Can The Beta Band rediscover greatness?

The Three EPs were great, definitely. Addictive, psychedelic melodies and beats. Didn't buy the other two albums. In the songs and snippets I heard the singing really got on my nerves. Just too monotonous.

hippies + trip-hop = inventive?

'rediscover'?

I still think Hot Shots is superior to the 3 EPs. I don't know why everyone bashes it, I must be the only person in the world with this opinion. From my point of view, they've simply gotten better with time.

josh = bang on.

josh = hippy.

(and we LIKE the betas, hah!)

The 3 eps showed a lot of potential, but they have yet to come close into tapping into it.

Wasn't The Three EP's the greatest and most inventive record of the nineties?

Um, no? A couple okay songs, a whole bunch of poor ones; it's a mystery to me why these guys are rated so highly. I sold mine, happily.

I really rated the Three EPs when I first bought it but I soon got sick (literally) of it... Too many lurching sickly beats made me end up feeling nauseous after repeated listens... Nevertheless it was a fantastic release.

Since then I've lost track and interest of the Beta's doings and I don't think it's possible for them to get back to their original sound. It's very hard for a band to carry on being lo-fi, and nutty when they keep selling loads of albums and making money. Bands like Pavement, evolve and learn to play their instruments properly and get that dude who produced the Radiohead album to do theirs. I can't see the Beta Band maintaining their appeal in this way...
and before you ask, yes I do like Terror Twilight as much a Slanted & Enchanted... So there!

"The 3 eps showed a lot of potential, but they have yet to come close into tapping into it."

Couldn't agree more. The Three EP's had some great stuff - "Inner Meet Me", "I Know", "Push it Out", "She's the One" - but also some wanky drivel. Great starting point, but not a classic. The debut album just seemed to expand on their wanky tendencies. Hot Shots wasn't wanky ENOUGH - too polished and focused, not enough of their rambling, oddball charm. Maybe next time...

To put them out of the bracket of decent indie bands and into that of "most inventive record of the nineties" bands strikes me as total lunacy.

I actually listen to the first proper album more than Three EPs, although I am aware that I am in the minority there. Not necessarily saying it's better, but that's generally the Betas disc I put on.

This is the part where I share contentless gossip. Three weeks ago went to Good World and was cursorily introduced to a very beautiful young woman who was unfortunately completely stuck up her own ass. My friends vanish and the two of us are sitting there at this table, saying nothing, and I'm just bored stiff so I warm her up a little kind of to see if it can be done (it can be; but barely) and this buzz-cut redhead BLERK comes over in a beeline for my chair, timing himself so as to make it clear that I am to move, but without acknowledging me in slightest way whatever. I think if I hadn't gotten up he would have sat on my lap! I was told later he was the bass player or something in the Beta Band. Mannerless cunt.

"3 EPs" wasn't utter genius, but it demonstrated genius. "Dr. Baker", "She's the One", even the overplayed "Dry the Rain". The two albums since, however, have been entertaining in bits but overall unmoving. I think Beta Band could pull themselves out of their creative slump, but to do so they either need to go more folk or more quirk - the middle line is pretty stagnating.

just a thought: can you really trust an indie fan when they say a record is not shambolic ENOUGH?

Some might say that Simian have not really started and are therefore not going to emerge as pretenders to anyone...

REdiscover greatness?!?

can the beta band rediscover damo suzuki's wang?

is the real important question

this has musical and critical implications.

serious ones