I might have liked it better if I hadn't been exposed to their proto-metrosexual affectations through the press before I actually heard them. I think I may have heard some of their worst stuff--I never really wanted to know anymore than that.

Some people should just let the music do the talking.

alex maiolo wrote:It's not the greatest thing in the world, and it's a little dated, but there were some good ideas in there. I figure out some of the guitar parts and they are great.-A

What an absurd critique to make of Suede! Dated? Dated? Of course it's dated! Suede were a modern Glam Rock band. If you had any appreciation for the best guitar players of the early 1970s British Glam Rock scene, you might recognize Butler's inventive compositions. By compositions, I mean "riffs", which were the central element of Glam Rock. Suede were songwriters first and foremost. If you can't appreciate songwriting in the traditional sense, then why did you ever pay attention to Suede?

Horrible, vapid music.

Crap.

They had some appeal for me at the time and I have retained some of this due to:

The tangy, tart tonality of their sound (specifically Brett Anderson's voice and Bernard Butler's guitar) - these were involuted and soaring - maybe it was just a trick on the ear with a corresponding mental connivance on my part.

The pathetic (in the sense of pathos) theatricality of their ballads and the Ortonesque energy of their faster moving singles.

All of this refers to the first two albums only.

The songs "Scream In Blue" by Midnight Oil and Coldplay's "High Speed" remind me of Suede. Although these two songs about the anxieties of intimacy are "non-gender specific" they are probably about women, unlike Suede's songs which are deliberatley sexually ambiguous in a way which is ultimately tiresome in its unresolvedness.

Not crap with a high waffle factor - partly due to their crossover into the United States of America on a dubious t(r)ip.

Altogether now: yeur taoykin' moyee oh-vaaahhhh...

I wrote:"Ah ehhhhwwwwwww, we ah the yah-ha-ha-unnngggg"

johnnyshape wrote: yeur taoykin' moyee oh-vaaahhhh...

Johnnyshape, you are a man of good taste.

-A

crappy shit

Mick Shrimpton wrote:

alex maiolo wrote:It's not the greatest thing in the world, and it's a little dated, but there were some good ideas in there. I figure out some of the guitar parts and they are great.-A

What an absurd critique to make of Suede! Dated? Dated? Of course it's dated! Suede were a modern Glam Rock band. If you had any appreciation for the best guitar players of the early 1970s British Glam Rock scene, you might recognize Butler's inventive compositions. By compositions, I mean "riffs", which were the central element of Glam Rock. Suede were songwriters first and foremost. If you can't appreciate songwriting in the traditional sense, then why did you ever pay attention to Suede?

Ok, King Suede-head, settle down...
If you'll recall, my "review" was pretty damn positive.

In fact, I singled out Butler's badassery pretty clearly. I used the mother of all compliments to describe his skills - "riffage."
Did you even read what I said?

Out of all of the "guitar heros" of the BritPop era, the only ones truly worthy of the sobriquet were Bernard Butler and Graham Coxon, even though their styles were very different. I don't consider Radiohead "BritPop" or I'd toss in Johnny Greenwood too.
Butler didn't knock me over with his solos, which could be a bit sloppy and even a little boring, but his snakey guitar lines, progressions and catchy ass riffs are 90% of the reason I listen to them. He was second to none with that stuff.
As a band, they don't do it for me without him.

By "dated" I mean how their records sound - it has nothing to do with the band. Much of what was recorded in the UK in 1992 sounds dated now and Suede's no different. Not because of the recycled Bolan and Ronson riffs, which I openly endorse, but because of the production of Suede's music.

Meaning, you can't convince me that the opening guitar's tone in Animal Nitrate is some nod to T. Rex. It's so enhanced is sounds like it was played on a titanium guitar and recorded in a giant glass room. The songs stand up great on their own, hence my praise for their live work, but the early recorded output has been pissed on with glee by the producer. No trick was left untried. That's what I meant by "dated."
When I go back and listen to Ride, Stone Roses, Moose, Blur, or any other band that I like that made music between 1988 and 1994 (approx.) I often have to ignore the production, even if it was done by people I like - Stephen Street, Hugh Padgham, John Leckie, etc.
It was just how they were doing it then.

Go back and read what I said. You'll see a lot of love in there with a few caveats aimed towards people who don't care for proto-BritPop, fey delivery and/or glam.

-A

alex maiolo wrote:

I wrote:"Ah ehhhhwwwwwww, we ah the yah-ha-ha-unnngggg"

johnnyshape wrote: yeur taoykin' moyee oh-vaaahhhh...

Johnnyshape, you are a man of good taste.

Alex, our all-text band needs a singer. I say if he can give us a solid "and he waaaauuuuhaaaaas...my infuhlayyyytable one", he's in.

Tree wrote:

alex maiolo wrote:

I wrote:"Ah ehhhhwwwwwww, we ah the yah-ha-ha-unnngggg"

johnnyshape wrote: yeur taoykin' moyee oh-vaaahhhh...

Johnnyshape, you are a man of good taste.

Alex, our all-text band needs a singer. I say if he can give us a solid "and he waaaauuuuhaaaaas...my infuhlayyyytable one", he's in.

I totally forgot about the band!

Who's playing what with us again?
Kerble's in - I know that much.

If enough people here knew about "Swide" I'd recommend a "post while speaking like Bret" thread.
Like Pirate Day, only even more gay.
Well, glammy, pseudo ambiguously homo... -ish... kinda.
The goal - seriously jam gaydar.
"Is he or isn't he?"

For now:
Guhd nah-hi-hiiite, my pre-me-ah rock fah-rum mytes.
See yoo in the mahhh-ning
See yoo in the mahhh-ning
See yoo in the mahhh-ha-ha ha ha ha -niiiiing, deah waaaahhhnnnes.

-A