etc.

2nd-best song called "come together" = blur's come together

never did like spz one much and beatles is str8 overrated

Annie's is better than all dat (not PS)

jesus fkn christ there are 872 recorded "come together"s on allmusic

"Come Together" is the song that made me start hating Primal Scream.

"Come Together" is a good Beatles song!

noooo

abbey road is an album that totally only becomes any good at "she's so heavy" and then remains very good for the remainder

I think we would all agree that.

No we wouldn't

absolutely fucking not

x-post

Something is k-lassic, frank sinatra told me so

And all the Lennon stuff on Side 2 is shit

should do a thread of louis' totally random assertions

I'm surprised there's never been a "best Come Together" poll.

"Come Together" is the song that made me start hating Primal Scream. - if that is when you started hating them, does that mean you preferred the leather chaps & cowboy hats phase?

xxp actually can we not?

It's the "Come Together" Arena Thread!!!

I forgot MC5's "Come Together"!!!!

Yeah me too til I read that thread. Still Spiritualized though, with MC5 second.

if that is when you started hating them, does that mean you preferred the leather chaps & cowboy hats phase?

That means I liked "Loaded" a hell of a lot and was blindsided by how much I despised "Come Together". (I refused to listen to them for a long time after hearing "CT", which is why I didn't discover how great "Slip Inside This House" was until years after the fact.)

I'm sure the Bobster didn't forget the MC5 version...

wot no Hixxy ;_;

"Slip Inside This House" is 2nd-choice for me

if you compress this album to one song the end result can only be "come together".

"Come Together" sounded fucking perfect when I teenager, full of optimism & on drugs. These days, not so much. Loaded holds up, though.

i'm beautiful, i wasn't born to follow
i live just for today, don't care about tomorrow
what i got in my head you can't buy steal or borrow
i believe in live and let live
i believe you get what you give

no question, no contest. best song they ever did.

those are some horrible lyrics

oh they're so hilariously TRIPPY MAN

it's got early 90s peas luv and xtacy self-importance stamped all over it

how can you not love it

Who's a worse lyricist: Bono or Bobby Gillespie?

Mine is the only vote for 'Inner Flight'? And I'm not even a Beach Boys-fanatic.

No option for "unbelievably shitty, self-important, over-rated album" = no vote from me.

Multi-X-Post: "Come Together" is a bad song by a great band.

Are we talking about the "Come Together" with the Jesse Jackson sample that starts out "This is a beautiful day. It is a new day..." OR are we talking about the one that goes "Kiss me, won't you won't you kiss me... lift me right out of this world." I prefer the former, even though it sounds like an absolutely amazing beginning to a song that you expect to start rocking but it never really gets there and ten minutes later it ends.

Give me XTRMNTR any day.

Are we talking about the "Come Together" with the Jesse Jackson sample that starts out "This is a beautiful day. It is a new day..." OR are we talking about the one that goes "Kiss me, won't you won't you kiss me... lift me right out of this world."

Actually I am talking about the "Come Together" that starts with "Here come old flat top He come groovin' up slowly" :)

DFIFI FTW

a song that you expect to start rocking but it never really gets there

worst orgasm ever

ah, but the next day....

You feel a bit used?

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

COME TOGETHER!!!

even though i sometimes don't acknowledge individual tracks when i play this album through, 'slip inside this house' is the definite winner for me.

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

last 3 polls i've voted in, i've voted for the winner (protection, down on the upside, this)

yay conformity

How the fuck did "Loaded" place so low?? I love that song.

Let's party then!

That might be the best sample in any song ever.

How the fuck did "Loaded" place so low??

Too many great songs!

I completely missed this, give +1 for Loaded

Guys, "Higher than the sun" is higher as a sum!

rubbish lyrics and everything, but im surprised 'im coming down' got naaathing. prefer it to damaged any day.

It just hit me how much melody Country Girl takes from Damaged

Come Together 13

srsly, what is wrong with you ppl

If she can be believed, she's as excited to hang out as I am. Plus I can hear that amplified Kenyan preacher about 75 meters away. "Come Together" seems like the right choice here. And ... yes.

Seriously having a breakthrough with this album here, after years of listening to it.

http://www.mojo4music.com/blog/2010/02/primal_scream_to_play_screamad.html

Primal Scream To Play Screamadelica Live!

11:07 AM GMT 17/02/2010
Primal Scream To Play Screamadelica Live!

PRIMAL SCREAM WILL PLAY their dub/house/gospel/acid-rock opus Screamadelica in its entirety for the first time on November 27 at London's Olympia.

Produced by Stones-mainstay Jimmy Miller and DJ Andrew Weatherall, Screamadelica saw the band make the chemical-fuelled leap from jingle-jangle indie-rockers to acid house evangelists. A gospel choir, a brass section and original Screamadelica vocalist Denise Johnson will all join an expanded line-up of the band on the night.

Tickets go on sale on Friday, February 26 via www.gigsandtours.com

"Gospel! ... Gospel!"

What is it with bands nowadays doing concert tours where the big selling point is they're going to play their canon album in its entirety? Van Morrsion did it wth Astral Weeks. Todd Rundgren did it with A Wizard A True Star. Roger Waters did it with Dark Side of the Moon. And now the Primals are doing it with Screamadelica!

Here's to hoping Jesse Jackson drops by to do guest vocals on "Come Together."

What scares me is, there was a point when I would have cared. There was a point when I would have cared a lot.

Now this news makes me cringe.

Sounds quite fun, tho I don't know what PS are like live these days (I have never seen them live)

They are no longer the Battersea Dogs Home For Lost Shoegazers, they are now a perfectly competent gang of session men propping up what is left of Bobby G's ass. It will be perfect for the nostalgia trippers. I am perfectly sure they will do an adequately good job of performing this album.

Which is really, truly odd, as the band that actually recorded this album were *not* actually capable of doing so.

im not usually up for this kind of thing but this one is tempting

"adequate" and "competent" are never words I thought I'd type about Primal Scream.

i dunno, last time i saw them (TEN YEARS AGO... fuck) they were boringly competent

i have no idea who actually played what where, on record or off btw

Not a tour, or indeed a big selling point, but Suede also did this with their five albums in five successive nights at ICA. I wonder just who went to the final gig?

I'd probably be more interested in this one if they got a session guy in to replace Bobby G himself.

Suede also did this with their five albums in five successive nights at ICA

amazed i missed news of this. did they change line-up midway through?

I suppose "indie nostalgia band plays their big album" is a guaranteed way of saying "we promise they won't bother you with any of that post-success experimental nonsense or come-back albums." Also a way of screaming to casual fans THERE WILL BE NO SONGS YOU DON'T KNOW. HONEST!!!!

I'd really rather see Primal Scream do a "greatest hits" show of the sort they've been touring recently than shit all over an album they actually had very little to do with the actual making of.

about five of those greatest hits are from 'screamadelica' though

there aren't that many people out there aching to hear 'kowalski' iirc

and i sure as hell don't want to hear anything they've done since exterminator at the latest

Yeah, I remember they were one of several bands that were all "our next album is going to be all IGGYness" until the 'dance remix' took off and suddenly all those bands were all "ah, there's always been a dance element to our music"

(for newer readers, that last quote was from The Soup Dragons, who were about to release their new Iggyalbum but withdrew it *just* in time (cassette versions escaped) for a dancey makeover)

I'd prefer them to do a "history" gig, like Motorhead did once, where all their past members come and go in chronological order, and they start off with "All Fall Down / It Happens"

yeah?

how much of 'pet sounds' was played by the beach boys?

Ah, the old "there's always been a dance element to our music" escape clause. I liked that Soup Dragons album, for shame.

I don't remember anything past XTRMNTR at the "greatest hits" type show, it was pretty much monster hit followed by monster hit with the occasional ballad to go to the bar. Which is how greatest hits shows should be. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it, there was a lot of nostalgia notes that they managed to hit quite well.

Of course I'd be unlikely to recognise anything past that one album that came out after XTRMNTR whose title I conveniently forget but it had Autobahn 66 and that awful cover of Some Velvet Morning on it?

i can't remember either. all their 00s albums have similar auto-generated titles.

I had to look it up. Evil Heat. ::shudders::

yeah, "Evil Heat Shudders" would have been better.

What I always liked about them was that after paying people to make their records good, they would learn to play them live. So most bands would have left Loaded as a remix of I'm Losing More Than I'll Ever Have, rather than turning it into a mainstay of their sets (although the bit where he starts singing A Love Supreme over it live is embarrassing - or is that over something else?). At Reading 94, maybe, they played a live version of the Dust/Chemical Bros remix of Jailbird, which was just great, exhilerating (rather than a bit shit like the actual song).

Fave ever Scream gig was after Vanishing Point came out in the old train station in Barcelona. They opened and closed with different versions of Burning Wheel and played Five Years Ahead of My Time. Awesome.

Or like the MBV Arkestra remix of If They Move, Kill 'Em.

I was vaguely aware of Riot City Blues, but Beautiful Future, WTF? I didn't even know they had done another. Was at a party last weekend with a bloke who theorised that for every band, whenever it was you stopped following them, they *always* had one more album you were not aware of. This seems to bear this out!

x-post

So most bands would have left Loaded as a remix of I'm Losing More Than I'll Ever Have

Pretty sure this was the work of Creation and/or Radio. My copy has the song as the main track, followed by the remix.

I have a ton of CDs that a mate who went to China left with me, and I still haven't dared put Evil Heat on ...

Uptown (Long after the disco is over mix) is aces, though. Highly recommended. They probably do a live version of that, too.

Evil Heat's wank. Riot City Blues is worse, though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=238EnhfrmLg

re. the poll. amazed im comin down got no votes and damaged got two. damaged is the only one id skip.

Jesus, I didn't even mean Evil Heat; I meant Beautiful Future. That's how shitty Primal Scream are outside of Screamadelica, XTRMNTR, Vanishing Point, and a handful of other singles.

rubbish lyrics and everything, but im surprised 'im coming down' got naaathing. prefer it to damaged any day.

― FREE DOM AND ETHAN (special guest stars mark bronson), Tuesday, March 31, 2009 1:45 PM (10 months ago) Bookmark

well at least im consistent

beautiful future was hilariously reviewed by petridis*

*yeah i actually typed that

there is a special reason why it was funny to me neway

Evil Heat got 8/10 from NME.

(just googled to check the tracklisting: Autobahn 66 was alright in it's neuness...)

Someone in or around that band was incredibly good at Zeitgeist chasing and getting on the bandwagon at just the right time. Signs would point to Andrew Innes or someone at Creation as the obvious culprit.

It's quite curious how you can have a band who seem so easily led and give the impression of being too drugged up to care what is done to their music - and it ends up being exactly the *right* thing to get them credit for being on top of the wave rather than drowned behind it. But it all gives the impression of being astute business direction or luck rather than any calculated effort.

It's probably just nostalgia that makes me retain any element of affection for them. But the last time I saw them, last year, it was such a trip down memory lane of mine own musical experience that it was hard to hate them.

How to do a frankly BRILLIANT remix of PRML SCRM every time:

-Grab the bass riff. That will always be brilliant. Loop it and boost the sub-bass.
-Grab the guitar riff. Run it through a huge amount of delay and reverb so it's really psychedelic
-Add some wibble and sparkly psychedelic noises
-Erase as MUCH of Bobby Gillespie's voice as you can possibly get away with. The occasional "woo!" or "alright!" is OK but you do not want to allow him anything even approximating a tune
-Add some melodica to remind everyone how much they'd love to be New Order, if they were really from Manchester, maaaaaan
-Add some samples that scream "LSD!" - biker flicks or Indian strings or free jazz noise and sprinkle them in liberally

Now you're done. Stand back and watch the indie disco floor fill up.

Evil Heat's not a BAD record per se, just lacklustre after XTRMNTR.

Evil Heat is OK

It's utterly brilliant compared to Riot City Blues ha ha.

Actually just put on Evil Heat and I had forgotten Deep Hit Of The Morning Sun was on this and not XTRMNTR. Oops.

The more I listen, the more I'm convinced that if this album were released a no vocals dub version I'd love it. But we're still on singles and haven't got to the album tracks yet.

DHOMS is pretty excellent, aye. The lead single was alright, too.

At MBVATP I left the actually-a-bit-boring Yo La Tengo to watch PS and they played XTRMNTR which was great but then they played something off one of the last two albums and it was awful, and then followed it with something else post-Evil Heat so I left.

They were awesome live when Kevin Shields was playing with them though.

I actually just had to check that the last song was Bobby G whinging semi-soulfully and not Jason Pierce. That isn't a good sign.

The more I listen, the more I'm convinced that if this album were released a no vocals dub version I'd love it.

suspect i am the only person who listens to echodek more than any primal scream proper album ?

I really really like Echo Dek, great little underappreciated semi-album!

absolutely not, Echo Dek is by far my favorite Primal Scream disc. Head and shoulders above the other PS albums and one of the best 'dubs' of any album i've ever heard.

'Vanishing Point' is the one for me. Some of the best and most inventive stereo panning I've heard, which is good because some of the songs are quite weak.

Seen the Scream plenty of times throughout the years. The best was probably on the 'Evil Heat' tour, despite the fact I'm not a huge fan of the album, it was great to see Kevin Shields. Thought it would've been the only chance to see him back then.

Too bad we can't count on stereo panning to save more bad albums...

Kate's remix summary* pretty nicely describes the recent Weatherall Uptown version

*bar the bemusing melodica line. Pablo was on the OG Star, and how much did New Order use melodica?

Saw them a year ago last weekend and they were good except a) everything off the last two and b) EVERY SONG had to turn into a blues jam at the end, even Higher Than The Sun

from twitter :

jagzkooner Oh and just to reiterate, the primal scream "screamadelica live" gig at earls court is a 1 off only, and WONT be repeated ever again.

(those five Suede gigs I mentioned were in 2003, I just found out to my horror when I read the flier for their upcoming reunion)

whoever picked that photo wants shooting.

And those are their first gigs for 10 years?

that exact line up +1 other random played Glastonbury 2003. it was godawful aswell.

'as well'? Bit harsh on the gigs that haven't taken place yet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXBWhYFS1Ao

blocked

Wow. This poll is totally backwards. Come Together is the worst song on here (along with Movin' on Up), and Coming Down is among the best.

BOOOOM

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/oct/31/primal-scream-screamadelica-live

Brilliant stuff in here from this morning's Observer. 'Anyone seen Smiler?' The whole house stood up."

The article author seems to be really impressed and excited at any mention of drugs.

Just to take a couple of instances out of many mentions which don't add anything much to the article:

The gentler charms of "Damaged", "Shine Like Stars" and "Inner Flight" completed proceedings. Duffy was tripping on acid for the latter recording.

...Screamadelica was released on 23 September 1991, the cover a trippy image of the Sun created by Paul Cannell, another of the band's associates who was allegedly inspired by a damp patch he'd seen on the Creation offices ceiling after taking acid

and a whole quote from Q magazine:

In December, Miranda Sawyer reported for Q magazine on the band's rider at Barrowland in Glasgow: "Tonight's menu includes: 'glug' (methadone, a soporific heroin substitute); ecstasy (inhibition-dismissing, dancefloor friendly 'love' drug); amphetamine sulphate; magic mushrooms; cocaine and – backstage staple – hash. The varied and various mood alterants are liberally distributed among the tour regulars. 'You know,' muses Bobby, 'it was a love of music that brought us all together and that's what we really get excited about. But we also get excited when the drugs turn up... really excited.'"

Bobby Gillespie, waifish ringmaster of Primal Scream, who is dressed, none the less, all in black: black skinny jeans, black T-shirt, long black hair, only streaks of grey making him look any older than he did 20 years ago.

Um, no.

As someone who is rather an expert in what Bobby G looked like 20 year ago, um, really.... no.

Problem is, any time that I start to read any words that come out of Bobby Gillespie's mouth, I start to love that album a little less. Which is a real shame, so I try to avoid the interviews.

"Problem is, any time that I start to read any words that come out of Bobby Gillespie's mouth, I start to love that album a little less. Which is a real shame, so I try to avoid the interviews."

Typically a good idea for any musician one likes...

http://cdn.pitchfork.com/media/screamadelica452.jpg

i like primary colours

Round Boxes, whoo!

From the DVD...

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onyn005txjE

I've fallen in love with 'higher than the sun' since the reissue. Bobby's such a weak singer but somehow transcends this on many points throughout screamadelica. Love the melismatic delivery of the line 'what I've got in my head you can't buy'. Also love the 7" version of come together for similar reasons.

Funny how people upthread are saying this sounds dated - they're not wrong, but this is the first sign of a full scale stylistic revival

The Screamadelica EP (with the eponymous track) is as good as anything they ever did, and still sounds great.

Whoops, Dixie Narco EP I mean. Track is called "Screamadelica"

Classic Albums - Screamadelica

http://devonrecordclub.com/2013/09/26/primal-scream-screamadelica-round-54-nicks-choice/

perfect timing Scik as i'm about to see them in a few days here in Los Angeles.

RIP Denise Johnson

https://louderthanwar.com/denice-johnson-much-loved-manchester-and-primal-scream-singer-rip/

RIP Denise. This is great.

Really cool interview, thanks Visiting

Sad about this, she was so great with Primal Scream back in the day

Was just thinking about her solo single the other day. I bought it as a cassingle!

listening again thanks to lorde and "higher than the sun" is really one of the coolest psych-rock tracks of all time, wish they'd done a whole album with the orb

Yep, the best thing here.

Hell yes, altho I’m partial to Shine Like Stars for similar reasons

there are some cool sounds here but it doesn't hang together really does it? maybe you had to be there (like with the stone roses album)

there is also something a bit off that I can't really articulate about the way so many white british bands used gospel in this era

it's also hard for me to hear this band without thinking "you wankers" - maybe I'd like it more if there was a different name on the cover

Funnily enough, their name isn't on the cover.

otm re higher than the sun, don’t really f w the rest of this album

i had the vhs version of this (and only the vhs) and the video for Some Like Stars was gaby agis dancing which gave it a little something extra

ok you know what i mean xps

wtf this album is great fools

it seems like the kind of album that would soundtrack a lot of formative experiences so i can sort of imagine why it so special to many people. i don't like it much but i'd probably be into it if i'd heard it at the right time & place (i feel the same way about neutral milk hotel)

unfortunately the first primal scream song i heard was country girl and i was just like fuck off

Whenever I would finally make it home from God knows how long pillin' it hard to deepest, darkest drum 'n' bass or transcendental progressive house or mad happy trance, (back in '97/'98) I'd go to bed and put this on and the world was aaaaalright 🙂

You missed everything kid, I feel sorry for you! xp

wtf this album is great fools

I am indeed a great fool.

I was at the Palladium show featured on the rerelease, first of four times I saw them over the years. (All of which were really good, oddly enough, because arguably they shouldn't've worked and yet here we are.)

Never saw this poll, interesting results. My four favorite tracks placed #2-5, definitely prefer them to the better-known tracks. Didn't realize ILM lately felt the same!

"higher than the sun" is so cool that they could have made an entire career out of that sound. and really should have honestly

Echo Dek scratches the "Primal Scream go dub reggae" itch pretty well, even if it's not quite up to the standard of HTTS

there are some cool sounds here but it doesn't hang together really does it?

I thought this when it was first released, and still do. IIRC, it was largely cobbled together from various sources to capitalise on the success of "Loaded", rather than being planned as an album.

That's why I've always preferred Morning Dove White to Screamadelica. Both seriously good albums, but the former feels more cohesive, and gives a glimpse of what the latter could have been if Weatherall was more involved.