Luke Haines: Off My Rocker at the Art School Bop

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This was supposed to come out in April? Why the hell haven't I heard anything about it?

― enjoy bell woods, Wednesday, 8 March 2006 06:48 (twenty years ago)

Oh, you can do better than this.

― enjoy bell woods, Wednesday, 8 March 2006 20:30 (twenty years ago)

"EMI’s subsequent collection of rarities, Luke Haines Is Dead, hand-picked by Haines himself, draws a line under the best part of his career before he resumes afresh with the forthcoming release, Off My Rocker At The Art School Bop, this April. Having experimented with genre much more heavily since his first solo outing, 2001’s The Oliver Twist Manifesto, Haines now appears to have rediscovered both his love for guitars and that impeccable sense of an excellent hook that was so characteristic of his early work with the Auteurs. Tonight, The Luke Haines Power Trio preview a handful of new songs, combining their now more assured sound with the vengeful tone and morbid fascinations which adorned his post-Murder Park career. The chant-like chorus of Leeds United is not likely to be adopted by the Elland Road faithful any time soon but the song is on a possibly on a par with Haines' finest. Taking the Yorkshire Ripper as its grim subject, Haines seems to assume the viewpoint of the Leeds supporters as they mockingly taunt the West Yorkshire Police from the terraces for their ineptitude and their failure to catch the killer. Elsewhere, Off My Rocker..., a wry skit in a similar mould to the gothic funk of Discomania aimed at the pretentiousness of art institutionalism fuses Haines’ usual urgency with an almost ludicrous sound which almost conjures up of Hotbutter’s 1972 oddity Popcorn, while Best Artist, following on from his earlier fantasy, I Shot Sarah Lucas, completes his self-dubbed Art School Trilogy, assaulting yet another, though unnamed, pop artist with the same, almost infantile parody he’d reserved for Lucas. “I’m the best artist, I can do what I like”, his subject staidly asserts, but whereas the target here remains in question (past sleevenotes suggest it's either Emin or Hirst), other songs are much less vague. Bad Reputation, in which Haines concludes that ‘Gary Glitter is a bad, bad man for ruining the reputation of The Glitter Band’, does little more than state the obvious but paves the way for a far superior attack on the fallen but unrepentant pop star Jonathan King in The Walton Hop, named after the club in Walton-on-Thames, a favoured haunt of King’s and an outlet for his recently discovered indulgences.

Ever seeking to upset and unsettle his listeners, Haines is certainly on familiar territory, thematically, but his bluntness and his eagerness to shock disguises a far more pensive and reflective attitude in his songs which doesn't just expose the listeners fears; that Haines was a small boy himself growing up near the Hop in the mid seventies gives revealing insight into his own qualms. Similarly, the chilling Meet Me At The Airport, plucked from his brief period as Baader Meinhof, is given new resonance in today’s post 9/11 and 7/7 society and demonstrates his ability to tap into public paranoia by viewing situations through the eyes of the antagonist; “We’ll kill every woman and child,” he sneers, “Waste them without mercy.” Unsolved Child Murder appears to use the same ploy, but with loose suspicion; In one disturbingly contradictory line, it becomes unclear whether he is an angered citizen pushing hate mail through the door of the accused or if the media frenzy surrounding the child's disappearance has sparked the lynch mob to pursue him; "I don't know Sundays could be useful after all", he sings in self-congratulatory smugness with regards to the aforementioned death threats before bitterly adding, "people can be so cruel and spineless... sod this town and people's pity"."

Are you familiar with Google?

― Raw, Uncompromising, and Noodly (noodle vague), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 20:35 (twenty years ago)

It looks like it probably won't come out in April, though, unless there's a sudden glut of information on it at lukehaines.co.uk

Those new songs are all pretty good though, esp. "Off My Rocker At The Art School Bop".

― Michael A Neuman (Ferg), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 20:40 (twenty years ago)

Are you familiar with Google?

Wow, a concert review that also includes stuff about songs that have been out for almost a decade. That's not exactly what I was trying to find out about.

― enjoy bell woods, Wednesday, 8 March 2006 20:49 (twenty years ago)

There are reviews of some of the new songs there. You're just grubbing around after leaks, aren't you?

― Raw, Uncompromising, and Noodly (noodle vague), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 21:03 (twenty years ago)

here are reviews of some of the new songs there. You're just grubbing around after leaks, aren't you?

-- Raw, Uncompromising, and Noodly (noodle_vagu...), March 8th, 2006.

Yes, that's exactly it. I couldn't be curious about its release or anything since I've made a point of buying everything he's released and because he's my favorite contemporary songwriter.

― enjoy bell woods, Wednesday, 8 March 2006 23:12 (twenty years ago)

Don't let noodle scare you off. I was just listening to The Facts of Life yesterday and wondering when we were going to see new Haines product, so I'm with ya--definitely heard surprisingly little given how soon this is coming out. Of course I don't live in the UK.

― Eppy (Eppy), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 23:19 (twenty years ago)

I've made a point of buying everything he's released and because he's my favorite contemporary songwriter.

Ditto. And anyway, I think the fact that I sprung for $30 imports of Baader Meinhof, Passionoia, Now I'm A Cowboy, and the Oliver Twist Manifesto should absolve me if I bite an YSI or two before buying the proper copy of this one!

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Thursday, 9 March 2006 01:48 (twenty years ago)

It's amazing to me how far ahead of the curve Haines' solo stuff has been- The Oliver Twist Manifesto is like a pissed-off Junior Boys with all the two-step and Timbaland-biting rhythms, and somehow I doubt Baader Meinhof would've gotten so many negative reviews if it had been released, say, 2004.

― telephone thing, Thursday, 9 March 2006 02:17 (twenty years ago)

I’m actually pretty interested in this as I was a huge Auteurs fan. I was very fortunate to see the New Wave tour twice in Los Angeles, was blown away at their acoustic set. The next year they came back with a full band of about six or seven people for the Now I’m A Cowboy tour at the Whiskey A Go Go and knew that Luke was a music genius. Bought the last two Auteurs albums but didn’t grab me like they did before. I bought Black Box Recorder’s The Facts of Life and loved the singles but didn’t venture out to see what else Luke Haines was up to. I hope this is up to his old form. Make me wonder what else I need to search out by this amazing man, can you suggest something from an old fan?

― BeeOK (boo radley), Thursday, 9 March 2006 09:23 (twenty years ago)

Def. check out Baader Meinhof, Bee. It's a really awesome solo project. Very unique.

― enjoy bell woods, Thursday, 9 March 2006 22:02 (twenty years ago)

I saw BBR at CMJ in aught-something, and it was not so hot. But yes, I can't understand why Baader-Meinhof and Oliver Twist Manifesto aren't considered canonical, especially given what is considered as such...

...maybe it's all the jokes.

― Eppy (Eppy), Thursday, 9 March 2006 22:04 (twenty years ago)

I'm with ya--definitely heard surprisingly little given how soon this is coming out. Of course I don't live in the UK

Well, I live in the UK and this is the first I've heard of it.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Thursday, 9 March 2006 22:16 (twenty years ago)

x-post
It must be the jokes. I'm not sure the mainstream, even in the UK, knows exactly what to do with a guy who makes lush pop albums that equate nostalgia with fascism (Bootboys) or threaten to go Solanas on Sarah Lucas's ass...

By the way, what's Momus's take on Haines? I baited Momus in that much-derided Pitchfork review by saying "The Last Communist" is the kind of song Haines can write in his sleep, and that was literally the only sentence in the piece that Momus left unchallenged. Perhaps he agrees?!

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Thursday, 9 March 2006 22:38 (twenty years ago)

I think I saw Momus post on the official Luke Haines forum once or twice.

― enjoy bell woods, Thursday, 9 March 2006 22:41 (twenty years ago)

http://www.lukehaines.co.uk/discuss/viewtopic.php?t=54&highlight=momus

― enjoy bell woods, Thursday, 9 March 2006 22:43 (twenty years ago)

I should just start signing things "momus."

Sincerely,
L. Frank Ghery

― Eppy (Eppy), Thursday, 9 March 2006 22:46 (twenty years ago)

Ok, where would you start with Luke Haines, for the novice? Give me an order of operations, please...

― now now, Friday, 10 March 2006 00:03 (twenty years ago)

Depends what you're in the mood for--guitars or electronics. If guitars, probably the Auteur's How I Learned to Love the Bootboys. If electronics, probably either the first or second Black Box Reocorder album, then the solo album, The Oliver Twist Manifesto, then Baader-Meinhof.

― Eppy (Eppy), Friday, 10 March 2006 00:09 (twenty years ago)

Ah, but the first BBR is practically all guitars! The big switch happened between England Made Me and Facts of Life.

I think the discography works in pretty much any order... as long as you don't start with Baader Meinhof or After Murder Park.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Friday, 10 March 2006 01:15 (twenty years ago)

I started with After Murder Park and loved it immediately - and still like it more than the two previous albums.

I'd recommend that or How I Learned To Love The Bootboys first as both sort of balance out tune-immediacy and the Luke Haines Weirdness factor - the earlier stuff is catchy but less compelling, whilst the solo album is probably just too Luke Haines for first timers.

I've never even seen the Baader-Meinhof album.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 10 March 2006 01:26 (twenty years ago)

After all these years? Melbourne's not THAT isolated.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 10 March 2006 01:27 (twenty years ago)

You could always start with Das Capital. I like it. I don't know how others feel about it, though.

― enjoy bell woods, Friday, 10 March 2006 01:32 (twenty years ago)

New one's looking more like June now, according to the website.

― Michael A Neuman (Ferg), Friday, 10 March 2006 13:00 (twenty years ago)

Off My Rocker at the Art School Bop sounds curiously sub-Denim. No surprises there then ;-)

― david laughner, Friday, 10 March 2006 13:08 (twenty years ago)

Huh. I'll have to go listen to that first BBR album again--maybe because I got Facts of Life first I can't hear the guitars or something.

I've only listened to Das Capital like twice. I've never seen the Baader-Meinhof album either, although I did pay $30 for Das Capital on import. Oh well, at least the liner notes were great.

― Eppy (Eppy), Friday, 10 March 2006 14:09 (twenty years ago)

I am averaging the responses, and will find How I Learned to Love the Bootboys first. Will this be an easy task?

― now now, Friday, 10 March 2006 16:03 (twenty years ago)

ysi plz

― The Man Without Shadow (Enrique), Friday, 10 March 2006 16:04 (twenty years ago)

YSI plz seconded...

― now now, Friday, 10 March 2006 16:16 (twenty years ago)

did any one see luke at the islington acadamy, ive been a haines fan for years and that was the best gig ive ever been to. the new songs are still in my head 3 months on "LEEDS UNITED!, LEEDS UNITED!"

― nathan wilding, Thursday, 23 March 2006 12:15 (twenty years ago)

lucky u nathan Im rather jealous, big fan years ago-- I loved new wave. the only gig I saw was a shocker @ London school of economics 99, he was not in good shape then and could barely stand up, Im surprised hes still alive.

― Kiwi, Thursday, 23 March 2006 13:05 (twenty years ago)

four weeks pass...

Yes I was at the Islington acadamy gig too. Fantastic gig, but half empty. I was able to stand right at the front the front, unhindered by heads. While Sarah Nixey was playing, some annoying bloke came and stood right in front of me wearing wearing a trilby hat. Yes, yes it took me too long to realise it was Luke.

I wouldve liked them to get together and bash out a couple of Black Box numbers..

― Pete Comply, Thursday, 20 April 2006 13:54 (twenty years ago)

New Wave still blows my mind after all these years.

― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Thursday, 20 April 2006 14:50 (twenty years ago)

Classic or Dud: That Studenty Dickhead That Always Shouts For Mogadishu All Through The Fucking Set

Perhaps he'll Google himself and find his way here, that'd be something.

― Michael A Neuman (Ferg), Thursday, 20 April 2006 14:50 (twenty years ago)

"New Wave still blows my mind after all these years."

Same here. Some of the songs are just too perfect.

― enjoy bell woods, Wednesday, 26 April 2006 20:56 (twenty years ago)

Any news on this?

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Thursday, 4 May 2006 13:08 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

Still getting nothing on this.

― enjoy bell woods (sjjd111), Sunday, 18 June 2006 23:07 (nineteen years ago)

Richard X did some work on the title track, apparently. That's all.

― Fraggle O Rly (Ferg), Monday, 19 June 2006 19:43 (nineteen years ago)

Ah:

New album 'Off My Rocker At The Artschool Bop' will be released October 2006.

It will be preceded in September by a double A-sided single 'Off My Rocker At The Artschool Bop (Richard X version)/Leeds United. More details soon.

― Fraggle O Rly (Ferg), Friday, 23 June 2006 11:16 (nineteen years ago)

But will I have to pay thirty friggin dollars to get it, is the question.

― Eppy (Eppy), Friday, 23 June 2006 13:33 (nineteen years ago)

one month passes...

Okay, the song "Off My Rocker at the Art School Bop" sort of sucks, but I am really enjoying this one: http://youtube.com/watch?v=6RbBGvl9IRI

― funky fufo (sjjd111), Saturday, 19 August 2006 02:44 (nineteen years ago)

one month passes...

This isn't bad. It's pretty glam-heavy. The pissing-on-chips verse of Bad Reputation's been excised. Other highlights include comedy skiffle tangent and line "Freddie Mills is dead, Freddie Mills is dead, dead Fred dead Fred dead Fred dead Fred, Fred's dead, brown bread, Freddie Mills is dead."

― M Annoyman (Ferg), Tuesday, 10 October 2006 18:04 (nineteen years ago)

Does the album version of "Off My Rocker" sound different?

― sjd111 (sjjd111), Tuesday, 10 October 2006 19:01 (nineteen years ago)

It's slower, has nothing to do with Richard X and has a short extra bit in the middle ("ich liebe fraulein, I'm all out to lunch"), but it's not massively rearranged or anything. Nothing else on the album has anywhere near as much synth, it's all just the occasional blip in the background otherwise.

― Fraggle O Rly (Ferg), Tuesday, 10 October 2006 19:14 (nineteen years ago)

Anyone else going to see the cheery fella at the Luminaire, Kilburn tomorrow?

― Neil Stewart (Neil Stewart), Tuesday, 17 October 2006 11:46 (nineteen years ago)

The video:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=0ZPVlqlt6Tk

― Telephonething (Telephonething), Monday, 23 October 2006 21:58 (nineteen years ago)

Since this thread's been revived, the gig was dead good- Haines was in proper acerbic form, the new stuff sounded great, and he played some old faves. Also, he didn't play for too long, which I always think is a good thing.

― Neil Stewart (Neil Stewart), Tuesday, 24 October 2006 07:48 (nineteen years ago)

Also "The Upper Classes", unexpectedly. Too many loud braying twats though.

― Fraggle O Rly (Ferg), Tuesday, 24 October 2006 08:27 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, that often seems to be a problem with the Luminaire, which is otherwise a great venue.

― Neil Stewart (Neil Stewart), Tuesday, 24 October 2006 08:29 (nineteen years ago)

two months pass...

I finally heard this album. What a bitter old tosser he has become. Okay, he used to be a bitter young tosser and I still followed him (on and off) since he was in The Servants, but with this album he's finally lost me. Forget about "singing" - his voice is rarely more than a hoarse monotone and musically and lyrically it's a completely boring tenth-generation photocopy of Denim On Ice.

Please don't waste your time on this bullshit. Just listen to the vile "Here's To Old England" and you'll see what I mean. Hopeless.

― everything (everything), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 19:22 (nineteen years ago)

I like this album, especially "Leeds United" and the title track. And Luke's ginger beard as well.

― zeus (zeus), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 23:27 (nineteen years ago)

He's a parody of himself, especially on that trac:. "Jimmy Saville, blah blah blah, Teddy boys, blah blah blah, Ford Cortina, blah blah blah, WATCH OUT FOR THE SERIAL KILLER!".

― everything (everything), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 23:40 (nineteen years ago)

I still love the Richard X mix of the title track.

― Telephonething (Telephonething), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 00:57 (nineteen years ago)

everything1967 is completely and regrettably correct and I am so very sorry. I will always and forever cherish 'Underground Movies' and 'Modern History.' Goodbye, Mr. Haines.

― Dr. Joseph A. Ofalt (hyloolnuspstt), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 02:39 (nineteen years ago)

I love it when Luke alienates tossers.

― Boom Dershowitz (noodle vague), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 02:42 (nineteen years ago)

the title track, or the richard x versh, which is all i've heard, is great fun. i'll take it over recent jarvis.

― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 09:21 (nineteen years ago)

I like this album, and the new Jarvis one too. Surely if you're buying a Haines album, "bitter old tosser" is exactly what you want and expect?

― Neil Stewart (Neil Stewart), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 10:40 (nineteen years ago)

Haven't heard this yet, but I like the way he looks exactly like ELO's bassist Kelly Groucutt.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 10:48 (nineteen years ago)

'I love it when Luke alienates tossers.'

Dershowitz's tart comment shamed me into listening again, and I've utterly changed my opinion based on this musical moment: during the final refrain of Going Off My Rocker At The Art School Bop, it sounds like Luke is saying "can you feel the beating of my arse, arse, arse?" I sort of can, and I think I like it!

― Dr. Joseph A. Ofalt (hyloolnuspstt), Thursday, 11 January 2007 04:06 (nineteen years ago)

"Here's to Old England" really isn't very good though.

― Michael Philip Philip Philip Philip Annoyman (Ferg), Thursday, 11 January 2007 09:46 (nineteen years ago)

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