Last night I decided to answer a few emails, and respond to a few Bulletin Board postings that I been neglecting for a while. I cracked a bottle of wine, and made a start after dinner, and progressed well. As the evening progressed the lovely Margaret River Semillon Sauvignon Blanc went pretty well too, and despite it being a “school night”, I found myself at midnight dancing around to the music I was playing.
I have long been a fan of Manchester group The Charlatans, but The Charlatans and I have not always seen eye to eye musically.
All had gone well with them from their first album, and for the next four albums I remained a big fan. Their fourth and fifth albums, “The Charlatans” and “Telling Stories” were quite a high spot in their career, but as far as I am concerned, it all went horribly wrong at album number seven.
“Wonderland” did not sit very well with me, but as it came out several of us bought tickets to their concert that year, and went along to see them play. I had seen them before, and had previously been very happy with their performance. But the Wonderland tour was a bit of a disappointment, to say the least.
I reckoned after the concert that out of the twenty or so songs that they had played, most were from the somewhat dreary new album, and maybe only three or so were from the popular, and in my opinion, much better, back catalogue.
So by my reckoning, as I explained to my brother and the rest of the concert goers with us later on in the pub, out of the twenty pounds I had paid for my ticket, I was happy to pay three, but the group owed me seventeen pounds back. It was a controversial claim, and resulted in a heated debate. It has since become a bit of a standing joke between me and Martin, my brother.
Several mediocre albums later The Charlatans released album number ten “You Cross My Path”, and it was available for free, downloadable from www.xfm.co.uk for nothing! They were giving it away for free!! I did not have high hopes, although had enjoyed the first single released from the album a month or so earlier.
However, I was very pleasantly surprised, it really is a return to form, and it’s back to The Charlatans that I know and love,
So now, by my reckoning, they owe me seventeen pounds, less the cost of a new CD, about twelve quid, as I haven’t had to buy the new album. So now Martin and I agree that a couple of pints, bought by The Charlatans would settle the matter to everyone’s satisfaction.
But as I danced around last night to their song “How High”, I remembered how good they were, and still are. The song contains the phrase “lyrics of your life”, and although I have never really understood the context in which it is used in the song, I think it’s a great phrase.
I would recommend giving them a listen if you are not familiar with them. Other songs you could look for are:
- The Only One I Know
- Then
- Sproston Green
- Jesus Hairdo
- Just When You’re Thinking Things Over
- Feeling Holy
- One To Another
So I reckon if I tell anyone reading this about the group, and maybe five people tell me they have downloaded some Charlatans music (not that I condone any form of music piracy!!) I am prepared to call it quits with the group and write off the debt.
I don’t think the whole album is available anymore, I can no longer find the link on xfm.co.uk, you can listen to it on their MySpace page.
It’s up to you guys, do I continue to hold this grudge, or let it go? Let me know if you have discovered the “lyrics of your life”!
As part of my CD collection I have the first five albums, which will be yours if you win the auction. Ah, can only find four albums when I look for them to take a photo, maybe lost the other a a party or something, but the best three are still there anyway….
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