Wah!/Pete Wylie -- Classic or Dud?

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I've recently been thrown into the Wah! /Mighty Wah!/ You've Got Wah! on Your Breath catalog -- somewhat out of curiosity but mainly 'cause my job calls for it. Seems like Wylie's viewed either as a genius or a complete dufus. So far, I'm thinking he's dead in the middle, but I'd be curious what you folks have to say, especially the Brits. Is there something I can't/won't "get" because of my nationality? His ego seems to dwarf his talent considerably. Please help me understand.

For the time being, I'll consider him a "cud." (Sorry Simon.)

― Andy, Saturday, 5 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

My first conscious encounter with Mr Wylie's work was a clip of 'Better Scream' on some TV program or other, which I thought was marvellous. Sadly, it was followed five minutes later by a clip of 'Story of the Blues' which I thought was unbearably leaden. Everything else he's done that I've heard subsequently sounded more like the latter song than the former, so I'm forced to conclude he's a big dud.

― Richard Tunnicliffe, Saturday, 5 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I dunno - Wylie's everything I ought to hate, but having listened to last year's singles compilation CD I find him quite endearing - a cross between Thunders, Springsteen and Jimmy Tarbuck. I thought and still think that the series of singles from 80-84 is quite exemplary (though they really shouldn't have split up parts 1 & 2 of Story of the Blues) but then I was around at the time, and yes, maybe it is a cultural/nationality thing which doesn't quite cross over (Dan Fogelberg in reverse?).

― Marcello Carlin, Saturday, 5 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Wylie is at the same time both magnificent and crap, if that's possible. These days just an uber-ligging bore (I used to be in the Crucial Three, me), yet the early stuff is fucking excellent (Forget the Down, 7 Minutes..., Better Scream). And it's hard to dislike someone who can come up with titles like "Heart as Big as Liverpool" and "Long Tall Scally".

― Dr. C, Sunday, 6 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Pretty gruesome except for like the 1st couple singles or so...Your job calls for you to listen to Wah! Heat records? what the hell kind of job would that be?

― Duane Zarakov, Wednesday, 9 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

one year passes...

Pete Wylie is a mecurial genius, and he's got every right to say he was in the crucial three, he was you see! And if yoou knew anything about him you'd know it was a satirical swipe at music journos who it seems only remember him for that!

― Jack, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

On my honeymoon in London (only time I've ever been to Europe) in 1980 in a dirty, dinky hotel room with a crappy little radio, and out of the speaker came "Better Scream" by something called Wah! Heat! on the BBC. I have the original single which I purchased over there and just recorded from the old single onto cd. I still think it is an amazing single, a classic. Sounds like my 22-year-old marriage has weathered the years better though. Ah well, he'll always have a special place in my musical heart.

― Brad, Friday, 26 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah those singles are somewhat elderly sounding. Apart from the NME cassette version of 'Come Back' which is a brilliant parody of marketing in the music industry 'we'll put you on the Sooty Show' and we can arrange it so that '...even The Truth can have hits'

― Alexander Blair, Friday, 26 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

five years pass...

Story of the Blues Part One is apparently a brilliant song because if I hear it it's guaranteed to be in my head for weeks. On the other hand the production is kinda weedy and the sound is dated but not in a good way. The "strings" are horrible and the backing vocals are fairly revolting. I guess it's trying to be a cut price version of a Scott Walker song like, say "The Big Hurt" but overall it's got a kind of trebley flatness that I just don't like. I kinda wish someone else was singing. Edwyn Collins would've done it a lot better is alls I'm saying.

― everything, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 02:41 (seventeen years ago)

these songs are truly great, in a peak-era dexys way. the 1984 performance of Come Back is fascinating, there's so much going on in there. (as for the awesome Story Of The Blues I can only find this abomination http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWr0_zWaVzU )

i had the wah compilation a few years back, and remember being disappointed that there were only about 3 or 4 decent songs on there. a few liverpool-based friends say they've met wylie in bars and that he's a horrible arrogant man. seems his career doesn't match his ego. though with songs as great as come back and story of the blues it surprises me that he hasn't been rediscovered by the new breed of bands, go4-style.

― NI, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 11:01 (seventeen years ago)

To an extent he's always been his own worst enemy. The Wah! singles are mostly great in their Bruce Springsteen meets Jimmy Tarbuck way, though, and Story Of The Blues Part Two is still astonishing.

― Dingbod Kesterson, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 11:20 (seventeen years ago)

Oh hang on I mentioned the Springsteen/Tarbuck crossover above, way back when. Still stands though, I think.

― Dingbod Kesterson, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 11:20 (seventeen years ago)

i can see the excited horn-filled sound of dexys and wah! being an inspiration for the next generation of british bands. crazy that they've pretty much ignored for so long, it'll be a big (and welcome) reaction to the austere sounds of go4 and fucking joy divizzzzzion. orlando and sexus did try once, but can't see them being given the same treatment, sadly.

(i guess zutons are sort of doing that now but i'm no fan of theirs. new mystery jets album has that heart-on-sleeve quality that rowlands & wylie had, they're the nearest thing to it at the moment.)

― NI, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 19:17 (seventeen years ago)

"Story Of The Blues Part Two is still astonishing."

It is isn't it. Really powerful moving stuff, to me anyway.

― bidfurd, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 19:59 (seventeen years ago)

come on, he coined the term "rockism" so ILM has to love him!

― f. hazel, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 20:13 (seventeen years ago)

His best LP is actually Songs Of Strength & Heartbreak, recorded 1998 and released in 2000. Should have got him the Robbie Williams co-writer gig after Guy Chambers, packed with huge swelling 'I'M AWESOME but oh the sensitivity that lurks (but I'm awesome really, don't you reckon? check this song out' material.

― energy flash gordon, Friday, 30 May 2008 07:15 (seventeen years ago)

Sinful (*without* The Farm!), 4-11-44 and Diamond Girl....great run of singles there.

― Grandpont Genie, Friday, 30 May 2008 09:48 (seventeen years ago)

I like Seven Minutes To Midnight (the single version), the album Nah=Poo The Art Of Bluff is OK, after that er dunno.

― Colonel Poo, Friday, 30 May 2008 10:04 (seventeen years ago)

one year passes...

It's true, the early post-punk stuff is the best (and criminally unknown and unavailable) but the man had a knack for a goodm feel-good sing-a-long single.

What the hell is he up to these days?

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Wednesday, 2 September 2009 02:27 (fifteen years ago)

four months pass...

A Word To The Wise Guy is pretty special, despite the weird northern faux rap

― Jamie_ATP, Wednesday, 6 January 2010 19:15 (fifteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

in particular, The Lost Generation is very special indeed

― Jamie_ATP, Friday, 22 January 2010 23:35 (fifteen years ago)

Lost to the mists of time, oh how I love "Nah=Poo: The Art Of Bluff". Pathetic that he's let his own legacy drift out of print and disappear from the music fans view. For someone so in love with himself how could he let that happen?

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Saturday, 23 January 2010 02:20 (fifteen years ago)

He got most everything he ever recorded back into print ten years ago (double disc singles+ comp, first three albums with heaps of bonus tracks), but when that licence expired, he evidently didn't have the temperament to keep handling business himself.

Songs Of Strength & Heartbreak totally robbed in all decade polls btw (recorded in '98, released in 2000)

― innocent snack attack victim (sic), Saturday, 23 January 2010 03:39 (fifteen years ago)

three years pass...

FOrward planning:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcXi-VYy_Yw

― Mark G, Monday, 8 April 2013 13:01 (twelve years ago)

I had a feeling it was going to be this song :D

― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Monday, 8 April 2013 13:31 (twelve years ago)

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