TEENAGE FANCLUB – HAVE LOST IT EP (CREATION RECORDS)
Released in 1995 this felt like something of a golden era for indie songwriting and how the music world was changing for the better. Teenage Fanclub had always been lucky enough to benefit from the grunge movement having made a noisy record with Don Fleming and getting signed to Nirvana’s label in the US. There was also something of a stronger link between Scottish indie bands to the movement than their English counterparts it seemed. Whether this was down to Eugene Kelly and The Vaselines is debateable but just as possible was the fact that there was a genuine earnest feel to certain Scottish acts that just was prevalent in their English counterparts or the weak kitschy acts that seemed to trivialise things.
A year or so after this EP came out Scotland took over with regards to being champion of true indie rock in the UK as Bis, The Delgados, Mogwai, Arab Strap and Chemikal Underground shone very brightly for an all too brief moment. You would like to think that Teenage Fanclub helped serve as a bridge between the grunge movement and the lo-fi/DIY scene that eventually followed.
This EP arrived as something of a stopgap between albums. At this point Teenage Fanclub could do no wrong, Grand Prix had been both a critical and commercial success (a career peak) and airplay was something that still came relatively easily for them. Here they took aim at four of the best songs of their catalogue and presented them in acoustic form. The quality on show represents yet another high watermark by the band.
The record opens with “Don’t Look Back”, here no longer electric but still this version would not have been out of place appearing on Grand Prix. Yet again in adult nursery rhyme style this was a song that felt immediately memorable. The words and meaning were universal, provided your world was about indie and not having a girlfriend. When the words “I’d steal a car to drive you home” the words were intended to make the heart flutter, which they indeed did.
“Everything Flows” follows in acoustic form that adds a new dimension of clarity to proceedings and perhaps a calmer, denser emotional aspect to the song. As the chorus kicks in its cacophony of confusion a fluttering percussion accompanies proceedings with a collection of strange instrumentals before a harmonica brings the song home.
Some weird “take with you man” looped sample moves the EP onto a banjo happy/heavy “Starsign” and its shrugging suggestions about finding happiness in small things culminating in some kind of conclusion akin to the more things the more they sound the same. There has always been a sense that this is the kind of music to old with and few tracks more in their cannon display this so explicitly. This is a song that makes you feel sure you will find happiness in the end.
“120 Minutes” closes proceedings with a pained run out that proclaims (for me) too many things that Raymond doesn’t want to be when the return of being his friend feels like something of a limited trade and pay off. Norman would get away with it though. Still there is lots of love remaining however.
You bless it I’ll eat it.
Thesaurus moment: naked
Teenage Fanclub
Released in 1995 this felt like something of a golden era for indie songwriting and how the music world was changing for the better. Teenage Fanclub had always been lucky enough to benefit from the grunge movement having made a noisy record with Don Fleming and getting signed to Nirvana’s label in the US. There was also something of a stronger link between Scottish indie bands to the movement than their English counterparts it seemed. Whether this was down to Eugene Kelly and The Vaselines is debateable but just as possible was the fact that there was a genuine earnest feel to certain Scottish acts that just was prevalent in their English counterparts or the weak kitschy acts that seemed to trivialise things.
A year or so after this EP came out Scotland took over with regards to being champion of true indie rock in the UK as Bis, The Delgados, Mogwai, Arab Strap and Chemikal Underground shone very brightly for an all too brief moment. You would like to think that Teenage Fanclub helped serve as a bridge between the grunge movement and the lo-fi/DIY scene that eventually followed.
This EP arrived as something of a stopgap between albums. At this point Teenage Fanclub could do no wrong, Grand Prix had been both a critical and commercial success (a career peak) and airplay was something that still came relatively easily for them. Here they took aim at four of the best songs of their catalogue and presented them in acoustic form. The quality on show represents yet another high watermark by the band.
The record opens with “Don’t Look Back”, here no longer electric but still this version would not have been out of place appearing on Grand Prix. Yet again in adult nursery rhyme style this was a song that felt immediately memorable. The words and meaning were universal, provided your world was about indie and not having a girlfriend. When the words “I’d steal a car to drive you home” the words were intended to make the heart flutter, which they indeed did.
“Everything Flows” follows in acoustic form that adds a new dimension of clarity to proceedings and perhaps a calmer, denser emotional aspect to the song. As the chorus kicks in its cacophony of confusion a fluttering percussion accompanies proceedings with a collection of strange instrumentals before a harmonica brings the song home.
Some weird “take with you man” looped sample moves the EP onto a banjo happy/heavy “Starsign” and its shrugging suggestions about finding happiness in small things culminating in some kind of conclusion akin to the more things the more they sound the same. There has always been a sense that this is the kind of music to old with and few tracks more in their cannon display this so explicitly. This is a song that makes you feel sure you will find happiness in the end.
“120 Minutes” closes proceedings with a pained run out that proclaims (for me) too many things that Raymond doesn’t want to be when the return of being his friend feels like something of a limited trade and pay off. Norman would get away with it though. Still there is lots of love remaining however.
You bless it I’ll eat it.
Thesaurus moment: naked
Teenage Fanclub
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