They're a fantastic group that emerged out of that whole mid-90s UK "Britpop" scene. Britpop was less of a distinct "sound" and more of a movement - basically a resurgence of UK guitar-rock that drew heavily on British music of the '60s and '70s. Groups like Oasis, Blur, Pulp, Suede, The Verve, Elastica, The Boo Radleys, Super Furry Animals, Supergrass.
Supergrass came out of that scene and drew heavily from early British punk, especially The Buzzcocks. Their first two albums are fantastic, and any fan of British rock, even only minor fans of punk (such as myself) can enjoy them. Luckily, unlike a lot of UK bands, their cult following is big enough that you can usually find their albums at most record stores.
Their first album is very punkish - short, punchy, great melodies, and FAR better than most of the pop-punk crap we've gotten in this country. It's called "I Should Coco."
Their best album, though, is their second - "In it for the Money". The pace of the tunes was considerably slowed down and the instrumentation and styles more kaleidoscopic. It's really a great album from start to finish. The ending tracks are weird and wonderful, there are some fantastic punkish melodies in there and great 3-part harmonies.
Their third and fourth albums are also very good, though maybe not as good as their first two. 1999's "Supergrass" is a little more laid-back, psychadelic, while their 2002 album "Life on Other Planets" is also great, with a little more of a folksy sound.
You can't go wrong with any of their albums, but if I had to recommend one or two records you should check out, go for EITHER
In it for the Money or their best-of collection
Supergrass is Ten, which is nonstop brilliance. In fact, if I have to recommend a CD to a newcomer, I'd encourage you to go for their best-of.
Otherwise, if not those two, then get
I Should Coco or
Life on Other Planets and if none of those are available then get
Supergrass (1999).
Here's their best of:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00020QWHS/qid=1122833442/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_sbs_1/103-9518600-2800659?v=glance&s=music&n=507846And if you want other reviews, check out allmusic.com:
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE4781FDD4BAF7320C5992C4C9DEC25D200D047E3C00C320456D3B82D10D9552EB908A295CAAEF974AB7BAFFF2BE85805D3C2E454F4CC0640&searchlink=SUPERGRASS&uid=MIW060507311408&samples=1&sql=11:0v6dtr3lkl3x~T2Here's a review of
Supergrass is 10 from allmusic.com
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE4781FDD4BAF7320C5992C4C9DEC25D200D047E3C00C320456D3B82D10D9552EB908A295CAAEF974AB7BAFFF2BE85805D2CAE454F5CC0640&sql=10:31dqoaqawijzSince they had a lower profile than their peers and came across as a bunch of mates instead of serious musicians, Supergrass tended to be the most overlooked of all the major Britpop bands. They never defined the culture like Oasis or Blur, never had a following of serious-minded, clever misfits like Pulp, they weren't as sexy as Elastica, and they surely lacked the grandiose, doomed romanticism of Suede. What they were, though, was a bloody brilliant pop band. Their 1995 debut, I Should Coco, kicked harder than any record that year, and it had a bigger stylistic sprawl than any album this side of The Great Escape, which it trumped with a deliriously infectious enthusiasm — and it was all the more impressive when the fact that Gaz Coombes and Danny Goffey were still in their teens when the cut the album. They matured at a rapid rate, refining their musicality with each of their next three records, but they never had center stage again like they did with I Should Coco. As they worked outside of the spotlight, they developed into a remarkably consistent singles band, as the generous 24-track 2004 collection Supergrass Is 10: The Best of 94-04 proves. Even their muddled eponymous third album sounds brilliant when distilled to the sweetly gorgeous "Moving" and the ridiculously intoxicating "Pumping on Your Stereo." These tunes are thrown together in a nonchronological order that contains all the A-sides apart from the U.S. radio single "Cheapskate" and the movie soundtrack selection "We Still Need More (Than Anyone Can Give)." Instead of being infuriating, this nonchronological sequencing reveals just how consistent Supergrass had been over the decade, since it forces the listener to concentrate on each individual song. Like Green Day's hits compilation International Superhits!, Supergrass Is 10 is a revelation for anybody who hasn't been paying attention, since it showcases a band that is one of best, most satisfying guitar pop groups of the last 15 years. If you haven't checked them out before, you need to get this immediately. You can also sample their stuff off of iTunes - actually I think all their catalogue is on iTunes, so if you prefer to download, that's an option too.
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
