The Charlatans - Tellin' Stories Beggars Banquet/Universal

Backroom Window (Charlatans home page)

The poor old Charlies, you really have to sympathise with them. Their eight year career has seen more ups and downs than the 60ft Dolls� trousers at an awards ceremony. Robbery and imprisonment, clinical depression, public and critical disfavour have all been signatories to the Charlatans guest book. Then after all that, seemingly all of a sudden, everything started to go right. Their eponymous 1995 album went to number one and they were widely regarded as finally having come in from the cold. But in keeping with their previous form something had to go wrong. It did, and worse than anyone could imagine. Late one July night last year keyboardist Rob Collins was killed in a car crash. Typical, eh? Just when the world seems the Charlatans� oyster the organist only goes and gets himself killed. It could have been the end, but to their immense credit the rest of the band have carried on to make this, the final send off to their old mate. Recruiting Primal Screamer Martin Duffy to complete the unfinished keyboard bits, the lads have finally finished album number five. What an album it is too. Not so much a set that greatly expands the bands sound so much as one that focuses their strengths, in particular the hammond organ, which takes a welcome and more prominent role than on the previous record. Specifically one of the album�s highpoints, the funkily groovy "Only Teethin�" (you�ll note the bands war on the letter �g� continues), kind of a companion track to The Charlatans� "Bullet Comes". The two organ driven instrumentals are just great. "Area 51" shudders along and seems to stop, only for the best Collins hammond solo for ages to cut through, and the closing "Rob�s Theme" has the added poignancy of a sample of Rob talking, recorded when he was only three years old. It is one of two musical references to Collins� death. The other, the 60�s stomp of "How Can You Leave Us" is "ninety-percent about Rob" according to singer Tim Burgess. "How High" is the Charlies at their most grunged up. Brilliant also, single "North Country Boy" and opener "With No Shoes" - the latter with its deft wah-wah touches and the former�s stuttering hammond coda. The title track has its heavy moments but is mainly distinguished by a lovely guitar lead, sampled strings and an achingly gorgeous Burgess vocal. Any further proof that this is The Charlatans finest album is supplied with first single "One To Another". Beginning with tape loops supplied by Chemical Brother Tom Rowlands, it lurches into a MONSTER piano riff, and packs such claustrophobia and restrained menace in its four-and-a-half minutes that it audibly smokes in the air. Ally this to the most massively catchy chorus the band have ever written and you have yourself one helluva song! So this for now, is where the Charlatans roller coaster leaves us. The best album in their career, but which was paid for - with interest - by the death of a best friend. The sympathy vote�s going to be with this record, but don�t let death of one Robert James Collins blind you. This album is awesome! In a sea of bands that are all mouth and no trousers, The Charlatans are the real deal, they�re ACE! Chris Butler

Monaco - Music for Pleasure Polydor

The Lightning Seeds - Dizzy Heights Sony

Offical Bio Good bands don�t die - their members just rehash old material in new guises - so some might say. Still they should give Monaco's debut a listen, as rehash or not, it�s pretty flippin� good. Caus, Peter �I�ve got a cool bass sound me� Hook, who once was an integral part of both Joy Division and then New Order, has a new baby. Leaving the dark musings of his previous Revenge work aside, he�s found a willing partner in David Potts, also part of that outfit. Sounding more New Order than, well, New Order (or more tellingly, Electronic), Hooksy sings a bit and plays bass a lot, which is how it should be, while young(er) Pottsy both sings and plays guitar in a style uncanningly close to Sumner�s. But if this doesn�t bother you - and why should it - you�re in for a treat as the tracks range from classic New Order (the brilliant What do You want from me, Shine ) to up beat house anthems (Sweet Lips, Billy Bones) and, here�s the surprise - Oasis/Charlatans/Primal Scream catchy Britpop (Buzzgum, Blue). It shouldn�t gel, but amazingly it does. Perhaps Hooks and Potts have come across the perfect late 90�s pop formula? Monaco, the pleasure is all ours. Caleb

Ian Broudie has had a remarkable career. From Liverpool bands (inc. Big in Japan), to producing (inc. Echo and the Bunnymen), his many co-writing efforts and the very successful Lightning Seeds. Fourth album in and he�s not lost the nack for sugar coated but dark centered, cleverly crafted pop. Collaborators for this outing include Terry Hall (The Specials), Steve Jones (Sex Pistols) and Nicky Wire (Manics) amongst others. Choca with potential hits (�What If�, �Sugar Coated Iceberg� and the laid back Byrds cover �You Showed Me�). Select article It doesn�t include �Three Lions�, the Euro 96 theme song, which was a huge UK hit, but such is the quality of the songs here it�s not missed at all. Most likely this will be ignored in Australia and just as surely it will be our loss once again. Caleb

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