Whirlpool

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The Chapterhouse LP from 1991.

― the pinefox, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Listening to it today almost made me feel young.

― the pinefox, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

How about you?

― the pinefox, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

True story: buying this album made my bank withdraw my overdraft facility.

― John Mc, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I feared this thread would be about this. I won this album off Gary Crowley.

― N., Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'll see if I can fit it into my weekend's listening pinefox. Not played it since about 1993!

― Jeff W, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I have a vision of N. and Gary Crowley arm-wrestling for the LP.

― alext, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Not played since 1993: nothing wrong with that - it will make the early 90s flood back when you stick it on.

Something about those guitar sounds that really moves me; perhaps it's just the sound of the past.

― the pinefox, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

N: your disdain is an example of how you're an unreliable pop commentator.

― the pinefox, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

1st track 'Breather' is thrilling

2nd track 'Pearl' is heavy yet light; I like the opening gtr riff, the way the drums start and stop, and the ace b/vox (is that R Goswell?)

Later tracks eg 'April' and 'Guilt' have tremendously atmospheric guitar noise. I have to fall back on MM clichés: cathedrals - or chapterhouses - of sound.

― the pinefox, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Plus the cover is lovely.

― the pinefox, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

It's not really disdain. I think they were OK. It's more just - "That crazy Pinefox - he's at it again!".

You are constantly let down by pop commentators. It must be quite heartbreaking.

― N., Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

It is.

― the pinefox, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

i have it in one of tape boxes, not listened to the album in years. Like Slowdive I thought Chapterhouse were unfairly treated by the critics in late 1991 and 1992, when led by ET & co everything went Nirvana OTT and grunge.

― DJ Martian, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm putting in the old cliche here of perferring the shoegazers on EP format. The EP was emblematic of the whole movement. The song "Feel The Same" was their best moment although I liked the version of "Rain" from the same EP. They got some fuckin slaging however. I remember going to a Sonic Boom gig in the Subterannia in June 1991 and they were all on the same tube carriage as me, huddled around a Melody Maker and worrying what was been said about them.

― David Gunnip, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I heart Chapterh ouse. Whirlpool is a great little mess of an album, bolted together from various sources, and the one time I saw them in 1991 touring said album, they were quite fantastic -- less formal on stage than Ride, almost as frenetic as MBV, and the set ender "Die Die Die" was just hilariously great. Opening for them was Medicine, who sucked. But there we are.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I can't remember how 'Mesmerised' sounded. I remember being put off by their interviews at the time (c. 10/91); but I would probably love the record now.

― the pinefox, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

but the mesmerised piano riff is one of the most memorable things they ever did, plus the video was brilliant, just them lounging in a pool with models. the sunburst ep is their finest moment but i still love whirlpool especially 'if you want me' and 'breather' with all those guitars, the pinefox is right nothing but thrills.

― keith, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

where is andrew sheriff anyway?

― keith, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

It was probably eleven years ago around about this week that I bought "Whirlpool" (I'm so sad I remember dates like that - I had it on a tape with "Laurel" by Brighter on the other side as they were bought in the same week) so when I played it again the other week it sent me straight back to late spring '91, a wonderful time for music and for me personally. Not that the album is THAT good, it's too disparate (is that the right word?) for my liking, not consistent enough, but it still has its moments. I'll agree that the other Chapterhouse EPs were probably better, but it's OK. My wife picked up the sleeve while I was playing it and said "What is THAT?" She couldn't see that it was a cat at all. Some people! Still, it's better than "Blood music".

― Rob M, Saturday, 18 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I played it again today and it thrilled me again.

The last track is fabulous whatever it's called.

― the pinefox, Saturday, 18 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Only album I've got via eBay; and when I nosed around the PopScene club when I was in SF, I kept hearing "Pearl" and thinking it was MBV's "Soon" (haha wasn't I silly etc). One of the first shoegaze CDs I owned & I still wish more of those bands were as dance-flirty as Chapterhouse were.
(BTW - does Rownderbout actually exist? After fruitless months of searching, I'd assumed it was some sort of AMG-perpetrated hoax to make us colonials jealous & incomplete . . )

― Ess Kay, Saturday, 18 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Sadly I heard Blood Music first so I never got around to Whirlpool till a few years ago when I finally connected the dots from a webpage called Swirlpool done by person on this bitch.
Breather is one of my favorite songs from that era in music but I rarely get past Falling Down, which I also heart.

― Mr Noodles, Saturday, 18 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

eight years pass...

It was Swhirlpool, actually but it wasn't really anything to do with Chapterhouse. It was to do with, erm, a Hotpoint appliance, streaming dryers and some bad drugs. Don't ask.

Though I am one of the only two people in the world who rate Blood Music over Whirlpool.

(thank you Random Thread Generator for bringing this thread to my attention. An answer comes, 8 years later.)

― The Wicked Deadache (Masonic Boom), Tuesday, 3 August 2010 15:21 (fifteen years ago)

Mesmerise really is the most dated sounding track in the entire world, I mean really. I don't think anything could make me feel more 1991 than this.

― The Wicked Deadache (Masonic Boom), Tuesday, 3 August 2010 15:27 (fifteen years ago)

that's true but I still love it. the drum loop! the goofy synth sounds! the breathy male vocals!

― better check that sausage before you put it in the waffle (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 3 August 2010 16:22 (fifteen years ago)

1991 was the best of times and the worst of times for me, so it's not exactly an insult.

There are some grade A shoegaze bangers on this album, tho.

And "Something More" still sends shivers down my spine every time. I think I was perfectly aware at the time, that this was a flawed album. But the bits where it was good were really really good. Like rave music with rickenbackers, yeah?

― The Wicked Deadache (Masonic Boom), Tuesday, 3 August 2010 16:24 (fifteen years ago)

did anyone see the reunion shows?

― keythhtyek, Tuesday, 3 August 2010 16:26 (fifteen years ago)

To my actual regret, I didn't. They kept happening in weird places, IIRC.

Falling Down = total banger. I just want them to edit out the boring slowed down bits and make a 12" remix of all the wah-wah-wah crazy toss-your-dandruff-around bits.

― The Wicked Deadache (Masonic Boom), Tuesday, 3 August 2010 16:39 (fifteen years ago)

I am one of the only two people in the world

Who's the other?

― ilxor has truly been got at and become an ILXor (ilxor), Tuesday, 3 August 2010 22:33 (fifteen years ago)

Nat from Sonic Cathedral! ha ha ha hahahhahahah

― LONE and UNRELENTING voice of support (Masonic Boom), Wednesday, 4 August 2010 09:56 (fifteen years ago)

o the days when all the good indie bands had three guitarists (not counting bass, obv). Chapterhouse were actually a terrific live band.

― still they got me like beezus (Pillbox), Wednesday, 4 August 2010 10:05 (fifteen years ago)

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