Reviewed by Gavin Rossdale and Nigel Pulsford of Bush – Hosted by Rob Fitzpatrick Snapped by Lucy Scott-Harris
Melody Maker
24 November 1999
Bush’s single of the week
SUPERGRASS “Mary”
True quality will always shine though.This,on the other hand,is shit.Only joking! “Mary” is a prime example of what rock experts call a “Super-fine, Hammond-heavy pumper”.In short, it’s gorgeous,which is no mean feat for a song about fancying someone so much you wank at their memory.Cheers!
GAVIN -F***ing great.Fantastic.I liked that a lot.I think they’re in a funny position,because it seems that people only want them to be these cartoon characters that did “Caught by the fuzz”.But there’s so much more to them.The single is excellent ,and I love the album.They’ve really branched out,gone into whole new areas of sound and style.Brilliant.
NIGEL – Supergrass could be the Big Star (awesome Seventies power-pop supremos of their generation -Ed.).They’re truly a great band,but also misunderstood at times.What a great single,though.Single of the week.
GAVIN – No bother.
rated 5 out of 5
BIRDIE “Let her go”
LIMP-COCKED tom-tittery. Roughly half as good as St.Etienne’s “You’re in a bad way” which wasn’t very good to start with.So polite is it that I start to nod off and fantasize about being in Korn. And that is a first.
GAVIN-It sounds like an English version of Air.It’s not very punk rock.
NIGEL -That’s safe to say.
GAVIN – It didn’t really provoke any sort of reaction in me:It had an air of English detachment .They didn’t sound very enthusiastic.It’s all a bit St.Etienne, Belle & Sebastian really.Not my thing.Way too indie.
NIGEL – Quite nice as background music,I suppose.
rated 2 out of 5
GARBAGE “The world is not enough”
You know what this sounds like before you hear it.Big strings,kettledrums,f***ing woodwind,all that shit.Do the bands who get asked to write modern Bond themes have to sign some sort of contract that ensures they all sound the same,or what?Nigel is similarly perplexed-
NIGEL – I think it’s weird that these Bond songs should be such a string of cliches from old songs.It seems that there’s some unwritten law that says all Bond themes should sound like John Barry tracks.Why is that?
GAVIN – Shirley Manson is brilliant.I’ve always loved her and the stuff she’s done,but I feel that she may have been pushed a certain way.Contained,if you like.
NIGEL – Why not just be who you are?
GAVIN – Exactly.If the people in charge of these things want Garbage,the why not let them do what garbage do?
NIGEL – That could have been anybody.
GAVIN – Yeah, that could have been Shirley Bassey!
rated 4 out of 5
MELANIE C “Northern star”
THAT’s Melanie to you,sunshine.Who,it tribute to her decidedly un-punk-rock name,has decided to foist this substandard,self-eulogising wankfest of a single on an entirely innocent public.
NIGEL – Oh dear.Not very good,is it? In fact,it’s a more of a black hole than a northern star.Having said that,good luck to her,she’s a lovely…..blah blah blah).
GAVIN – They can’t really cut it on their own,can they? Loooong pause.Whatever I say about his record is going to make me sound like a c***.And I don’t want to do that .So (thinks) I think it’ll do really well at Radio 1.I just thought it was going to be a bit more punk rock.I thought she was the “rock” one.It sounds like Oasis.
NIGEL – Careful.It sounds absolutely nothing like Oasis.
GAVIN- Is it for charity?
NIGEL – It should be.
rated 2 out of 5
BIRTH “Sweet idol”
The Eagles!The Eagles!The Eagles! The soft-rock revival starts here.The kids have spoken and what they have said is “More Boston!More Styx! More Eagles!”Bring me my satin tour jacket and quaaludes,damn you!
GAVIN -I bet they have very tidy bedrooms,very tidy indeed.It didn’t really rock me,to be honest.Very nice, but not much else.Not the sort of thing I’d choose to listen to.
NIGEL – No, me neither.Some of those guitar harmonies should be outlawed.I was waiting for it to do something unusual and,well,it didn’t.Not even once.Perfectly pleasant,but what sort of a recommendation is that?
GAVIN – Not much of one.
rated 3 out of 5
BUSH “The chemicals between us”
What a bunch of c***s! How dare they not be grunge! I read they were grunge.I was told they were grunge.What is all this modern-music rubbish? Slinky beats,mangled tunes,dub effects,a corking chorus? Phats & Small sounds more like Nirvana than this. I demand a recount,we’ve been lied to.
NIGEL -If we weren’t so modest,we’d make it single of the week.It’s grunge-tastic.Except,of course, it isn’t.It’s not grunge at all.You c***s.Single of the week.
GAVIN -Single of the week when it gets re-released maybe.When they start playing it on Radio 1.It’s a great record.Now go and buy it.
rated 5 out of 5
MOUSE ON MARS “Distroia”
WIBBLE,wobble,skronk.Utterly odd.utterly f***ed -up,utterly wonderful.Breakbeats,analogue belches,the sounds of guitars being shot on by drugged-up elephants.And stuff.Mouse on Mars drill tiny holes in your brain which they then proceed to fill with warm noise nuggets.Which is nice of them.
GAVIN -I liked that a lot.There was one point when I began to wonder what else they could fit into that track:It definitely sounded like they got a couple of new machines the day they recorded that.I like it though,very cool.
NIGEL – Very good,good noises,very odd moments.They know what they’re doing.I’ve really liked some of their other records,so I’m pleased to hear good new stuff.Second only to Supergrass to me.
rated 4 out of 5
MUSE “Muscle museum”
So strong is the bouzouki vibe that Gavin breaks into uncontrolled “Greek” dancing.”MM” is a powerfully moody number.Muse are very serious young chaps,aren’t they?Do you think maybe a trip to the seaside might cheer them up?
GAVIN- There’s a lot of people nearly sounding like Radiohead around at the moment.You can just imagine record companies signing anything that’s even vaguely like them.
NIGEL – “Not great” is the kindest thing I can say.It was ploddy and over-complicated.No.I’m not really getting that.
GAVIN – I’d rave,but I’d have to like it first.
rated 2 1/2 out of 5
GLAMMA KID “Why”
Carly Simon’s Chic-penned tribute to,erm,questioning stuff gets the once-over from UK ragga bod.Hilariously pointless – of course – but enjoyable in a knockabout pop way. Unless you’re in Bush.
NIGEL – I don’t get that at all. I love “Why”,the original track they’ve sampled.Someone should remix and re-release that. Not this.
GAVIN – At least it’s not commercial,crass,c***ing Christmas release.”Why” was a great record, and the guy they’ve wheeled in to go wiggy-jiggyetc. is great.But put them together and it’s hideous.What’s the point?
NIGEL- Buy the original.
GAVIN -The problem is, that will be Christmas number 1.Or 2.
NIGEL -More like n.2.
rated 1 out of 5
SOUTHERN FLY “For real ep”
PROPER music with singing and choruses and stuff.Plus,a walloping great Beck-friendly groove and insouciant swagger. My guess is that they own one or two Charlatans records too.Yawza! A harmonica bit!
NIGEL -You know whao that made me think of ? Roger McGuinn (Sixties folk-rock Byrds guitarist – Ed.)Southern Fly are a Byrds for the Nineties.That was cool,great tune.I liked the whole feel of it.
GAVIN – Not me. I’m not feeling that at all.That Sixties kind of thing is just not really saying anything to me.It’s all been done before.Not for me,that one.
rated 3 out of 5
THE OFFSPRING “She’s got issues”
Stunning modal-jazz treat that dares to tickle God’s nuts.Oh no, sorry,wrong record.This one appears to be a bunch of old men with sticky-up hair shouting about stuff.Blimey!
NIGEL – Hard to be objective about this lot,as Dexter signed a poster for my little nephew who’s a huge fan.But it’s not my favourite Offspring song.
Which would be?
NIGEL -Erm…that one that goes…er…
You haven’t got one,have you?
NIGEL – No,sorry,they’re all right, but I’m not really feeling it,y’know.I didn’t get wood from it.
GAVIN – I have drunk beer at dexter’s house,so this is difficult for me.On a totally objective level,it’s not as good as Supergrass.In fact, it’s nowhere near as good as Supergrass.But they’re lovely blokes and good luck to them,I say.
rated 3 out of 5
BIG YOGA MUFFIN “845183”
BYM’s singer sounds spookily like Martin Rossiter out of Gene.The music,however,has never heard of the Smiths but is familiar with Pink Floyd and James Brown.The rap bit may have been ill-advised.
NIGEL -Not my bag of sugar.It didn’t make my trolley,none of that stuff.It seems a bit too thought-out,a bit too clever for my liking.
GAVIN -Music like that just leaves me cold.I don’t understand it and I’m not sure I want to learn.Good name,though.
NIGEL – Shit name.Very challenging.I’m just not sure I fancy the challenge.
rated 2 1/2 out of 5
POLAR “Biosfear”
CHILLED-to the-gills drum’n bass that’s in no hurry to flash its wares.”Biosfear” uncoils slowly,revealing layer upon layer of interlocking grooves.Yum,me like.
GAVIN -That’s cool.It would definitely be something I’d enjoy in a club – you need to hear that kind of record really loud and with plenty of bass.
NIGEL -When I go dancing,I like to listen to Jeff Beck’s “Hi Ho Silver Lining”. Drum’n bass has been around for so long now that i think it’s difficult for it to sound fresh,but I liked that,it would sound great in a club.
GAVIN -It was minimal,which is always good.I like it.
rated 2 1/2 out of 5
RICO “Shave your head”
MAD bloke alert! Rico is very angry about people banging on about the Sixties.But doesn’t this hippie-baiting better just add to the problem? Bush don’t seem to think so.
NIGEL -Great!Sounds a lot like Jello Biafra (ex Dead kennedys singer-Ed.).The production was great.It sounded alive and angry.Good stuff,
GAVIN – I liked the line about the Sixties.Again,one of the great things about that record was that you really believe in the guy that’s singing it.Yeah,I must say like that one.
rated 4 out of 5
SONA FARIQ “Love you crazy”
F***ing great.Sona Fariq rock like absolute bastards,sounding angrier,funkier and more intense than anyone has any right to.Check’em.
NIGEL -That was great,but the production was a little bit weird.The singer’s voice is mixed down so low,it was really hard to hear.But it’s raw sounding,aggressive,great.
GAVIN -Cool.They sounded excited.exciting enthusiastic.It’s got a great chorus.it reminds me a bit of Talking Heads meets Pere Ubu (legendary art-rockers -Ed.) without the drugs.
NIGEL – It sounded like they believed it,which is always important.
GAVIN -Yep,I liked it a lot.
rated 4 out of 5
THE DUMPER
This week’s absolute stinker
PHATS AND SMALL “Tonight”
JESUS f***ing Christ on a tricycle! The spunk-gobbling f***-holes from hell are back,and they mean business.Bad business,I’d rather have a leprous warthog shit repeatedly in my mouth than ever see this record again.
GAVIN -(Loudly,the second the record finishes) F*** off!It redefines the word “shit”,doesn’t it?I don’t know,stuff like this is just so shit it almost hurts.
NIGEL -I think the only way you could describe how awful that was would be to take a copy round to every house in the country,ring the doorbell,then stamp it into tiny pieces in front of their eyes.
rated 0 out of 5