63. Happy Mondays / Black Grape

 

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The second most well known outfit of the late 1980s/early 1990s Madchester scene thanks to singer Shaun Ryder and dancer/vibes man Bez, that eventually helped bankrupt Tony Wilson's Factory Records.

 

ALL MUSIC GUIDE BIOGRAPHY

 

Key Studio Album: Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches (1990)

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Key Compiliations: Greatest Hits (1999)

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Career Defining Song:

Kinky Afro (1990 UK#5)

Shaun Ryder - complete madman.... :lol: :lol: But, god, we sure do miss his likes in today's current, totally p*ssy-fied, tucked-up-in-bed-at-11-with-a-warm-mug-of-cocoa "indie" scene....... :rolleyes:

Some Other Key Songs:

 

W.F.L. (Vince Clarke remix) (1989 UK#68)

 

Hallelujah (1989 UK#19)

 

Step On (1990 UK#5, 1991 USA#57)

 

Reverend Black Grape (1995 UK#9)

 

Were any of you fans of Shaun Ryder & co off the wall behaviour, or did you think their ramshackle attitude was off putting better suited to Reality TV shows?

Shaun Ryder - complete madman.... :lol: :lol: But, god, we sure do miss his likes in today's current, totally p*ssy-fied, tucked-up-in-bed-at-11-with-a-warm-mug-of-cocoa "indie" scene....... :rolleyes:

 

God you're a miserable git!! :lol:

 

Yeah I can take to Happy Mondays easily, "Loose Fit" is my favorite personally.

God you're a miserable git!! :lol:

 

Oh I'm the miserable git because I want to see today's "indie" stars show a bit of personality and individuality and NOT just all be the same, identikit, boring tw@ts with the same haircuts and wearing the same clothes....... :rolleyes:

 

Tell me, just tell me, who the hell there is in today's (s)Indie haircut scene that can compare with the likes of Shuan, Bez, Ian Brown, Moz, Ian Curtis, Robert Smith, etc, etc...... Pete Doherty??????? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Puke Prickhard from the Kooks?????? ROFLMAO.........

 

Oh I'm the miserable git because I want to see today's "indie" stars show a bit of personality and individuality and NOT just all be the same, identikit, boring tw@ts with the same haircuts and wearing the same clothes....... :rolleyes:

 

Tell me, just tell me, who the hell there is in today's (s)Indie haircut scene that can compare with the likes of Shuan, Bez, Ian Brown, Moz, Ian Curtis, Robert Smith, etc, etc...... Pete Doherty??????? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Puke Prickhard from the Kooks?????? ROFLMAO.........

 

I was being lighthearted. Why don't you?

 

Anyway, maybe every trick in the Rock & Roll book has been exhausted so even the most extreme are doomed to be unfairly critizied because it was apparently always done better by their heroes of the time.

Edited May 10, 200916 yr by ScottyEm

Anyway, maybe every trick in the Rock & Roll book has been exhausted so even the most extreme are doomed to be unfairly critizied because it was apparently always done better by their heroes of the time.

 

Well, they could at least try mate...... :lol: There's really nothing more lame than just saying "well, it's all been done before, so what's the point in trying...?".

 

I mean, there are quite a few acts on the 'fringe' scenes who have pretty interesting stage presences... I was at the Gotham all-dayer yesterday in Islington, and saw at least two new bands who seem as if they could make a pretty decent fist of things given some time and resources.... One band, Malificent features a female singer who's a trained ballerina and is into bondage, the other, Lilygun were a lovely group of kids, very enthusiastic (yeah, enthusiasm, something definitely lacking in many bands today), with a female singer/guitarist who reminded me of Skin from Skunk Anansie....

never liked them.... not my cuppa.... ok they may have been good, but not for me personally.

Couldn't name one song by them, honestly.

Great band with oh so many stories to tell. Let's not forget it took some of the world's greatest producers to get their sound together into something that sounded coherent though! John Cale, Martin Hannett, Osborne / Oakenfold, Tom Tom Club, even Barney Sumner took a shot on their early stuff.

 

I liked Black Grape's first album a lot when it came out, but it hasn't aged as well as the Mondays stuff...and I've never heard the second BG album...and don't want to!

Great band with oh so many stories to tell. Let's not forget it took some of the world's greatest producers to get their sound together into something that sounded coherent though! John Cale, Martin Hannett, Osborne / Oakenfold, Tom Tom Club, even Barney Sumner took a shot on their early stuff.

 

I liked Black Grape's first album a lot when it came out, but it hasn't aged as well as the Mondays stuff...and I've never heard the second BG album...and don't want to!

 

Fair point, Happy Mondays were barely more then a Mancunian vessel filled with respectable production values? Not suggesting this would work the same for other acts, no other act would share the same reckless attitude as Ryder and Co, but you get my drift...

Well, it makes Shaun and Bez no less than the likes of Girls Aloud or other pop stars who need the knob-twiddlers to make them listenable :)