Vic Godard/Subway Sect: Classic Or Dud?

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This is a quote from www.allmusic.com about Subway Sect
" Much like Mark Perry in Alternative TV, Vic Godard's career has gone on much longer than his limited talent warrants. But despite being part of the early days of English punk rock, he's still recording (albeit infrequently), and still must have fans — somewhere."
I seem to remember similar accusations being levelled at Kevin Rowland (Dexy's Midnight Runners), which are clearly nonsense, but i am in no way familiar with Subway Sect/Vic Godard solo at all, other than a song that came on a cd with MOJO a few years back. I thought 'Ambition' was a great song. So what else is worth checking out?
My interest stems from something i read about Subway Sect by Laurence from Felt. If they were an influence on one of the most underrated uk bands ever then it must be worth checking out. Or is it?

― Elaine Carmichael, Tuesday, 22 April 2003 16:32 (twenty-two years ago)

my knowledge is sort of half-baked... all i have is the 2cd "twenty odd years - The Story of..." and i love it!

i'd say "classic as hell!" but i really don't have a proper basis. (or do i?)
m.

― msp, Tuesday, 22 April 2003 16:40 (twenty-two years ago)

i've always failed to see the classic aspects of even those early s.s. singles but i've sort of grown "yawn" with that whole s.s.-slits-orange juice axis of postpunk.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 16:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I came to them by way of the Jesus and Mary Chain cover of "Ambition." What I've heard I really like, but I'm still a bit in the dark. Go thread!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 17:01 (twenty-two years ago)

amateurist do you hate hating rock&roll?

― jess (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 17:02 (twenty-two years ago)

there is a nice thread on this somewhere. use search (how many time have i said this since late last year?)

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 17:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Vic Godard was like this board's unofficial saint back in the ~~good~~ old days. I wouldn't expect much respect for him from something like allmusic.com (like anyone cares) but it'd be interesting to see what nu-ILM thinks.

― Justyn Dillingham (Justyn Dillingham), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 17:19 (twenty-two years ago)

heh, sort of. as I recall the pinefox didn't like him much.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 17:20 (twenty-two years ago)

I complained to my higher-ups about that bio but they didn't want to change it, for what it's worth.

― Aaron W (Aaron W), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 17:23 (twenty-two years ago)

AMG seems to have many biographies & reviews needing changed. Why do the reviews never seem to correspond by the stars beside the album?
Some albums get called masterpieces by the reviewer and then only have *** out of 5.

― Elaine Carmichael, Tuesday, 22 April 2003 17:37 (twenty-two years ago)

ha! yeah ned to thread (who works for it as a reviewer BTW) but its the case with many of these websites I'm afraid. I think there shouldn't be any ratings but I'd prob get called a raving lunatic.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 17:40 (twenty-two years ago)

You can search lots of defenses/explanations of AMG, but the ratings vs. reviews comes from there being both freelancers and editors involved in the process. Given the volume, I think that 99% of the time the two jive.

Anyway, the Vic Goddard & the Subway Sect bio is one specific case where I agree that the bio is a bit off the mark.

― Aaron W (Aaron W), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 17:57 (twenty-two years ago)

So its not the reviewer who gives the ratings then? At least that explains why it never makes sense. I always wondered if whoever gave the ratings had actually heard the album.

― Elaine Carmichael, Tuesday, 22 April 2003 18:17 (twenty-two years ago)

I've only got T.R.O.U.B.L.E which is good in parts - (eveyone was working with Robin Millar, doing the bossa nova thing back then!).

I must say that I'm Going to Write a Musical is slightly scary, in an Ivor Cutler kind of way...lines like ...well-wishers, like the queen and Arthur Scargill - hmmm.

― Jez (Jez), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 10:26 (twenty-two years ago)

eighteen years pass...

They’re back!

Featuring twelve tracks, including single ‘Commercial Suicide Man’, the new long player was recorded in London with Mick Jones co-founder of The Clash, who also plays piano and sings backing vocals, and features the reformed Subway Sect line up from 1981 of Vic Godard (vocals), Sean Mclusky (drums), Chris Bostock (bass), Johnny Britton (guitar) and Dc Collard (piano) together with Pete Williams, Terry Edwards and Simon Rivers.

― curmudgeon, Thursday, 10 February 2022 15:13 (three years ago)

Title of upcoming NEW ALBUM - ‘MOMENTS LIKE THESE’

Single out now on Bandcamp

― curmudgeon, Thursday, 10 February 2022 15:27 (three years ago)

Actually I think that album came in 2021 via a US release, but a Brit publicist sent me an email about the upcoming Brit release with a new cover on the vinyl

https://www.discogs.com/master/2434312-Subway-Sect-Moments-Like-These

― curmudgeon, Saturday, 12 February 2022 19:55 (three years ago)

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