I know there are a few fans here. “Singer‘a Hampstead Home” remains as brilliant today as the first time I heard it.
Cathal Coughlan has died.
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Musings on the byways of popular culture
In the obits already, but if anyone deserves a fuller thread it’s Cathal.
Correct, Jay.
Apols @jaygee
Should have checked but that particular thread keeps reloading.
No worries, F.
CC is long overdue a thread.
As ever when someone dies like this I realise I might have missed something, never heard a song of Cathals before
Judging by the wall to wall tributes on Twitter seems to be a big loss. Where do you start to listen?
Microdisney Crooked Mile is probably CC at his most accessible.
It’s certainly the release that had me smitten.
Terrific tunes from Sean O’Hagan and acerbic lyrics from CC.
“Barbed wire rainbows” indeed.
@Thegp If I was to pick a few of my favourites of his, they would have to include Blues for Ceaucescu; a tune I moshed to on many an occasion in my London days. The Fatima Mansions seemed to play three or four times a year. I was always more a fan of the Fatimas than Microdisney but I absolutely love Loftholdingswood, an absolute beaut of a tune. From his solo stuff, Denial of the Right to Dream is a fantastic tune with typically poetic lyrics. We Need by his later project Telefís is very good. The video means more if you’re Irish. I’ll post this one as a sign off. Ferocious and barking mad but it’s great… As he used to say Keep Music Evil! RIP Cathal Coughlan
The Mansions’ dismemberment of Shiny Happy People is another great one
God far too young. And his last albums are excellent.
I only got the new EP last week.
Where do you start? What do you like?
MOR with bitter twisted lyrics? Microdisney, particularly Th clock comes down the stairs
Angry shouty politicised noise? The Fatima Mansions – particularly relevant today is Blues for Caucescu, try the compilation Come back my children
Singer songwriter- try Black River Falls (in my opinion his other masterpiece)
Quirky Ill formed post punk with lots of poorly recorded instrumentals? We hate you South African bastards (Microdisney)
Funny for a minute but probably Ill advised “pop” with a comedian (Sean Hughes)? Bubonique
Late period gem? – song of Co-Aklan from last year (it has tunes, melodies, lyrics and videos)
Electronica – telefis a aHon, the dub mixes with Jay Wobble are particularly good. (This year I think)
And through it all, one of the great voices, interesting and complex lyrics (“saying give that fine young pig an Irish passport, my father threw away his paper hat”), and sometimes great tunes (sometimes primal screams, take your choice).
His music has gone with me for 40 years (ish). I’ll miss him
And just when I had learned how to pronounce his name….(an in joke for fans)
‘Picadors’ from the Telefís album has a really strong vocal from Cathal, and I suspect it will carry a heavy emotional weight next time I listen to it. The report of a long illness now adds weight to the song ‘Archbishop Beardmouth at the Chemolympics’
BTW Singer’s Hampstead Home is supposed to be a crack at Boy George, at the time a label mate.
@paulwright
That was my one fact about that!
Another good one gone too young. Condolences to all who care.
He was so great… 61 is no age
The only music I have bought in the last year has been by, or featured Cathal. He is my all time favourite artist.
I’ve never heard any of Cathal Coughlan’s music until now. I’ll have to remedy that. Life’s too short as in Cathal Coughlan’s case.
As Jaygee said above, Crooked Mile by Microdisney is a good mid-eighties pop album with a sneering lyrical edge from Cathal. Viva Dead Ponies by Fatima Mansions with a side helping of the full-length version of Blues for Caucescu. And this year’s Telefís project with Jacknife Lee is excellent.
This news knocked me back a bit as I’ve enjoyed his music pretty much my whole listening life.
We saw the Fatima Mansions at the Barrel Organ in Brum back in 91 and it was utterly mind-blowing.
His last solo album Song Of Co-Aklan was great as well
A brilliant man who will be missed very much by a lot of people
Coughlan showed what protest music could be like in the 80s/90s, acerbic and clever, not just the earnest Billy Bragg variety.