Supergrass - In It for the Money poll

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Was there an In It For The Money poll yet?

― billstevejim, Tuesday, July 5, 2011 7:43 PM

Poll Results

OptionVotes
2. Richard III 13
4. Late In The Day 7
6. Sun Hits The Sky 6
7. Going Out 3
10. You Can See Me 3
9. Cheapskate 3
8. It's Not Me 2
1. In It For The Money 2
3. Tonight 1
11. Hollow Little Reign 1
5. G-Song 0
12. Sometimes I Make You Sad 0


Bee OK, Thursday, 7 March 2013 02:51 (eleven years ago) link

http://bit.ly/WLbRhs

markers, Thursday, 7 March 2013 02:52 (eleven years ago) link

found this on Wiki:

The guitar solo in "Sometimes I Make You Sad" was written during the recording of In It for the Money; it was recorded at half speed then sped up to achieve the mandolin-like sound. The only use of percussion in the song is a cymbal, the drum noises were instead simulated by members of the band making 'grunting' noises. These were then put on a loop.

Bee OK, Thursday, 7 March 2013 02:53 (eleven years ago) link

my god i love this album.

Porto for Pyros (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Thursday, 7 March 2013 04:14 (eleven years ago) link

my god i love this album.

― Porto for Pyros (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall)

Yeah this! One of the best albums of the 90's.

Will probably vote for Richard III but Cheapskate, Late In The Day and the title track are all up there too.

Kitchen Person, Thursday, 7 March 2013 04:23 (eleven years ago) link

Late in The Day hands down! despite the mediocre chorus. Just love that verse chord progression so much.
Does Gaz sound kind of like Freddy Mercury to anyone else? It was one of the things that drew me into this album.

brimstead, Thursday, 7 March 2013 04:44 (eleven years ago) link

Sun Hits the Sky for me.

Johnny Fever, Thursday, 7 March 2013 06:19 (eleven years ago) link

Voted 'Richard III'.

I remember spinning this album endless times during 1997/1998, and to this day it's still the album of theirs that I return to whenever I get the urge to listen to this band (Road To Rouen comes in at a very close second place for me). Even though I Should Coco is normally the album that gets cited as their best album, I remember thinking that this album was vastly superior to it then, and I still think it's twice the album that I Should Coco is now. It's got a much less slick feel to it than I Should Coco, and feels less dated to me now than that album does.

It really annoys me in some way that one of the songs that they're forever going to be most known for ('Alright'), is in my opinion one of the worst things they've ever done... it was as ubiquitous, corny and annoying as, say, 'Good Enough' by Dodgy, and I think that it gave some people (me included) the wrong first impression of this band when it took off and became a big hit... especially with that fucking video! It's still very much a song that I can't really stand to hear these days. But, when I heard 'Richard III', I thought "huh... maybe that 'Alright' song wrong-footed me and there's a little bit more to this band than I initially thought", and then I checked out In It For The Money, loved it, and continued to buy the rest of their catalogue. Saw them live twice (once in 1999, and again in 2003), and both times was far from disappointed. For a while, I used to find myself curiously at odds with fans that had got on board with I Should Coco and 'Alright', and I got the sense that some fans wanted them to re-make I Should Coco over and over again and create more tracks like 'Alright', whereas I was more thankful that they (at least) attempted to move or (at most, like on Road To Rouen) had moved away from all that.

The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Thursday, 7 March 2013 10:46 (eleven years ago) link

'Alright' was fine on the album, a bit of light relief. Then it got overplayed, and it's the one I have no doubt my kids could sing you...

Mark G, Thursday, 7 March 2013 10:51 (eleven years ago) link

I got into them late 1994 when a friend played me his Caught By The Fuzz single, which I loved. Saw them twice early 1995 around the time Mansize Rooster came out, and yeah I remember thinking when they played Alright, wtf is that shit, the rest of their stuff is OK. And then it was released as a single and was huge etc etc. Which basically turned me off them for good, I never owned any of their albums. I had/have a few of the singles off the this one (and I Should Coco) though. Between Richard III and Sun Hits The Sky I guess.

Just noise and screaming and no musical value at all. (Colonel Poo), Thursday, 7 March 2013 10:53 (eleven years ago) link

xpost: Good post Turrican. As much as I love Coco I agree that this is a much better album and I also never really need to Alright again (although comparing it to Dodgy is harsh ) A lot of people like the rush of the debut and how it's just all over the place but this just works better as a whole album and the highs are just as high.

Have said this in other Supergrass threads I'm sure but I'll say it again, they never made a bad album. The third album was a huge disappointment for me at the time and I still think it's their weakest but there are plenty of great moments (What Went Wrong, Moving, Mary and Faraway) Agree that Road to Rouen is a really good album, St Petersbourg in particular is one of the best things they ever did. I always like to mention the last album which despite it's fairly weak lead singles is a really great album, probably my third favourite after the first two. Ghost of a Friend, Rebel With You and Butterfly are all up there with their best. I was sad when they split but it was a great swansong.

I think Supergrass are one of the few indie bands I loved in the 90's that I still love as much now. I can probably only still say that about them SFA, St Etienne, Divine Comedy, Suede, Denim and Pulp.

Kitchen Person, Thursday, 7 March 2013 11:05 (eleven years ago) link

THese guys were the 'worst' culprits of taking two songs and nailing them together.

"Sun hits the sky" being one.

"Late in the day" being another, but at least it works.

I still prefer the first album, but if I could I'd substitute the version of "We're not supposed to" for the version I remember from "The Late Show"...

Mark G, Thursday, 7 March 2013 11:16 (eleven years ago) link

Have said this in other Supergrass threads I'm sure but I'll say it again, they never made a bad album. The third album was a huge disappointment for me at the time and I still think it's their weakest but there are plenty of great moments (What Went Wrong, Moving, Mary and Faraway) Agree that Road to Rouen is a really good album, St Petersbourg in particular is one of the best things they ever did. I always like to mention the last album which despite it's fairly weak lead singles is a really great album, probably my third favourite after the first two. Ghost of a Friend, Rebel With You and Butterfly are all up there with their best. I was sad when they split but it was a great swansong.

The third album (Supergrass) sounds a lot better to me these days than it did at the time... definitely still love 'Moving', 'Mary' and 'Faraway' (I never was really all that keen on 'What Went Wrong...'), but also I really like some of the more lower-key moments on that album... tracks like 'Eon' (which is just nothing more than a building intro, a snatch of a song, then an outro), 'Born Again' (which doesn't really do all that much but I like the sound of it) and 'Shotover Hill'. I'm in total agreement with you about 'Butterfly' being a highlight of Diamond Hoo Ha... it's without doubt my favourite thing on there. I also love that bit in 'Outside' before the weird synth solo where the synth tone rises (haven't listened to that album in quite some time, mind!)


I think Supergrass are one of the few indie bands I loved in the 90's that I still love as much now. I can probably only still say that about them SFA, St Etienne, Divine Comedy, Suede, Denim and Pulp.

― Kitchen Person, Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:05 AM (11 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I continued to follow Supergrass until the bitter end and still have time for quite a lot of their output, same with Suede (who I'm continuing to follow now that they've reformed), and same with Pulp. Super Furry Animals continued to do some great work well after the '90s, and I didn't start to get truly bored of them until about 4 or 5 years ago. I had a lot of time for Blur in the '90s and up until they went "on hiatus" post-Think Tank, but even though I dug out Blur and Modern Life Is Rubbish recently and enjoyed them as much as I ever have, I'm not really expecting much from them these days.

The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Thursday, 7 March 2013 11:37 (eleven years ago) link

THese guys were the 'worst' culprits of taking two songs and nailing them together.

"Sun hits the sky" being one.

"Late in the day" being another, but at least it works.

I still prefer the first album, but if I could I'd substitute the version of "We're not supposed to" for the version I remember from "The Late Show"...

― Mark G, Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:16 AM (21 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I'd say 'Moving' was probably the most obvious of their "nailing two songs together" tracks, but I still think it works. I love the bass work throughout 'Moving', actually, especially in the second verse. In fact, I think Mick Quinn provides some great bass playing in a lot of Supergrass tracks, especially on In It For The Money!

I've always found 'We're Not Supposed To' extremely annoying :/

The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Thursday, 7 March 2013 11:44 (eleven years ago) link

Yeah, "Moving" also, it does work there. Which is why it puzzles me why "Sun/sky" is so beloved, it really irritates me that one, possibly having been a songwriter before...

Mark G, Thursday, 7 March 2013 12:22 (eleven years ago) link

Hmm... I understand completely what you mean about 'Sun Hits The Sky' when you say it sounds like two songs being nailed together, but I dunno... I don't find it as jarring or as irritating as you seem to, and like the track a great deal. I do know what you're getting at, though... I'm sure there's other songs that I've heard (not necessarily Supergrass songs) that have a similar effect on me as what 'Sun Hits The Sky' does for you. I quite like the u-turn into the 'I am a doctor' section, to be honest... it makes it a little bit more interesting than just keeping it as a straight power-pop thing, I think. I've heard a few people say they don't like the long outro either, but I personally like that too :/

The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Thursday, 7 March 2013 13:23 (eleven years ago) link

Love songs that are two songs nailed together. Especially if they tack on a third song as a coda!

they all are afflicted with a sickness of existence (Scik Mouthy), Thursday, 7 March 2013 13:48 (eleven years ago) link

I saw them at the Elysee Montmartre in 98 or 99 (?) - great show.

Canaille help you (Michael White), Thursday, 7 March 2013 15:23 (eleven years ago) link

They've done a lot of stapled-together songs, but "Late in the Day" feels of one piece to me. The chorus flows really well from the verse and back, probably because there isn't some weird transition to make up for an awkward key change. Definitely one of their best songs.

"Sun Hits the Sky" is all about the verse and the bridge - they're so good that they compensate for the weaker chorus.

Vinnie, Thursday, 7 March 2013 16:31 (eleven years ago) link

The chorus is so much worse than the verse though (in late in the day). It's a total buzzkill.

brimstead, Thursday, 7 March 2013 16:45 (eleven years ago) link

It would be fine as a pre-chorus or "middle-8" or something.

brimstead, Thursday, 7 March 2013 16:46 (eleven years ago) link

"Going Out" was an early single for this, many months before the album itself, and I remember being shocked by how different, and mature, it sounded after I Should Coco, which was fun, but basically a kids' album.

they all are afflicted with a sickness of existence (Scik Mouthy), Thursday, 7 March 2013 16:46 (eleven years ago) link

Regarding the "grunting" noises in 'Sometimes I Make You Sad', one of the B-sides of 'Richard III' is a studio out-take called 'Sometimes We're Very Sad', which documents the recording of those grunting noises... hehehehe...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsrv6mCEyJc

The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Thursday, 7 March 2013 18:30 (eleven years ago) link

Does Gaz sound kind of like Freddy Mercury to anyone else?
if you combine Freddy with Billy Corgan

billstevejim, Thursday, 7 March 2013 19:43 (eleven years ago) link

Cheapskate.

this album *pisses* on the debut but you won't read that in the history books of course.

piscesx, Thursday, 7 March 2013 19:46 (eleven years ago) link

re: "Going Out" i recall that "Pumping On Your Stereo" single was released nearly a year in advance of the LP release. i figured it was a tactic they used to maintain radio presence between albums, which is pretty smart IMO.

billstevejim, Thursday, 7 March 2013 19:47 (eleven years ago) link

wow, "Going Out" was released 14 months prior to "In It For the Money"

billstevejim, Thursday, 7 March 2013 19:48 (eleven years ago) link

I always preferred the 1st album but I relistened to this recently and it's a closer call than I thought. My gut feeling is to go with 'Late in the Day'.

Gavin, Leeds, Thursday, 7 March 2013 19:50 (eleven years ago) link

"Hollow Little Reign" and "It's Not Me" are the most underrated

billstevejim, Thursday, 7 March 2013 20:02 (eleven years ago) link

this album *pisses* on the debut but you won't read that in the history books of course.

― piscesx, Thursday, March 7, 2013 7:46 PM (7 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

It may take a few years (christ, I've been waiting for this album to get its due pretty much since the year it came out), but I'm fairly confident that this'll be a record that eventually gets rediscovered and hailed as being superior to the album that came before it. I mean, the fact that that we're talking about and praising this album so much in 2013 when so many other indie albums from around that time are seen as something of a joke these days says a lot, don't you think!?

The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Thursday, 7 March 2013 20:08 (eleven years ago) link

love this band.

for so long i hated hated, hatedalright, and as turrican said earlier so brilliantly, that one track meant i completely ignored everything else by this band until many years later when i got sent promo copies of road to rouen, and diamond hoo ha, resulting in me realising the errors of my ways.

now they are genuinely one of my all time fave guitar pop bands with their love of glam, psych, and massive hooks.

oh, and i love the 2 songs in one thing they do ..

the results are so much more interesting than the usual plod along britpop crap ..

mark e, Thursday, 7 March 2013 20:09 (eleven years ago) link

I love the way the title track cuts off abruptly before 'Richard III' starts up... the first time I heard the album I actually thought something was up with the CD, but when I realised that the sharp segue was intentional I grew to love the effect.

The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Thursday, 7 March 2013 20:32 (eleven years ago) link

That title track is wonderful though, isn't it? The way it fades in ominously on that organ chord before the guitar arpeggios come in and meander their way through those dark chords... it's the exact opposite of "*click* knowwhatImean? ONE! TWO! ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!"

The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Thursday, 7 March 2013 20:35 (eleven years ago) link

Have this vivid memory of a DJ interviewing "Danny from Supergrass" over the phone. Danny pauses and there is the sound of inhalation down the line. "Are you smoking a fag?" the DJ asks. There is a pause. "Might be..."
Anyway, great band. I still love Caught by the Fuzz, Richard III

Dr X O'Skeleton, Thursday, 7 March 2013 21:15 (eleven years ago) link

i saw them around seven times in total. during their first tour they played in a place called "The Bottom of the Hill" in San Francisco. having a blast, had too much beer and went to the bathroom. they ended their set and also went into the bathroom between the encore. it was surreal then i went out the door.

Bee OK, Friday, 8 March 2013 04:35 (eleven years ago) link

Love this record and I Should Coco. Really wish I could've seen them in '95-'97. But all the records after these just seemed dull by comparison (and the Moon-like approach to the drumming -- some of the best since the MC5's Dennis Thompson -- completely vanished).

Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Friday, 8 March 2013 04:40 (eleven years ago) link

re that night in San Francisco, they kind of looked like this:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2313/1813517554_4b52984bed.jpg

Bee OK, Friday, 8 March 2013 05:53 (eleven years ago) link

Voted It's Not Me over Late in the Day. The chords in the chorus are lovely.

I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Friday, 8 March 2013 07:16 (eleven years ago) link

I'm amazed at how good this album is. Had it on this morning, expecting some nice ditties, but there's so much going on. It's hard to pick a track though because there are seven or eight contenders, they keep the quality needle so high. Maybe Late In The Day?

Ismael Klata, Friday, 8 March 2013 09:38 (eleven years ago) link

It may take a few years ... but I'm fairly confident that this'll be a record that eventually gets rediscovered and hailed as being superior to the album that came before it

Not just that, it strikes me that the whole band might be candidates for a wholesale reappraisal, like Steely Dan or Fleetwood Mac. They've been totally diminished by being largely in-step with their era imo. They were so much better than good britpop also-rans - if they'd put out this run through the 80s, or in some other contrarian period, we'd most probably be lionising them like crazy.

Ismael Klata, Friday, 8 March 2013 09:45 (eleven years ago) link

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/5857/movingb.jpg

Speaking of Supergrass and Fleetwood Mac, I don't think I've ever coveted an item of clothing like I coveted this three-quarter-sleeve green-and-white t-shirt that Danny wears in the 'Moving' video.

Ismael Klata, Friday, 8 March 2013 09:54 (eleven years ago) link

when were steely dan in need of 'reappraisal'? (they were always p big critical darlings back in the day - high ratings from christgau and in the rolling stone record guide etc)

Ward Fowler, Friday, 8 March 2013 09:58 (eleven years ago) link

This thread is making me really happy right now.

Ismael, you are are spot on. I played the album when this thread popped up and enjoyed as much as I did when I got it when it came out. They are probably the most underrated band of that whole era.

Kitchen Person, Friday, 8 March 2013 10:09 (eleven years ago) link

I suppose I'm talking about whole eras drifting out of fashion until you can wade in and pick out only the best bits. Weren't the Dan exactly the sort of thing that was reviled until the punk aesthetic itself faded away?

Ismael Klata, Friday, 8 March 2013 10:11 (eleven years ago) link

They are underrated only inasmuch as other Britpop bands of the era are either 'canon' (Blur, Oasis, Pulp etc), or slagged off (Cast, Shed7, Dodgy, etc)

There aren't that many that sit between those extremes, I'd say...

Mark G, Friday, 8 March 2013 10:13 (eleven years ago) link

Supergrass, Mansun, maybe Elastica if anyone knew what the second album sounded like

Ismael Klata, Friday, 8 March 2013 10:19 (eleven years ago) link

I thought it was alright, like "Adventure" was to "Marquee Moon", if you see what I mean..

Mark G, Friday, 8 March 2013 10:21 (eleven years ago) link

They're probably somewhere inbetween Super Furry Animals (who are almost canon but just seem to get taken for granted) and The Charlatans (who were canon until Up at the Lake) Not sure if that really makes sense. I'm trying to picture how all the bands of that era would be ranked if the NME (or whoever) decided to do on a feature on Britpop, which they probably will at some point. Anyway if Suede can get back in favour then Supergrass surely can.

Kitchen Person, Friday, 8 March 2013 10:24 (eleven years ago) link

xpost to ismael

punk aesthetic never the whole story, tho' - popularity of the dan never diminished amongst jazzbos, musos, soul boys etc who cldn't give a fuck abt punk rock (and also, dan actually had a part-punk aesthetic - black, cynical lyrics and nyc outsiderdom amidst california sunshine - and appealed to early punk adopters like danny baker eg)

Ward Fowler, Friday, 8 March 2013 10:27 (eleven years ago) link

I'm tempted to ditch my forthcoming Doors poll for britpop now

Ismael Klata, Friday, 8 March 2013 10:27 (eleven years ago) link

maybe Elastica if anyone knew what the second album sounded like

― Ismael Klata

Is it true they actaully had a second album they completely scrapped. I remember seeing something about it in the NME how they had a great second album all done but they scrapped it and did The Menace. I couldn't exactly remember the details, I actually quite like The Menace.

Kitchen Person, Friday, 8 March 2013 10:28 (eleven years ago) link

I don't believe a word of it, I think they were so damn lazyitis they only got themselves going when threatened.....

Mark G, Friday, 8 March 2013 10:32 (eleven years ago) link

I was talking about the menace, I've never heard of an aborted run at it. Funny, I was just musing on how it'd be cool if Supergrass had locked themselves away for a month in 1997 and cut a ragged LP of psych jams, like an unedited version of iiftm, then never released it. That'd be a scratchy bootleg worth hearing.

Ismael Klata, Friday, 8 March 2013 10:33 (eleven years ago) link

Perhaps not as cool as that, they do actually have an aborted album they were working on just before they split. It's called Release The Drones and is supposed to be heavily influenced by krautrock. I'd really like to hear it.

Kitchen Person, Friday, 8 March 2013 10:38 (eleven years ago) link

re: "Going Out" i recall that "Pumping On Your Stereo" single was released nearly a year in advance of the LP release.

four months

Going Out was released as a stand-alone single at the time iirc, with no intention of an album to swiftly follow (also iirc first to credit Rob Coombes though he didn't join the band officialy til the 21st century?)


The Menace is p good

( ͡° ͜ʖ͡°) (sic), Friday, 8 March 2013 10:44 (eleven years ago) link

I remember Going Out coming out, it seemed like such a big step for them. It was good they had another single to kind of follow Alright and keep them in peoples minds. They had already put out six singles out from Coco so there wasn't a lot they could do with that album.

I'm still a litte bitter Richard III didn't make it to number one. It was the midweek number one all that week but then R Kelly overtook them on the Saturday. I can't remember exactly how close it was but I'm sure it was just 500 copies or so.

Kitchen Person, Friday, 8 March 2013 11:06 (eleven years ago) link

Heh, I was also musing on that! I'd always assumed it was a freak no.2, like nos.2-20 had been within a few hundred while the real no.1 shifted 30,000 more. Now I'm kind of gutted too, it'd've been a good 'un.

Ismael Klata, Friday, 8 March 2013 11:14 (eleven years ago) link

Yeah, if I recall Rob Coombes wasn't listed as an official Supergrass member until Life On Other Planets, but he may as well have been from In It For The Money onwards (all songs on In It For The Money and Supergrass are credited to 'Supergrass/R. Coombes').

Another strange thing about 'Richard III', is that I think it was responsible for getting Dave Grohl into the band... I remember Grohl singing the praises of Supergrass throughout the late-'90s/early '00s, which I always found very surprising and unexpected!

The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Friday, 8 March 2013 11:21 (eleven years ago) link

I think record sales were quite low that year but there was a lot of hype for it. I remember a few weeks later the big album battle between them and The Charlatans. I rememeber they lost out as The Charlatans sold the cassette for a fiver or something, good times.

When Pumping On Your Stereo came out I think everyone thought that was going to be a number one single for them. I'm not really sure how but it missed the top ten, even with that video. Maybe Moving should have been the first single, it is ten times better.

Kitchen Person, Friday, 8 March 2013 11:23 (eleven years ago) link

That credit reads like joining the band relegated him from 50% of the royalties to a quarter.

Ismael Klata, Friday, 8 March 2013 11:23 (eleven years ago) link

Another strange thing about 'Richard III', is that I think it was responsible for getting Dave Grohl into the band... I remember Grohl singing the praises of Supergrass throughout the late-'90s/early '00s, which I always found very surprising and unexpected!

― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican)

There's a great clip on the Supergrass is 10 DVD where they played a festival with The Foo Fighters and they bring out the Foo's drummer to play Caught By The Fuzz with them. He starts drumming twice as fast as it should be played so they're all trying to keep up with him. It ends with Danny jumping on him and they both collapse into the drum kit.

Kitchen Person, Friday, 8 March 2013 11:28 (eleven years ago) link

Ok I didn't really need to write that all out http://youtu.be/ikCtuaLsGCA

Kitchen Person, Friday, 8 March 2013 11:29 (eleven years ago) link

They're probably somewhere inbetween Super Furry Animals (who are almost canon but just seem to get taken for granted)

Yeah... the weird thing is that of all bands of that era, I've seldom heard Super Furry Animals get slagged off by anyone... especially not before they released Love Kraft, anyway. I think SFA's problem is that they never really stopped, so they haven't had a moment of being reappraised in a big way like several other bands from the era have... maybe this recent hiatus of theirs is a way of rectifying that, I don't know. I do know that I'm bored of them at the moment, whereas there's a lot from that era that I'm able to rediscover because I haven't hammered them to death.

The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Friday, 8 March 2013 11:31 (eleven years ago) link

You did, now we know it's worth checking out! (xpost)

Mark G, Friday, 8 March 2013 11:31 (eleven years ago) link

Love this record and I Should Coco. Really wish I could've seen them in '95-'97. But all the records after these just seemed dull by comparison (and the Moon-like approach to the drumming -- some of the best since the MC5's Dennis Thompson -- completely vanished).

― Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Friday, March 8, 2013 4:40 AM (6 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

It's interesting that you should say that. I am a bit of a Moon fan myself and I thought Danny Goffey had got that style down pretty well - not by aping exact beats or rolls, but in the unfettered, freewheeling approach. In fact, that was one of things I liked about Supergrass as a whole: Among all the bands reviving 1960s and early '70s styles at that time, they were one of the few who actually had that feeling of freedom in the way they played together. The opposite of that would be something like Oasis, whose music is packed with sixties references but the playing sounds stilted and stiff.

Incidentally, are you the drummer on that cover of Beatles' "Within You Without You" on the recently posted compilation? That's really great drumming, and if this was 1970 you'd be a rock star for sure.

dubmill, Friday, 8 March 2013 11:43 (eleven years ago) link

Yep that's me, and thanks for the kind words <3

You nailed it re: Goffey's approach: he didn't copy Moon, but he had that kind of trashy swinging quality. I hadn't heard that in contemporary rock drumming in ages when I heard ISC. I think it set up unreasonable expectations, because the more I looked for it in subsequent records, the less I heard. But yeah, in terms of that band dynamic, none of Supergrass' contemporaries could touch them.

Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Friday, 8 March 2013 11:49 (eleven years ago) link

Mathew Priest from Dodgy had a Moon-esque drumming style too.

The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Friday, 8 March 2013 11:52 (eleven years ago) link

More kind words from over here, Tarfumes.

I also like the shout for Mick Quinn upthread - always loved his playing. I loved Goffey's Moon stuff too, though I did once hear him described as all-over-the-place, with a kind of chortle and not in a good way - I wish I could remember who by, it was someone really famous and unlikely, like Elton John or someone.

Ismael Klata, Friday, 8 March 2013 11:53 (eleven years ago) link

but he {Goffey) had that kind of trashy swinging quality

(Off-topic) The funny thing is I used to think Keith Moon was more or less unique (of course, he was in a way), but I happened to listen to something by Soft Machine on YouTube the other day. I can't remember what it was but it was one of their early tracks, and it struck me the drumming style was kind of similar. It sounded spontaneous and flamboyant. It's interesting how that style gradually went out of vogue in favour of something cleaner and more beat-centric. I guess it would be due to funk's increasing influence on rock going further into the 1970s.

dubmill, Friday, 8 March 2013 12:02 (eleven years ago) link

I saw Supergrass on my 15th birthday, this was shortly after 'Going Out' was released, such a great gig, really tight live band. I remember they did 'Lenny' with an extended intro, so cool.

Gavin, Leeds, Friday, 8 March 2013 12:03 (eleven years ago) link

Re. the falling out of vogue of "messy" drumming.

Oh, and perhaps also because of the advent of close micing techniques. That tended to put the drums more in the foreground, so maybe it led to a gradual toning down of the drumming approach, because that kind of playing sounded inappropriate when the drums were recorded and mixed in the new way.

dubmill, Friday, 8 March 2013 12:09 (eleven years ago) link

chris corsano is the drummer who i've seen get closest to moon's explosiveness

Ward Fowler, Friday, 8 March 2013 12:11 (eleven years ago) link

Olly Peacock from Gomez is a very messy drummer too.

The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Friday, 8 March 2013 12:17 (eleven years ago) link

I'll have to listen to some of these people.

But re. what I said about Soft Machine, it was "Why Are We Sleeping?". I'd never heard it before but came across it when I was going through various videos after Kevin Ayers died.

dubmill, Friday, 8 March 2013 12:20 (eleven years ago) link

Gorky's Zygotic Mynci did a decent cover of "Why Are We Sleeping?", if I recall.

The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Friday, 8 March 2013 12:22 (eleven years ago) link

xp Corsano's great; I've seen him a bunch of times, and he never fails to amaze.

dubmill, otm re: close-miking.

Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Friday, 8 March 2013 14:59 (eleven years ago) link

Dodgy's second album is very, very good indeed. They're third is an aberration against mankind.

they all are afflicted with a sickness of existence (Scik Mouthy), Friday, 8 March 2013 15:42 (eleven years ago) link

And that post is an aberration against grammar.

they all are afflicted with a sickness of existence (Scik Mouthy), Friday, 8 March 2013 15:42 (eleven years ago) link

The thing about Free Peace Sweet is whenever I've listened to it, I've always been taken aback at how slick the whole thing is!

The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Friday, 8 March 2013 15:50 (eleven years ago) link

Buzzcocks' John Maher, another great messy drummer, who was always an essential part of what made them so exciting

Dr X O'Skeleton, Friday, 8 March 2013 23:57 (eleven years ago) link

listened to this both yesterday and today. my vote goes to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTXx_snw9_Y

2010 and 2012 World Champions San Francisco Giants (Bee OK), Saturday, 9 March 2013 06:40 (eleven years ago) link

There's some quite interesting chord progressions on this album, I think...

The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Saturday, 9 March 2013 19:42 (eleven years ago) link

"Late In The Day" all the way.

The GeirBot (Geir Hongro), Sunday, 10 March 2013 00:34 (eleven years ago) link

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

System, Monday, 11 March 2013 00:01 (eleven years ago) link

Going for Richard III. But damn, what a perfect album. Their best by miles.

Nate Carson, Monday, 11 March 2013 04:34 (eleven years ago) link

Funny that people keep referring to them as an indie band. My copies say Parlophone on the spine.

Pretty sure the tour I saw was 1999. They were great, though I wasn't too pumped about that third album... and never listened to anything that came out afterwards. Always assumed they'd jumped the shark for good.

Nate Carson, Monday, 11 March 2013 04:49 (eleven years ago) link

I don't think Supergrass ever really had a big 'shark jump' moment, in all honesty... the problem with Supergrass (which wasn't really their problem at all) is that they didn't do what pretty much everyone expected them to do, which was to stick with their I Should Coco sound. Put it this way, if you'd told me in the '90s that Supergrass would eventually make a record like Road To Rouen, I wouldn't have believed you at all.

The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Monday, 11 March 2013 11:07 (eleven years ago) link

They were offered their own Steven Spielburg TV series, weren't they? Presumably based around their "Alright" personae. Which is why they didn't go for it.

Mark G, Monday, 11 March 2013 11:09 (eleven years ago) link

Yeah, he wanted to make them into the 90s Monkees.

they all are afflicted with a sickness of existence (Scik Mouthy), Monday, 11 March 2013 11:11 (eleven years ago) link

Thank god they had the good sense to turn it down.

The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Monday, 11 March 2013 11:21 (eleven years ago) link

I've heard that so many times! I always assume it's the longest-running throwaway PR gag in history.

Ismael Klata, Monday, 11 March 2013 11:29 (eleven years ago) link

Hold on, is everyone in on it except me?

Ismael Klata, Monday, 11 March 2013 11:30 (eleven years ago) link

I guess because they stuck to the story for so long, I'm inclined to believe it.

As opposed to The Teletubbies doing "Common People", for instance...

Mark G, Monday, 11 March 2013 11:39 (eleven years ago) link

Just found an interview with Gaz from a few years ago where he says the band had a few meetings with Spielberg regarding the TV show, but they wanted to concentrate on recording IIFTM instead. So maybe it's true.

Rob M Revisited, Monday, 11 March 2013 12:57 (eleven years ago) link

awesome album, voted for "You Can See Me"

i was only vaguely aware of the first album and "Alright" had seemed kind of lightweight, so i was totally surprised and won over by the procession of "Cheapskate" and "Richard III" and "Late In The Day" videos on 120 Minutes. funny how "Cheapskate" apparently wasn't even a single in the UK, but in America it was the lead single and their only song that's ever charted here.

some dude, Monday, 11 March 2013 13:06 (eleven years ago) link

Nah, 'Cheapskate' wasn't a single here, but it's always been a track I've had a lot of time for... love the wah-wah guitar in it!

The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Monday, 11 March 2013 13:14 (eleven years ago) link

THese guys were the 'worst' culprits of taking two songs and nailing them together

I wish you hadn't pointed this out, every transition sounds dodgy now. I'm not a huge fan of the Late In The Day chorus, but there's so much to love in the song regardless - Gaz's solo in particular.

Ismael Klata, Monday, 11 March 2013 13:36 (eleven years ago) link

songs are allowed to have distinct sections that don't all sound the same, it's ok

some dude, Monday, 11 March 2013 13:38 (eleven years ago) link

Happiness is a warm segue.

they all are afflicted with a sickness of existence (Scik Mouthy), Monday, 11 March 2013 13:42 (eleven years ago) link

tell that to Kevin Shields

Ismael Klata, Monday, 11 March 2013 13:45 (eleven years ago) link

'Cheapskate' was used for the promos for a BBC America show in the States. I think that gave them more exposure than they were otherwise getting.

Canaille help you (Michael White), Monday, 11 March 2013 14:10 (eleven years ago) link

If there's any criticism I can level at this album, it has nothing to do with the music. Rather, it's that I don't feel the album artwork matches the contents very well.

The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Monday, 11 March 2013 14:23 (eleven years ago) link

Annoying thing number two: the CD has nothing on it that lets you know it's this album. No band name, no title, just artwork that was going to be linked to the front cover. Except, they changed the front at the last minute...

Mark G, Monday, 11 March 2013 14:45 (eleven years ago) link

never got into this album. somehow i only like the odd-numbered supergrass albums. love the cover though.

mizzell, Monday, 11 March 2013 14:50 (eleven years ago) link

Annoying thing number two: the CD has nothing on it that lets you know it's this album. No band name, no title, just artwork that was going to be linked to the front cover. Except, they changed the front at the last minute...

― Mark G, Monday, March 11, 2013 2:45 PM (14 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I just had to go and get my copy of the album out to check this, and the CD does indeed have the title and the name of the album on it... it's around the edges with the copyright notices and everything. I don't know whether this changed on other issues of the album, but I've had the same copy of the album since '97...

The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Monday, 11 March 2013 15:06 (eleven years ago) link

Oh yeah, the little writing..

Mark G, Monday, 11 March 2013 15:41 (eleven years ago) link

Anyway, what was it? I forget now, for some reason I have "ashtray full of spent tabs" but that might be the Arctic Monkeys one (which, again, has no indic..

Mark G, Monday, 11 March 2013 15:42 (eleven years ago) link

IIRC, it's meant to be a close up of a paint palette, because the original cover was meant to have the band members painted on it, in a similar way to I Should Coco... that's how I remember it, anyway.

The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Monday, 11 March 2013 16:12 (eleven years ago) link

So happy I didn't miss this thread! Leaning towards Late in the Day but giving the album a thorough listen before committing.

carl agatha, Monday, 11 March 2013 16:23 (eleven years ago) link

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

System, Tuesday, 12 March 2013 00:01 (eleven years ago) link

Good results

latest worst poster (darraghmac), Tuesday, 12 March 2013 00:19 (eleven years ago) link

i ended up voting for "Richard III" kind of wish i voted for "G-Song."

2010 and 2012 World Champions San Francisco Giants (Bee OK), Tuesday, 12 March 2013 01:29 (eleven years ago) link

high 5 fellow Cheapskate-ers!

piscesx, Tuesday, 12 March 2013 01:54 (eleven years ago) link

High 5, fellow "Tonight" voters!

(meekly high-fives self, lights solitary candle on cupcake in the dark)

Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Tuesday, 12 March 2013 04:16 (eleven years ago) link

wtf I did not expect "Richard III" to win at all.

"Hollow Little Reign" did not deserve to be in the zero-votes club, so I think I did the right thing.

billstevejim, Tuesday, 12 March 2013 06:15 (eleven years ago) link

I was barely driving age and "Cheapskate" was my introduction to Supergrass via 120 Minutes. They weren't really that big in the US. I assumed "Cheapskate" and "Late In The Day" were the big singles... "Late In The Day" was a winner on an episode of 12 Angry Viewers, and a few months later I blindly purchased the 7-inch of "Sun Hits The Sky," which convinced me to buy both albums within the next few months. I assumed "Richard III" was an album cut and not considered such a huge favorite.

billstevejim, Tuesday, 12 March 2013 06:28 (eleven years ago) link

Good turn out for this poll, really happy to see this album has a fair few supporters. I've been a big fan of this album since it came out but since this poll came about I played this twice and really there is no excuse for not having this in my top 50 albums or so, it's just about perfect.

Kitchen Person, Tuesday, 12 March 2013 09:11 (eleven years ago) link

Nice to see nearly all the tracks get a vote, 'Sometimes I Make You Sad' is probably the only song that doesn't deserve one.

I always thought the picture on the CD was an extreme close-up of a wicker basket or something.

Gavin, Leeds, Tuesday, 12 March 2013 09:39 (eleven years ago) link

I'd've given G-Song a vote if I'd known - terrific chord progression & guitar, again let down by chorus. Like Late In The Day, only each element's not quite as good.

Ismael Klata, Tuesday, 12 March 2013 09:48 (eleven years ago) link

haha pretty similar experience to billstevejim -- "Richard III" is awesome but i was pretty surprised to see it was the album's biggest chart hit

some dude, Tuesday, 12 March 2013 10:41 (eleven years ago) link

i should have voted Cheapskate. voted Richard thinking Cheapskate was gonna clean house!

Porto for Pyros (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Tuesday, 12 March 2013 13:46 (eleven years ago) link

Nice to see nearly all the tracks get a vote, 'Sometimes I Make You Sad' is probably the only song that doesn't deserve one.

I always thought the picture on the CD was an extreme close-up of a wicker basket or something.

― Gavin, Leeds, Tuesday, March 12, 2013 9:39 AM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

'Sometimes I Make You Sad' definitely deserves one! The beatboxing, the sped-up guitar solo, the weird vocal sound, the dark chord progression... it rules! I could have voted for any track on this album depending on my mood at the time...

The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Wednesday, 13 March 2013 02:46 (eleven years ago) link

I remember the original album cover for In It For The Money was actually available on a Supergrass website at one point, but I'm struggling to find it.

i should have voted Cheapskate. voted Richard thinking Cheapskate was gonna clean house!

― Porto for Pyros (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Tuesday, March 12, 2013 1:46 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

'Cheapskate' is wonderful, but this big overseas fandom of it is news to me!

The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Wednesday, 13 March 2013 02:51 (eleven years ago) link

'Sometimes I Make You Sad' definitely deserves one! The beatboxing, the sped-up guitar solo, the weird vocal sound, the dark chord progression... it rules! I could have voted for any track on this album depending on my mood at the time...

― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican)

Yeah I love that song, it's such a great end to the album. Sun Hits The Sky is probably the weakest song on here but I still like it a lot.

Kitchen Person, Wednesday, 13 March 2013 07:05 (eleven years ago) link

Sun Hits The Sky was always my favourite!

they all are afflicted with a sickness of existence (Scik Mouthy), Wednesday, 13 March 2013 07:51 (eleven years ago) link

Every song has at least a good melody and something interesting going on; most songs have a great melody and something awesome going on. What a rhythm section.

they all are afflicted with a sickness of existence (Scik Mouthy), Wednesday, 13 March 2013 07:52 (eleven years ago) link

I think Sun Hits The Sky is the only song that was overplayed at the time, it always seems like was a bigger single than Richard III for some reason.

Kitchen Person, Wednesday, 13 March 2013 08:31 (eleven years ago) link

I just remembered there used to be a Supergrass fansite in the Internet 1.0 days... Circa 1998. The guy who maintained it used lots of wacky British slang that I'd never heard at the time, and he used to conduct a "Top 5" Supergrass songs poll.. In one update, he got really excited because "Going Out" placed at #5.

billstevejim, Wednesday, 13 March 2013 09:09 (eleven years ago) link

Every song has at least a good melody and something interesting going on; most songs have a great melody and something awesome going on. What a rhythm section.

Yeah, the bass playing on this album (and the debut) is really creative.

Xposts to Turrican, I had no idea 'Cheapskate' was a US hit either, I think that's quite cool as it's one of the best tracks. I do remember it getting used as incidental music on Grange Hill or something.

Gavin, Leeds, Wednesday, 13 March 2013 10:35 (eleven years ago) link

CAN YOU HEAR US HUMPIN ON YOUR STEREO?

That's the only song I remember seeing/hearing in America.

Loved that third LP. Always surprises me when I find out the album that got me into a band is the "worst" or "bad." I never thought of it as bad when I was 14. Quite the opposite. That album was probably the first modern British album I ever loved. I haven't listened to it in years now, though.

afriendlypioneer, Wednesday, 13 March 2013 15:00 (eleven years ago) link

"Alright" and "Pumping on your Stereo" got some play on MTV or VH1 or whatever, and they played "Pumping" on Jay Leno, but other than that, Supergrass was pretty much invisible in the US.

Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Wednesday, 13 March 2013 15:09 (eleven years ago) link

I need to revisit the third album, I never owned a copy and I always found 'Pumping...' kind of annoying but 'Moving' was one of their best singles.

Gavin, Leeds, Wednesday, 13 March 2013 15:12 (eleven years ago) link

third album is my favorite

mizzell, Wednesday, 13 March 2013 15:14 (eleven years ago) link


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