Inspiral Carpets

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With the release of the 3 CD/ DVD 'Best of' last week what's the opinion of the other Madchester band?

― Calz (Calz), Sunday, 25 May 2003 13:05 (twenty-two years ago)

it'd be funny actually hating the Inspiral Carpets: I can't imagine anyone getting really worked up about them one way or another. they're terrible, but in a really bland way.

― Justyn Dillingham (Justyn Dillingham), Sunday, 25 May 2003 13:18 (twenty-two years ago)

there've been more than 1500 CoDs before the ICs got one = does this say something abt the group or abt the message board?

i'd respect them more if they'd gone for the full-on 10-CD best of

― mark s (mark s), Sunday, 25 May 2003 13:27 (twenty-two years ago)

I still love to hear Joe. You Can't Take The Truth is good too. I am a bit of a sucker for Hammond organ though, and no one else was using one when they started, except maybe the James Taylor Quartet, but no one was listening to them. They went rapidily downhill after 1989 I guess. But yeah, it's all about Clint Boon's organ.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 25 May 2003 13:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Move was great too, I came*that* close to buying the 2cd 1dvd box set the other day, Just for Joe, Move and commercial reign. Sackville was a good song too. I saw them loads of times in 89/90, they were a lot of fun.

― chris (chris), Sunday, 25 May 2003 14:18 (twenty-two years ago)

If nobody else is going to do it, I'll defend them. They were an absolutely cracking singles band who got Mark E Smith onto TotP back in the days when he was an exciting drunken mess rather than an embarrassing drunken mess. Missed their chance of being really big by releasing a poor second album, but after that they recovered - if you really liked Life (rather than buying it because it was one of the "records you have to own" of 1990) there's no reason not to like Revenge of the Goldfish or Devil Hopping. I think they were one of those bands like That Petrol Emotion or the Family Cat who got a lot of attention early on, but actually released better records after the music press and most of the fans had lost interest.

― Andrew Norman, Sunday, 25 May 2003 16:50 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah revenge of the goldfish was great. i saw clint boon on new year's eve in london a few years back, what a disaster! i am surprised he doesn't go around declaring himself 'dear leader' with the amount of narcissism on display. 'commercial rain' sounds great cranked up in the car. 'plane crash' too.

― keith (keithmcl), Sunday, 25 May 2003 16:59 (twenty-two years ago)

I did this a few months ago, I think... didn't get much response, though.

However, I've yet to hear anything by them that I've hated, and those who deny the brilliance of Saturn 5, I Want You, and This Is How It Feels are wrong.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 25 May 2003 17:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Saturn 5 was typical of the songs I started hating. Mid-tempo droning nonsense.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 25 May 2003 17:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Caravan is still a great single.

― Mike Taylor (mjt), Sunday, 25 May 2003 20:46 (twenty-two years ago)

The singles compilation is a damn fine listen.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Sunday, 25 May 2003 23:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Put on a great show when I saw them in early 1991, so credit for that alone. The Beast Inside tracks sounded much better live, and "Further Away" in particular was a monster.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 26 May 2003 00:22 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm still a sucker for "This is How It Feels." (I even like Carter USM's cover.) "She Comes in the Fall" is OK too. I don't honestly remember any other songs, even though I had two albums at one point.

― JesseFox (JesseFox), Monday, 26 May 2003 03:28 (twenty-two years ago)

The DVD's playing now - the box is remarkably cheap (1.5 times normal single CD, approx), on the DVD you get all the videos (including a crap animation for the new song, and Mark E Smith), a bunch of songs from a Gmex gig (including a troupe of petrified drum majorettes) and an interview where the band explain why they rejected Noel Gallagher's audition to be their vocalist. Also some very funny stuff about trying to keep MES under control in the TotP studio. The audio CDs are basically a reprise of the recent singles compilation with all the tracks from the first two (extremely rare) singles with a different vocalist, and a motley collection of other B-sides which seem to have been chosen by sticking a pin into a list (some of it's been on CD before and there are one or two genuinely rare things missing). Crap haircuts, awful clothes, cheap videos, great music.

― Andrew Norman, Monday, 26 May 2003 21:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Crap haircuts, awful clothes, cheap videos, great music.

the world would be better if this described most pop music.

― Mike Taylor (mjt), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 02:26 (twenty-two years ago)

i'm way ahead of you already

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 02:27 (twenty-two years ago)

especially with the bad hair & clothes

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 02:27 (twenty-two years ago)

i heart the inspirals. Reading Fest with inspirals AND wedding present was my dream line up, whenever that was. Vocalist had a tremendous pair of lungs on him - great live voice - and 'I want you' (version with MES obv) was def one of my fave singles of the 90s. The theme to 8:15 from manchester? smashing. (I lied about the last bit)

― Alan (Alan), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 08:27 (twenty-two years ago)

**I am a bit of a sucker for Hammond organ though**

It's not a Hammond (phat and warm). They used a Farfisa (thin, reedy).

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 08:39 (twenty-two years ago)

OK, that then.

― N. (nickdastoor), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 09:29 (twenty-two years ago)

is "inspiral" an actual real word or madey-uppy?

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 09:33 (twenty-two years ago)

not knowing this may come to haunt me professionally

― sub editor mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 09:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah another classic.

Of course I wish I'd sold my copy of their first 2 EPs back in 1990 as I can't imagien they fetch much now - except I'm happy enough to keep them as some of those tracks are great.

And has anyoen mentioned Direkting Traffik yet?

― tigerclawskank, Tuesday, 27 May 2003 10:38 (twenty-two years ago)

1st one still commands bucks but the second not so much

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 10:38 (twenty-two years ago)

In fact I reckon it was probably not a Farfisa, but a Vox Continental organ. Vague memories of them doing 'This is how it feels' on TOTP steer me in this direction - it was a Vox-y sort of shape.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 10:59 (twenty-two years ago)

1st one still commands bucks but the second not so much

The first one sold out pretty quickly, they must have made more copies of the second one because I bought a copy a couple of months after it was released, but once they signed to Mute those two got so rare they were selling for silly money. Gemm doesn't list Planecrash, but Trainsurfing is allegedly available from several places at reasonable prices. I was listening to Planecrash on my way in to work this morning - the first singer sounded a lot like Tom, and there's no sign of the usual hesitancy of a band making their first single, in fact it's better than some of the other early stuff (I never much liked Joe for example). And I Want You with MES is definitely the best single of the nineties.

― Andrew Norman, Tuesday, 27 May 2003 11:09 (twenty-two years ago)

"This is How It Feels" was utter, utter dung, but "Find Out Why" still rocks.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 11:33 (twenty-two years ago)

First singer was from Chesterfield, I went to school with his brother, and every time we saw him in town everyone would chorus "he used to be in the Inspirals you know"

― chris (chris), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 11:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Nah, Farfisa.

― harveyw (harveyw), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 12:59 (twenty-two years ago)

I love the Inspirals, saw em recently at one of the comeback shows in Manchester. Also does anyone else notice the wonderful irony in the lyrics of "Directing Traffik" which carries an angry anti-Ecstacy message, 'directing traffic' of course referring to the popular 'big fish little fish' dancing in acid house clubs; yet the Inspirals merrily rode the wave of the baggy guitar/dance crossover.

― tacit (tacit), Wednesday, 28 May 2003 13:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Sleeve notes to the singles comp (by Steve Lamacq, I think) - Clint says it's a Farfisa, not a Hammond.

Does anyone still listen to the Happy Mondays these days? They were much cooler at the time, but I don't think their music has lasted (I was never a fan even at the time, but plenty of people were).

― Andrew Norman, Wednesday, 28 May 2003 16:02 (twenty-two years ago)

the mondays still sound good to me.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Wednesday, 28 May 2003 18:08 (twenty-two years ago)

well, some of it does, anyway.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Wednesday, 28 May 2003 18:08 (twenty-two years ago)

The transition from the intro to the main groove in "Commercial Reign" still gives me the chills.

I'm a little surprised they haven't enjoyed any significant degree of rediscovery yet amongst the indied.. especially since I think the Carpets aren't that far off from McCarthy or early Stereolab, musically speaking.

So show of hands... who saw the Inspirals when Noel Gallagher was their roadie? *raises hands*

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 28 May 2003 18:32 (twenty-two years ago)

I love This is how it Feels and She Comes in the Fall. They aren't a patch on The Mondays and as The Mondays were not a patch on the Roses it goes without saying that the Inspirals don't come close to these lofty heights. They didn't have any iconic figureheads either which hurt them - no Ian Brown, for example, to lead the band.

I still like them though.

― Calz (Calz), Wednesday, 28 May 2003 18:34 (twenty-two years ago)

dud, they just couldn't consistently come up with goo dhooks

― g (graysonlane), Wednesday, 28 May 2003 18:38 (twenty-two years ago)

I still love the "cool as fuck" cow t-shirt.

― Chris Barrus (Chris Barrus), Thursday, 29 May 2003 00:08 (twenty-two years ago)

And I still own one.

goo dhooks

Beautiful.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 29 May 2003 01:12 (twenty-two years ago)

"First singer was from Chesterfield, I went to school with his brother, and every time we saw him in town everyone would chorus "he used to be in the Inspirals you know"

Rainkings were pretty good too,his next band. I enjoyed his voice a lot better than the singer they got next. I also enjoyed the first few singles with the new guy, but then they became a big joke. Any of their "love" songs still make me cringe. Clint Boon should have stuck to doing session work, like he did playing on the Waltones album.

― svend, Thursday, 29 May 2003 01:33 (twenty-two years ago)

i still think Clint Boon's first solo single "Only One Way I Can Go" is a fantastic song. The rest, not so much.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 29 May 2003 01:34 (twenty-two years ago)

'please be cruel' was a lovely song on sadomasochism.

― keith (keithmcl), Thursday, 29 May 2003 03:09 (twenty-two years ago)

ten months pass...

'they're only the band Shed Seven could've been...'

OPO:
She Comes In The Fall (the end always flows into Carter's 'After The Watershed' in my mind)
Move
Caravan
Joe
This Is How It Feels
Biggest Mountain
Two Worlds Collide
I Want You
Dragging Me Down
Generations

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 2 April 2004 13:13 (twenty-one years ago)

I just saw a dodgy one CD "greatest hits" of theirs in the local store yesterday. It did not have "Commercial Reign/Rain" on it. This made me laugh -- then cry. Then I put the CD down and moved on.

― donut bitch (donut), Friday, 2 April 2004 16:21 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

I have never heard of Inspiral Carpets, nor have I heard of clint boon. Yet all day today, I've had the lines "you're taking me way high, I like it white with no sugar" and nothing else stuck in my head. I thought it was from some 60s classic, but google told me it was "White No Sugar" by the Clint Boon Experience. I can't figure out for the life of me how I got it stuck in my head. I can't imagine I heard it anywhere this side of Massachusetts. Was it on a soundtrack or something? Arghhhhh, why can't I get it out of my head?

― danzig (danzig), Thursday, 30 March 2006 04:07 (nineteen years ago)

ten months pass...

Wow! I found an Inspirals thread! I just had two try that little bit harder.

Okay...so...I really dug their early days with the first vocalist. I bought the Trainsurfing EP when it came out and really liked it. (I think that was their first record, actually) I didn't like the tone of the replacement vocalist's voice very much (still don't really, at least in comparison). I flirted around with them before, liked some of their singles in the early 90's and stuff, but never really got into them very heavily. Until now. I can't believe how much cool stuff I missed by just not investigating them properly. The Plane Crash song...and Paper Moon is pretty extraordinary...and then just the energy filled 60's-ish ones with the Hammond...there really was a lot more to this band than I would have guessed.

― Booper Soul (Bimble...), Sunday, 4 February 2007 17:44 (eighteen years ago)

Whoops! Should have read Dr. C's post above.

― Booper Soul (Bimble...), Sunday, 4 February 2007 17:47 (eighteen years ago)

What a great band. Easily the funkiest and best of the Madchester scene with that fantastic funky organ sound that sounded like 60s (classic) Mods. "So This Is How It Feels" is still my favourite, such a sad portrait of the devastation left behind when a housewife abandons her family.

― Barry Normal (Barry Normal), Sunday, 4 February 2007 17:55 (eighteen years ago)

my dog used to go crazy at those whale sounds at the end of 'sackville'

― keyth (keyth), Sunday, 4 February 2007 18:09 (eighteen years ago)

Loved em. Classic Madchester, and they weren't all crazy in the head like the Mondays and Roses, just went and did actual gigs, went about their business and stuff. Very nice blokes too, no 'tude. I wouldn't say they were the best of the madch lot, but they weren't just bad haircuts and they COULD come up with hooks, you are crazy if you aren't hearing em.

Irrespective of any craze, "This Is How It Feels" is classic Merseyside pop.

Just wearing the shirt the other day in fact as a bit of a laugh... ("havin a laugh?").

― Saxby D. Elder (Saxby D. Elder), Sunday, 4 February 2007 18:31 (eighteen years ago)

One of those bands who seemed to sell more t-shirts than records. I mean, they were EVERYWHERE.

Not keen, personally.

― Phil Knight (PhilK), Sunday, 4 February 2007 18:59 (eighteen years ago)

At least they made a couple of really great tunes. I don't consider them among the best of the era (that would be Stone Roses and Charlatans - and La's, except they were from Liverpool and not really baggy). But they are remembered for the occasional good single anyway. Not fully classic, but at times they were close.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 5 February 2007 02:16 (eighteen years ago)

Not too keen on the singles stuff, although I'd probably dance to it... however, I love the moody stuff like The Beast Inside.

― Rombald (rombald), Monday, 5 February 2007 08:36 (eighteen years ago)

A singles compilation is possibly enough from them.

― zeus (zeus), Monday, 5 February 2007 12:34 (eighteen years ago)

seven months pass...

"dragging me down" is fucking ace. this has been said here already, right? better have been.

also, anybody ever notice how the singer guy sounds so much like the singer guy from the bodines? just something i noticed.

yep-o.

― andi, Wednesday, 12 September 2007 05:15 (seventeen years ago)

I got their entire discography for four dollars.

― Jeff Treppel, Thursday, 13 September 2007 03:28 (seventeen years ago)

hahaha

― andi, Thursday, 13 September 2007 03:41 (seventeen years ago)

seven years pass...

Outside getting a video played on 120 Minutes back in the early 90s, I don't think the Inspiral Carpets ever made much impact in the US. I've gotten into a run of listening to bunches of UK 80s/90s rock bands and picked up Life and The Beast Outside for a couple bucks each. They definitely had a 90s updated mod sound with the roller rink organ.

After a couple of listens, none of the songs really caught with me but they have a good band sound. Kind of like Echo & the Bunnymen, they were able to go someplace different basically updating the Doors sound. It fits well in mixes of other 80s-90s Uk acts that I have been listening to the past couple of months.

That Madchester rock was pretty cool, but it was no where near aggressive enough to catch a big audience at the time in the US. The organ pretty much disappeared in American rock after the 70s for the most part. It's a good sound.

― earlnash, Monday, 20 April 2015 00:47 (ten years ago)

Was just listening to "she comes in the fall" earlier

― Οὖτις, Monday, 20 April 2015 01:07 (ten years ago)

two years pass...

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/may/05/inspiral-carpets-drummer-craig-gill-inquest-tinnitus

― geoffreyess, Sunday, 7 May 2017 15:49 (eight years ago)

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Inspiral Carpets - c/d