Carter USM - 30 Something
Carter, and other bands of the time, are often overlooked. They’ve almost been erased from history. Usually, they only warrant a mention when there’s a discussion about “can’t believe they headlined Glastonbury” or about the worst haircuts in music. Firstly, this completely disregards how good the songs of Carter are. Secondly, isn’t it part of the pop stars job to have outlandish haircuts. Something that applies to everyone from Elvis to Sigue Sigue Sputnik?
Carter songs had political edge that are still prescient, with songs about slum lords, racism, and homelessness. Not to mention murder, domestic violence and alcoholism. Clever lyrics, a love of puns and great tunes. This is the sweet spot in the middle of three classic Carter albums and combines perfectly the rawness of 101 Damnations and the more polished 1992 The Love Album. It contains a run of brilliant tracks from Surfin’ USM to The Final Comedown. What stands out from seeing Carter in ‘92 was the crowd surfing and the reaction of the crowd. Their reunion shows in the 2010s demonstrated that there are still lots of people, now in their forties and fifties, who are still willing to give it a go.
"nothing beats the discovery
of a great album"
Belle & Sebastian - The Boy with the Arab Strap
I still remember listening to this for the first time in a mate’s car. With all the platforms now available that sounds tremendously old fashioned, but nothing beats the discovery of a great album. It seemed so different from anything that was around at the time. I bought it the next week and still listen to it regularly. It always strikes me as a summer album and probably gets played even more if the weather is nice. The standout tracks, Dirty Dream #2 and The Boy with the Arab Strap, still get used in TV programs 20 years later. Belle and Sebastian are now a kind of alternative national treasure and are still making music that sounds like no one else.
I am Kloot - Natural History
Kloot have been one of my favourite bands over the past twenty years. One I’ve been lucky enough to see at almost every venue in Manchester, from the Cathedral to Chorlton Irish Club. Johnny writes dark, bittersweet songs that seem to tell a story or sometimes only half a story. Over the years they have tried adding additional musicians or a string section, but for me they work best when it’s the three of them. One of those three, Pete Jobson, once described them as “one of the most talented bands, but one of the laziest”. Despite that they have produced a string of great albums, including a Mercury prize nomination. This album is them at their simplest. Beautiful songs, like Have No Fear of Falling, dark, like Twist and uplifting in 86 TVs. As well as a great songwriter Johnny is a raconteur who loves to tell stories in between songs. Although after you’ve seen him a couple of times you may hear the stories again.
The Man from Delmonte - Big Noise
The Man From Delmonte should’ve been huge. Catchy, lyrical, indie pop tunes, all under two minutes and a great live act. In Manchester of the late 80’s they were well known and had a loyal following. This is a live album recorded at the Boardwalk, which was an unusual move for a band of their standing. This band epitomises the late ‘80s and early ‘90s for me. I still have all their records, mainly bought at Piccadilly Records, when it was on Piccadilly. I saw them play at the International 2, a great venue of the time although basic to say the least. A recording from there has recently appeared on YouTube if you want to see chaos and stage invasions. The album starts with the rather baffling announcement of “Good evening Wembley”. But musically kicks off with the classic that is The Good Things in Life and continues with high energy songs that they specialised in like the furious paced Bored By You, Big Noise and the closer Lasha Me. There’s the camp The County, Water in my Eyes and Sun Serious. I often feel my favourites are the slightly more understated Casual Friends, Monday Morning After and, in particular, Mathematically Speaking. The autobiographical, almost confessional, nature of the songs reveal the complicated lives and relationships of the singer, and song writer Mike West. There isn’t a song on this album that I don’t love.
David Gray - White Ladder
I’d first seen him support The Auteurs back in ‘93 (with about twelve people watching) and then just about any time he played Manchester. His first album had received some critical acclaim, he even appeared on the very first Later with Jools Holland. The next albums were less of a success and left Gray, and collaborator Clune, with no record or publishing deal. Which is why White Ladder was recorded mainly at home and includes traffic noise etc. In order to release it they set up their own record label and the album came out in November ‘98. My copy, the one I’ve listened to for twenty years or more, is an original. Which means it’s a track shorter than later versions. But from the very first plays it seemed obvious this was a great record. It had a different sound from the earlier albums, but with that powerful voice still at its centre. Unfortunately, not many people heard the album to agree with me. Over the next two years or so I explained its virtues to anyone who would listen. I also bought it as birthday and Christmas presents for must be a dozen people. All this seems ridiculous now. We all know those songs; Please Forgive Me, This Year’s Love, Sail Away and of course Babylon. Seeing bands of all shapes and sizes I’d always talked of how great it would be for one of them to become big. But never thought that’d include selling 7 million copies and being the fifth highest selling album of the 2000’s.
Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
I got this one wrong. I was asked if I wanted to see Elbow just after their first EP was out. While I quite liked it, I wasn’t drawn to going to see them. At the time I was still regularly out and about in Manchester and seeing Guy in a pub was a frequent event. At that time no one could have imagined they’d be closing the Olympic Games or have a song as ubiquitous as One Day Like This. The earlier Elbow albums are good. But reacting to the death of close friend Bryan Glancy seems to have heightened both the melancholy and the celebratory aspects of Elbow’s perfectly crafted music. Elbow are also a great live band and, in Guy Garvey, have the antithesis of a lot of front men. There is no macho ‘simian stroll’, instead it’s self-deprecating humour and a rich textured voice. The album fluctuates between the optimism of Starlings, Mirrorball and Weather to Fly. Through the sheer heartbreak of Some Riot and Friends of Ours. Then the powerful singalongs of Grounds for Divorce and One Day Like This.
"I got this one
wrong"
Jim Bob - Who Do We Hate Today?
Jim is the only person to appear twice in this list, having been one half of Carter. Despite making some good records post Carter, Jim was concentrating on writing novels and was unlikely to make another record. However, inspired by political events he came back with the excellent Pop-up Jim Bob that covered Greta, environmentalism and Brexit. It even foretold the future with 2020WTF. Who Do We Hate Today continues with environmental issues, but also includes Covid, terrorism and a song about an elephant that was inspired by Cher. (No really and it’s heartbreaking). It manages to celebrate key workers in a better way than banging a pan on your doorstep as well as highlighting the novelty of the first lockdown, which was almost enjoyable. Who knew it was even possible to discuss machismo and misogyny in such tuneful ways?
Airhead - Boing!!
Another one that I can’t believe didn’t have more success, but maybe all music fans say that. From 1991 this album is filled with joyful songs about the struggles being young. Stand out tracks are Funny How (“I only love you cause you don’t love me”) and Counting Sheep (“I’ve been losing sleep, but not over you”). But other tracks, such as I Might Fall, Right Now and I Don’t Mind could just as easily been a success. Listening to it today it sounds more mid-90s, like a slightly less commercial Dodgy. Although, I’m not sure that’s going to persuade anyone to listen. Maybe, if they’d been around then and got lumped in with Brit Pop it would have got then the exposure they deserved. But this is all there is from Airhead, one album and that was it, which is a shame. On a personal note, this album will always be linked with some great memories. Sometime around 1993 it became a superstition to listen to this before going to watch football. So, it soundtracked the most successful period in Manchester United’s history, including being played at four in the morning before setting off to the European Cup Final. The neighbours must have hated me.
Bio
Dave Lomas has somehow reached the age of 53. He lives on the outskirts of Rochdale with his wife and two Border terriers. They all enjoy walking in the hills, both locally and in the Lake District. He has been watching football at Old Trafford since Tommy Docherty was in charge and is a regular runner. If he can find time in between all these, he is Head of Computer Science at a special school.
