Massive Attack - Intertia Creeps

Perhaps not stylistically entirely in keeping with the rest of the blog, but you gotta branch out, right? In my opinion Mezzanine is the best Massive Attack record (I never really liked Blue Lines that much. Does that make me a bad person?) and this is a good single off it. There's one proper b-side, which is also good, although you can tell why it wasn't on the album.

The remixes are what this single's all about - and the first one's by the Manic Street Preachers! I seem to remember that Massive Attack remixed one of their tracks at a similar time, but I don't remember which (anyone?) They've done a good job. The Alpha mix is kind of loungey, and the State of Bengal mix includes members of Ananda Shankar's band. 'Back/Shecomes' is also a remix, but they've chopped the vocals around.

Good stuff this. Horizon-widening, if somehow you don't know these guys. Sorry about the slightly shonky artwork, but I can't make my scanner work today so I've nicked it off someone else.

1. Inertia Creeps (album version)
2. Reflection
3. Inertia Creeps (Manic Street Preachers version)
4. Inertia Creeps (Alpha mix)
5. Back/Shecomes
6. Inertia Creeps (State of Bengal mix)

Here you are. Now go and play in the sun.

Superchunk - Mower

This single has as a b-side one of the greatest songs ever recorded; 'On The Mouth'. I could go on about the band for hours, I could get all emotional about travelling over 6,000 kilometres to see them. But I won't. I will give very simple instructions:

a) click here
b) enjoy the a-side, not one of their absolute finest, but a good 'un nevertheless
c) be converted by 'On The Mouth'
d) listen to 'Fishing' and know that if you like this you will like anything they ever put out (it's not 100% great)
e) have another beer, and take the toob!

I hope I have made this clear. It is not an optional download. You must hear 'On The Mouth' before you die.

1. Mower
2. On The Mouth
3. Fishing (live)

Morrissey - Roy's Keen

I'm slightly reticent about posting a Morrissey single, as I suspect that after The Smiths and the two or three good Morrissey records you probably fall into the camp of having everything he's ever released tattooed on you, or you don't really care. This one, however, I came across in a box, and a few days later read that it hasn't been included on the recent remastered/rearranged version of the album it came from (Maladjusted, originally 1997). Weird. I think it's a great song.

Well, if you have bought the remaster, then here's a song which should have been on it. Maybe he's still peeved that it didn't make the charts when he'd already recorded a performance for Top Of The Pops (I know I would be). If you have it already, then there's a decent b-side and a not quite so good one, but both worth an ear.

1. Roy's Keen
2. Lost
3. The Edges Are No Longer Parallel

Heeeeeeere's Morrissey.

Foo Fighters - This Is A Call

Jim, I have no idea what you're into, but if you're interested in the Foo Fighters then this is for you, in spanking high bitrate quality. You made a good point on the chatbox, and I guess the only answer is habit - 160kbps is my usual for the iPod, in the hope of not filling it up weekly! I promise to do better in future - if anyone wants anything re-upped at a higher bitrate just let me know.

This was the first Foo Fighters single, who I reckon must rank up there with Supergrass in looking like the most fun bands to be in, ever. Yer man Grohl was never meant to be a drummer... I reckon this is a killer single, and the b-sides are both pretty good too - first one is very much of its time, but the second is a timeless punky-workout! Good stuff. I hope you like.

1. This Is A Call
2. Winnebago
3. Podunk

It's not raining here.

The Wannadies - Shorty (CD2)

Last night I had a dream. I don't remember much of it, but I do remember it was about trying to get a bus somewhere, and they kept driving off without me, or not opening their doors, or telling me they were going to the wrong place. I got on one eventually, and the driver was Norwegian. I was the only passenger, and put the bag and bass guitar I was carrying on the luggage bit behind him, and for some reason took out the guitar and explained to him that it was Swedish.

In homage to my dream, here is a Swedish band doing what the Swedish do best - pop. The single is great, and the first b-side is also really good. Second b-side is a different (much shorter) version of the last track on the album, and while it's much more chilled it's also well worth a listen.

I saw these guys years ago at one of the rainy Glastonburys, early in the morning, and they brightened up the whole festival. I have a lot of time for them, and hope you do too.

1. Shorty
2. Taking The Easy Way Out
3. That's All (The Livingstone Version)

Here.

Teenage Fanclub - Scotland on Sunday CD

Guess what I found? You've probably figured it out. This post doesn't fit with the mid-90s thing, as it's a free CD with the Scotland on Sunday newspaper which came out only a few years ago. However, it has a track on it from the early-90s, and it's Teenage Fanclub, so automatically gets a place.

I don't live in Scotland, so ended up having to buy this off eBay, as it has some tracks on it which aren't available anywhere else. The back of the sleeve has more information on them, so to save me typing it out... Hope you can read it.



I can tell you that 'Please Stay' (a b-side from one of the singles off 'Man-Made') is brilliant. How 'I Saw The Light' wasn't released for 15 years or so is just weird, because it's also great. And the alternative versions of a couple of my favourite TFC songs. It's just a great CD. Enjoy!

Here you go.

DMCA takedown notification

Well, there's a first for me. Apparently The Verve don't want what is essentially a promo for their album of 12 years ago posted up here. I guess this is the band who wouldn't let The Chart Show play their video a few years back unless it changed its logo, so maybe I shouldn't be surprised.

If you're desperate to get hold of the b-sides to 'The Drugs Don't Work' then there seem to be several places on the internet where they're dotted about. Careful though - you're being watched.

Mercury Rev - Goddess On A Hiway

Here's a band I've been into for many years, but kind of come in and out of listening to. The first time I ever heard them was on a compilation tape someone made for me about 15 years ago - 'Chasing A Bee' was the track. I got that album ('Yerself Is Steam'), then lost track a bit, then bought 'See You On The Other Side' which nobody else seemed to like (I love it - you should try it).

'Deserters Songs', though, is a masterpiece, and this is one of the standout tracks from it. 'Ragtag' is the least likely Mercury Rev song you'll ever hear, and the cover of 'I Only Have Eyes For You' is superb. This is a gem, this single. Enjoy.

1. Goddess On A Hiway
2. Ragtag
3. I Only Have Eyes For You

Here.

Placebo - Come Home

These guys were yet another discovery via John Peel a few years back (1994?), when I heard 'Teenage Angst'. The title of that track was pretty much a description of the focus of their whole career, but that's the case for plenty of bands, so I won't hold it against them. They're not a band I keep coming back to, but every now and then it's good to hear some of the tracks off their first album.

I'd say that the first b-side is actually better than the single, but it's a close call - they're both good. 'Oxygen Thief' is some art-school nonsense. His voice is a bit of an acquired taste, but if you're into it then you'll enjoy these. Even if you're not then three songs shouldn't test you too much!

Apparently Brian Molko (guitar/singing) and Stefan Olsdal (bass) went to the same school in Luxembourg, but didn't speak to each other until they met in a tube station in London. I met the bass-player once, and he's a very nice man, and very very tall.

Come here, you.

p.s. 'Teenage Angst' is a free listen on last.fm, inexplicably down at number 20 in their top tracks.

Stereophonics - Traffic (CD1)

This is a rubbish single.

No! Wait! Come back... The a-side is, in my opinion, pretty poor. Which makes the fourth track pretty poor too (as well as the worst kind of filler). BUT - track 2, 'Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down' is great! It's up there with their best, I reckon, bearing in mind that I think their best was probably before the first LP came out. Although I was always fond of 'The Bartender And The Thief'.

'Chris Chambers' is also better than the a-side, although not great, but yeah - if you don't know track 2 then you should take a listen. And you never know, if you like the single itself then you've discovered a whole world of gravelly Welsh joy...

1. Traffic (Single Version)
2. Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down
3. Chris Chambers
4. Traffic

It's here.

Spiritualized - Electricity (CD2)

Because I like you, and because I was listening to their live album from the Royal Albert Hall yesterday, here's the second part of the Electricity 2-CD set. As with the previous Spiritualized post, this one's all live tracks for b-sides, but they're all well worth getting hold of. They weigh in at over 20 minutes for the three, too, so don't be saying I'm not giving you value for money.

1. Electricity (album version)
2. Cop Shoot Cop (Live)
3. Shine A Light (Live)
4. Electric Mainline (Live)

Today's medication is here.

R.E.M. - Bittersweet Me

It's a Collector's Edition CD - that must be something special, eh? Ah, you mean it's a single. Right...

However pretentious the premise, the tracks off this single are great. The a-side's a live version, so a bit different to the LP. 'Wichita Lineman' (what a song) is a brilliant version, and the acoustic take on 'New Test Leper' is superb - one of my favourites of theirs. The originals of tracks 1, 2 and 4 are on New Adventures In HiFi, which I recall being slated at the time (for being recorded on tour at soundchecks and so on), but I reckon it really stands out now.

1. Bittersweet Me (Memphis Soundcheck)
2. Undertow (Live in Athens)
3. Wichita Lineman (Live in Houston)
4. New Test Leper (Acoustic in Seattle)

If you're not listening to Boston Spaceships, listen to this.