The world’s most unassuming supergroup are back with a new album Murmurs in March. Apparently it’s going to be made up of reinterpretations of songs from their individual repertoires. However, this lead track, Lonely Night, from Norman Blake doesn’t appear to be a Teenage Fanclub, New Mendicants or Johnny song. Maybe it’s something he found down the back of the sofa. Either way, it’s a lovely thing.
New old Butler Blake & Grant
I can’t have been the only AWer who thought this was an oblique reference to that much unappreciated 70s social drama, “On the Buses”. Back up vocals and interpretative dance by Olive?
I am famously poor at impressions – but I can do a passable Blakey.
Problem is, these kids have no idea how good it is – or, indeed, who it is.
The Fannies nerd in me can tell you it was an itunes bonus track with the (brilliant) Shadows album back in 2010. It wasn’t much back then tbh, but is even duller now. I’d love to like this, but after the dullness of last year’s album and now this new single, I couldn’t be less excited by a new album if you paid me. But maybe they’ll surprise us all.
Sadly I agree. This trio is so much less than the sum of their various parts. I really, really wanted them to be brilliant, on the back of James Grant’s small but classy catalogue, and the brilliance of Blake’s work with the Fannies. Butler I know least of, but has shone in his production and playing for Sam Lee. But that eponymous album is just so boringly sedate.
It’s like they’ve recorded the dictionary definition of midde-aged dad music (so in theory I should like it but…). Tasteful, professional, ‘real’ music but oh so dull and lacking tunes. Sedate is a good word for it.
Well spotted. I never knew this bonus track existed – and I’m quite the Fannies nerd myself.
CD.
500 clear vinyl on the BBG webstore.
1000 silver vinyl everywhere else.
I only have one silver vinyl record and it sounds like a wasp in a jam jar, while a swarm of bees fry bacon in the background.
I used to love those BBC sound effects records
Insert “you were playing the Bee side” punchline here.
Upon advice (not mine, honest) they’ve changed the noisy silver vinyl to grey.
I’ve seen them twice and really enjoyed it, but yes, I was less than whelmed with their debut album. For me, the weak link is Bernard Butler. His playing and production are faultless (there’s an instrument on the record which is very good, and I love his album with Jessie Buckley). However, he’s never really found his voice and chooses to sing all his songs in a strangulated deep south drawl. I like their chemistry onstage together, though, and the collaboration has introduced me to James Grant, whose music I’ve come to like a lot.
Yes, I also found his voice odd. Given his Suede background I expected, and would actually have prefered, something a bit fey so his voice somehow doesn’t go with the rest of him. I’ve never listened to his solo stuff so don’t know if that’s always been the case.
I actually had tickets to see them last year but I didn’t bother going after the album but I suspect they’d be a lot more enjoyable live. But basically I don’t think any of them – certainly not Norman – have brought their best songs to the table which is why it all feels so flat.
There’s something in the water with fantastic guitarists who can’t sing. Johnny Marr is no Moz when he opens his mouth, either.
The Sound of McAlmont and Butler album was really my start and stop point with Bernard for a long time. I’d bought People Move On (his first solo album) but I think that was a strange time in my life, because a lot of music from that time has just slipped my mind. Anyway, one of the tracks from it came up when Apple Music shuffled everything on my HomePod. I thought I’d discovered a lost treasure: who IS this guy? He’s really going for it! (track was You Just Know, which rocks). Turns out I like the whole album, and it feels like nobody else does. He’s even re-done the vocals recently, which shows he had his doubts. Honestly, what’s wrong with everyone? People Move On is a great album that time forgot.
(other opinions are welcome of course!)
That’s very true, and I’d completely forgotten about People Move On too. Will give it another listen today. I know exactly what you mean about music from that time slipping my mind…from my point of view it was a time when I’d not long got my first flat, met my future wife, and was getting established career wise, so there was a lot of other stuff going on and maybe it was that turning point when music wasn’t quite the same obsession it had always been beforehand. I do remember assuming that Butler would release loads more solo things, ploughing a similar furrow. I was definitely wrong on that.
I think also, the Britpop explosion just unleashed an unbelievable amount of excellent music, both as part of it, and in the wake of the movement. It was quite a time. Excellent bands like Sunhouse (for example, there are many others) were sadly unable to make an impression due to the sheer volume of competition. Again, popular opinion is more-or-less ‘britpop was crap’, and ok, there was some rubbish… but not everything.
I’ve been a massive James Grant nut for decades and can ‘help’ fill any gaps.
Dogs in the Traffic and My Thrawn Glory would both be in my DID list, should Lauren ever ask me.
I saw Love and Money a few times. Grant was an absolute beast on the guitar, and the whole band was outstanding. Dogs in the Traffic, Strange Kind of Love… those are great albums (and a lot of good b-sides too).
Yep to all that. His gig at the Borderline about 25 years ago is in my Desert Island Gigs.
Agreed, played my vinly SKoL only the other day.
I’ve now seen the tracklist and I think Planets, Winter and Did I Say are three of Blake’s finest, lesser known songs. So I’ll be listening, be interesting to hear what they do with those. Also liked Me and Magdalena from that Monkees album a decade ago. And to hear what I imagine are highlights of Grant and Butler’s back catalogue, though I don’t know them.
But I’ll stream before I buy. Lonely Night is still very poor after a few listens – from Blake’s ‘thee’ period. Outside When I Still Have Thee (and only there because it’s a great tune) it’s never been an acceptable word for a pop song… Just sounds silly.
What are the Grant songs?
I’ve answered my own question (thanks, Assai).
1. People Move On
2. Planets
3. Winter
4. Not Alone
5. Did I Say
6. Last Ship On The River
7. Me & Magdalena
8. Souvenir
9. Does It All Add Up To Nothing
10. Lonely Night
Winter is my fave Love & Money song, and Does It All Add Up To Nothing my fave James song. So I’m in.