CD Review: Supergrass - I Should Coco

I’ll always remember how when the first Supergrass CD came out in 1995, then Illinois Entertainer editor Michael Harris told me they were a Terry Flamm band if he ever heard one, and suggested I do the review. He was right about me really liking their music.

My wife Pam and I had a DJ for our wedding who was willing to play just about anything we wanted, including songs we brought to him on CD, cassette, or vinyl. Per our request, he played “Psycho Chicken” by The Fools instead of “The Chicken Dance,” and at the end of the reception, he played the final track from I Should Coco, which is “Time To Go.” The DJ liked it so much he played it twice, and said he was going to use it other weddings.

Unfornutately, Supergrass broke up within the last year. Anyway, here’s the review I wrote for the Illinois Entertainer.

You have to admire a band that’s not afraid to sound like The Smurfs on their debut album. Then again, the catchy “We’re Not Supposed To,” with its chirpy vocals and childlike lyrics, is the 10th track. By that time, Supergrass has firmly established themselves as one of the UK’s more interesting new acts.

Hailing from Oxford, England, the trio follows in the high-energy tradition of The Undertones and Buzzcocks. The album kicks off with a rollicking quest for a fun night out, “I’d Like To Know,” which features the highest harmony vocals this side of Lou Christie. Supergrass rips through a number of energetic gems, such as “Caught By The Law,” “Lose It,” “Strange Ones,” and “Lenny.” They cap off this flawless effort with “Time To Go,” an acoustic Syd Barrett style charmer that could become the ‘Last Call’ song for bars. Like a night spent in an English pub, I Should Coco is a blast of eccentric fun.

That Was A Long Time Ago, Dearie

A regular feature, where I present something I actually wrote several years ago. It takes its name from a line in a sketch Dave Drazin wrote for the Famous In The Future comedy group. This time out, it’s a review of the 1997 Supergrass release, In It For The Money, that was published in the Illinois Entertainer.

It’s always a pleasant surprise when a band follows a promising debut with an album that not only avoids the sophomore jinx but actually surpasses the first effort. Such is the case with Supergrass, the British trio that served up a smorgasbord of classic rock references with last year’s I Should Coco. Although In It For The Money lacks the immediate ear candy appeal of its predecessor, ultimately it’s more satisfying and mature.

Mature seems like an odd term to describe the lads of Supergrass, who gleefully mimicked The Smurfs on Coco’s “We’re Not Supposed To,” but it fits. Songs like “Sun Hits The Sky” and “You Can See Me’ sport the band’s irresistible melodies, but the arrangements show greater depth and texture. Supergrass may get caught shoplifting from Cheap Trick on “Tonight,” but they take the song in a bold new direction by adding festive horns.

“Cheapskate,” the designated first single, is a high-speed thrill ride, and the guitar assault of “Richard III” is augmented with haunting keyboards work. In It For The Money delivers on the slower material too. “Hollow Little Reign” has a theatrical flair that evokes Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, while “Late In The Day” and “It’s Not Me” are touching ballads. The funhouse atmosphere of “Sometimes I Make You Sad” acknowledges that the band still has a goofy side. Supergrass may be in it for the money, but they make things fun for the rest of us.

CD Review: Supergrass - Diamond Hoo Ha

Supergrass is in the midst of its final tour ever, at least according to the latest press releases from the band. At least they went out on a high note. Their last release, 2008’s Diamond Hoo Ha, was one of their best efforts. Here’s a review I originally wrote for the Illinois Entertainer.

After experimenting with slow, orchestral arrangements on much of 2005’s Road To Rouen, Supergrass is back to its old self again. As the title suggests, Diamond Hoo Ha puts an emphasis on fun. That’s something this U.K. outfit has specialized in since the release of I Should Coco in 1995.

“Diamond Hoo Ha Man” sounds like it could have sprung from a White Stripes album, and Supergrass mounts a multi-layered comic opera with “Whiskey & Green Tea.” The energy level remains consistently high as lead vocalist/guitarist Gaz Coombes belts out a series of melodic power pop tunes like “Bad Blood” and “345.” “Rebel In You” harks back to the 1980s with its steady beat and soulful back-up vocals, while the festive piano playing on“When I Needed You” recalls Britain’s music hall days. Even the touching “Ghost Of A Friend” gets an irresistible arrangement. Overall, a gem of a comeback CD.

Slumgullion #11

They shouldn't go go.

Supergrass, the British band that created a whole lot of irresistibly catchy and fun pop music over the past 16 years, is calling it quits. I can still remember when Michael Harris, then editor of the Illinois Entertainer, suggested I review I Should Coco, because “Supergrass is a Terry Flamm band if I’ve ever heard one.” He was right and I’ve been a fan since that rollicking debut. The 2008 release, Diamond Hoo Ha, was one of the band’s strongest. Supergrass will perform four more shows, unfortunately all in Europe, before pulling the plug. At least fans can console themselves with The Hot Rats, a new side project featuring Supergrass alums Gaz Coombes and Dan Goffey. I’ve been bugging current I.E. editor Steve Forstneger to send me a copy of their Turn Ons CD for the past two months, so hopefully, he'll come through.

A few days ago, I mentioned in a post about Puerto Muerto’s recently released Drumming For Pistols that the duo of vocalist-percussionist Christa Meyer and vocalist-guitarist Tim Kelley has broken up since the CD came out. Meyer will be playing with Mekons vocalist guitarist/radio host Jon Langford on May 2nd at the Chicago Cultural Center, at 78 E. Washington. Admission is free.

This Saturday, April 17th is Record Store Day, a fun new tradition, started in 2007, that’s held throughout the world. It’s an opportunity to enjoy an experience that has become increasingly rare these days: shopping for music in a physical setting rather than from a chair in front of your computer. Sort through vinyl records and CDs, page through international and local magazines, admire the posters on the walls, and even chat with an employee about whatever artist is playing on the overhead speaker.

Over 20 records stores in Chicago will be involved, including Permanent Records; Gramaphone Records; the Reckless Records locations in downtown, on Milwaukee Avenue, and on Broadway; Dusty Grooves America; Beverly Records, DEADWAX; Dave’s Records; Kstarke Records; Shake Rattle, & Read; Hard Boiled Records; and Record Breakers. There are a number of special edition vinyl releases that will be sold only on Record Store Day, so get out there and join the treasure hunt.

Here Come The Super Rats!

Photo from The Hot Rats Facebook page.

Flavorpill, the online magazine that describes itself as “Your Culture Guide,” heralded the arrival of The Hots Rats in its January 19th Daily Dose e-mail. The duo is a side project comprised of vocalist-guitarist Gaz Coombes and drummer-vocalist Danny Goffey of Supergrass, whose last CD was the highly energetic and enjoyable Diamond Hoo Ha. The Hot Rats take their name from a 1969 Frank Zappa solo album, which is kind of weird because Supergrass and Zappa have little in common stylistically other than a desire to create funny songs.

The Hot Rats’ approach on their recently released, full-length debut Turn Ons is similar to the way Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs cover some of their favorite bands on Under The Covers Volumes 1 and 2. Coombes and Goffey play stripped down, guitar-based versions of songs by Gang Of Four, The Kinks, The Doors, and Velvet Underground, although they do add horns to Roxy Music’s “Love Is The Drug.” There’s a faithful take on Elvis Costello’s “Pump It Up” but The Beastie Boys’ “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)” gets a vintage rock arrangement reminiscent of The Who. Coombes sings like Robert Smith of The Cure on “The Lovecats,” but the tribal drum beat is pure Iggy Pop. The Hot Rats also recorded a very fun video of The Beatles’ “Drive My Car” for YouTube. So far, the only live gigs scheduled are in London and Paris.

I wasn’t even aware of The Hot Rats before being tipped off by Flavorpill, but apparently, they’re already making a name for themselves. The duo has over 2,000 fans on Facebook.