The Charlatans: Forever. The Singles
Friday, 03 Nov 2006 17:29
The Charlatans are back with their second Greatest Hits collection
Island, out November 6th.
In a nutshell…
In vocalist Tim Burgess's words: "Pop definitive singles album LP CD"
What's it all about?
Forever. The Singles is an 18-track collection of Charlatans singles that charts the band's progress from their debut 1990 single Indian Rope to their latest release, Blackened Blue Eyes. The album features singles that were released across three different labels - Beggars Banquet, Island Records, Sanctuary - and comes a decade after the death of original keyboard player Rob Collins.
Although it is a greatest hits-style compilation, only six of the 18 tracks on the album were on Melting Pot, a previous compilation released by the band. According to vocalist Tim Burgess, they've "put a bit of effort into it" as opposed to Melting Pot, which was "a kind of get out clause" from Beggars Banquet. Hits such as The Only One I Know, One To Another, Love Is The Key and a remix of You're So Pretty We're So Pretty are all on the album.
Tellin' Stories is Burgess's own favourite: "It's the title of the [1997] album, it's a good song, everyone thought it was great. I remember a friend of mine at the time saying that song was as good as Dylan. So that'll do me! That's praise isn't it - I'll take that!"
Who's it by
The Charlatans have now been on the scene for 16 years, emerging in 1990 with the Madchester scene in full flow. The band have seen it all, as it were, leaving behind the Happy Mondays and offering the stylistic consistency lacking in Primal Scream. The mid-90s were arguably their heyday, when the band's Tellin' Stoires album spawned singles such as One To Another, North Country Boy, How High and, of course, Tellin' Stories.
As an example…
"I'll be there in the mornin'/can't you see I'm tellin' stories/my sweet angel's everlasting true love ways." From Tellin' Stories.
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
This is not going to win any awards, as there isn't actually any brand new or original material, but it is a little more than just a compilation charting the band's timeline from 1990 to the present day. Every song has been a single, decided on from a list the band compiled, and each one is classic Charlatans. If there was a Grammy for compilations, it'd be there. After all, it is a "definitive collection", according to the band's frontman.
What the others say
"Collecting together for the first time their singles output from all three record labels and periods of their 16-year existence, Forever. The Singles, stands as testament to the fact that they’ve never once stopped rising to the occasion." Amazon.co.uk
So is it any good?
The songs are simply quality, pure 90s (and 90s-influenced) indie that you're sure to know if you had any interest in the genre in the last ten to 15 years. The more recent stuff is pretty strong too.
Burgess thinks the band are "an experimental band, a band who does get better" although the evidence from this album perhaps does not quite back up those claims. The Tellin-Stories-era work is the band's best, despite the success and recognition that Love is the Key had and gets. That's not to say the rest aren't decent songs, but as Burgess – and apparently Ed from the Chemical Brothers – says, Tellin' Stories was the best!
"I've still got the fire when it comes to writing and going on tour, I've still got the same sort of vibe really that I think I had then," he said, comparing the Burgess of first single Indian Rope to the Burgess of now, and when the singles are viewed as a chronology, the consistently strong song writing and ear for a decent indie tune stand out.
Burgess says he can't stop making music, that he finds life without music "irritating" and the whole process "cathartic". Judging by the strength of the singles the Charlatans have had over the years, let's hope the music remains that important.
7/10
Chris Webber
Read the full InTheNews interview with Tim Burgess here