What does it sound like?:
It begins with “He Doesn’t Love You Like I Do” a slice of Del Amitri with a dash of The La’s so of course I’m hooked. “Kite” comes next which starts with a snippet of the intro to “Chain Reaction” then becoming a XTC inspired masterpiece showing that Heyward has lost none of his lyrical ability. “Into Your Life” is more melodic beauty and the we have “Caravan” which is pure Heyward. Lyrically pinching The Jams “about the new idea” line while dreaming of trips to Camber Sands where “she still loves to play The Jam” it could have been a single from “Pelican West”. “Ordinary People is a beautiful lament as is “How Do You Live Without Sunshine” which could be a biographical trip back to the days just after Haircut 100. The rest of the album is more of the same. The kind of melodic, lyrical upbeat pop that ticks all my boxes. It’s a 90’s album made by one of the 80’s great lost talents. I’m biased of course but this album belongs in The Afterword canon a glorious missed gem. I’ve even given you the Spotify link so all you have to do is click…… https://open.spotify.com/album/2YMUxvlKL5BMqcHrkDw6BP
What does it all *mean*?
I’ve banged on about Pelican West for 35 years now. For Nick Heyward to have created this pop, jazz, funk masterpiece at such a young age should have cemented his place among the greats but a breakdown, some poor choices and the end of the 80’s left him as a bit of an outcast of the 90’s. He didn’t fit, well he bloody well should have. I came across “From Monday To Sunday” thanks to one of @bricameron stream of consciousness posts and Spotify. How I didn’t pick up on this years ago I’ll never know, It’s my loss that intend to make up for as there’s another half dozen Heyward albums for me to get lost in.
Goes well with…
A cheeky grin
Release Date:
Might suit people who like…
The La’s, XTC, Del Amitri
F888ing bang on, Dave. Great album.
Now do Tangled, which is even better. IMHO a minor masterpiece. Not a wasted second.
Thanks Moose, I’m on to “Tangled” next then……..
I’m a fan of most of his oeuvre. Like a more light hearted Lloyd Cole. For me his career highpoint was this…
Saw Nick Heyward on late night ITV show In Bed With Me Dinner with Bob Mills in around 1994.
He did Fantastic Day, a cover of The Jam’s Sounds From The Street and (I think?) He Doesn’t Love You Like I Do.
This act of re-invention in my ears caused me to go forth a buy From Monday To Sunday.
Tangled came later and I think is even better – Nick goes Britpop with a touch of Teenage Fanclub
In about 1988 he was on The Last Resort, which for some reason was being broadcast from a railway carriage.
He did Doctor Robert by the then very unfashionable Beatles. Very good as I recall . I think Tony Benn was on the same show.
I saw him support Squeeze in Liverpool not long after that and he did a cover version of Rain.
I’m another one who thinks Tangled was his high point, although The Apple Bed wasn’t far behind.
NH was a big XTC nut
Here’s “Kite” which closes the evidence of the prosecution
I love ‘Pelican West’ and I always enjoy it when one of its tracks pops up on my iPod on my daily commute. However, I was always convinced that the album sounded far too mature and far too polished to be the product of a bunch of kids. Surely it must have been made by seasoned session men, right? Even if it was, I don’t think it would have dampened my enjoyment of the album.
At the insistence of a friend of mine I recently watched the episode of VH1’s ‘Bands Reunited’ where they successfully got HC100 back together on stage for one special performance. They sounded great, and just like the record, really. There didn’t appear to be any evidence of any jiggery-pokery (additional horn players hidden behind the curtains, a tape player in the wings). I realised they really can play and feel that I owe them an apology for having doubted their musical abilities for all these years.
Now someone’s going to tell me it really was a bunch of session guys!!