Simon Warner

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

In Ben Thompson's book, 7 years of plenty he writes about Simon Warner who surfaced in the Britpop years and then promptly disappeared. Thompson's descripion makes him sound rather more intriguing and ambitious than the usual lumpenrock which was de riguer at the time. Is his album Waiting Rooms worth searching out, and what's he up to now?

― Billy Dods, Friday, 1 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I used to share the same manager as Simon Warner a few years back. The gentleman was/is supremely talented, far more so than the horrible band I was apart of. Waiting Rooms is worth owning.

I have no idea what happened to Simon, anyone?

Shaun

― Shaun Kemp, Friday, 1 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i thought his album was dreadful, like a more serious divine comedy without any of the levity or pop sensibility. there is a simon warner that writes for popmatters that seems bitter about the english press so perhaps that is him?

― keith, Friday, 1 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Could never get past his awful voice. Once memorably read someone describe his singing as "like being buggered roughly with a jumbo Toblerone."

― clotion, Friday, 1 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I shudder to remember his line "One's bored with being British" (*one*, you note, not even "I"). What's all the more depressing is that I would once have echoed those sentiments.

― Robin Carmody, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yes he makes the Divine Comedy sound like Sham 69 in plumminess terms but it's a good no-half-measures stick. His voice is remarkable - too big and fruity for any normal material, so his songs have to sound like they do in the same way as clothes for very very fat men have to be specially made. The result is that only about half of Waiting Rooms works but I have a big soft spot for it.

― Tom, Monday, 4 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i saw him live about 5 years ago. he was utterly dreadful. tom's decription sounds fair, though.

― toby, Monday, 4 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

but it's a good no-half-measures stick

Is this something to do with the Toblerone that was mentioned earlier?

― David Inglesfield, Monday, 4 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

the instrumental version of waiting rooms i seem to remember was very nice.

mm.

― Wyndham Earl, Tuesday, 5 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

What has just flowed into mind is the flute that came on behind the "One's bored with being British" line. If anyone here knows a more definitively prissy piece of instrumentation (not nec. an insult) ...

― Robin Carmody, Wednesday, 6 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

one month passes...

Evidently, some people take it all just too darn seriously... it's tongue in cheek, for God's sake!! Come on people, can you really say you could do better? Or is it all just a bit too intelligent for ya??? Simon last played, to my knowledge, with a band called Lorca at 93 Feet East in London - great gig... some really funny numbers such as I'll Wear The Dress and It Was Me. Welcome back, Si.

What is clear is that Simon Warner's work is not up everyone's street... but it happens to land right outside my front door, so there. Difficult to deny he's a particularly talented fella, even if you don't appreciate the style. Waiting Rooms still resides firmly beside my hi-fi, even after 3-4 years of regular playing. There's not many albums can claim that.

― Abby Tyler, Sunday, 14 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

three years pass...

The guy is a genius. I have the album and saw him live. Kicks the Divine Comedy into the ground. Fantastic voice.

― Phillipus, Thursday, 15 September 2005 21:57 (twenty years ago)

two weeks pass...

"waiting rooms" still haunts me now,'tis beautiful,sad and extemely heartfelt.whatever happened to him? saw him in leicester yrs ago and what a sad night it was that only 15(maybe 16)ppl turned up,but simon didn't let me down only the sad f***a's from the east midlands let themselves down by not missing the 2nd rate "eastenders" and probably "the bill" for one tuesday evening!
can anyone let me know where he's up too??

― michael manners, Saturday, 1 October 2005 10:47 (twenty years ago)

one year passes...

Prompted by the inclusion of the title track on the current Poptimism CD I finally sought out a copy of the album on Saturday (which typically was not a straightforward process, but I did eventually find it). The title track is by some distance the best thing on there - four years before "Pyramid Song," in terms of chord changes and string arrangement, I note in passing - but I admire the man's emotion and ambition (nice to know that someone else has been listening to those extraordinary mid-'60s Anthony Newley albums). Reminds me of a gruffer David Essex (with touches of Phil Minton) singing early Cockney Rebel (the busker's vision magnified by opulent orchestration) but the voice is clearly an acquired taste and the Divine Comedy were probably much easier to swallow at the time. Still I'm glad I found it and will dig deeper into its contents.

D Peschek on sleevenote duty as well!

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 9 October 2006 08:23 (nineteen years ago)

I think Waiting Rooms is terrific...I too was a bit offput by his voice at first, expecting more Walker then Waits...but it clicked...one of my favorite moments is the "she reads thick books...oh yeah?, I lied" bit from "The Wrong Girl"...you can just see this would-be lothario chatting up some chick at the local college pub, trading on his craggy good looks, indulging the earnest, excited babble on her Descartes term paper while thinking only of how to get inside her pants...always gives me a chuckle...Warner is so clearly enamored of his heroes (Walker, Gainsbourg, etc.) that his groan of a voice becomes absolutely crucial to the proceedings, such is the ambition/talent imbalance...

whatever became of this guy?

― hank (hank s), Monday, 9 October 2006 13:08 (nineteen years ago)

seven years pass...

this album is this months buried treasure in mojo ..

dug it out of the archive and going to give it another go as was not too fussed when i heard it years ago.

however, in recent time i have had a scott walker awakening so maybe i am ready to listen again.

― mark e, Monday, 26 May 2014 18:58 (eleven years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.