Rocks In The Attic #115: Whistler - ‘Whistler’ (1999)

Whistler are an acoustic trio, put together by ex-EMF guitarist Ian Dench.

I came across this band when they were supporting Wiiija labelmates Bis at a gig in Leeds. I then saw them a few nights later in Manchester, on the same tour and finally on the acoustic stage at Glastonbury that summer.

It’s definitely nice music - I don’t think anybody would disagree with that - but Kerry Shaw’s posh voice does grate on some tracks. Singing clearly and over-enunciating every word isn’t a great idea when you sound like you come from the privileged classes. The songwriting is very good on this album though, good enough in most cases to ignore Shaw’s vocals; and there’s a massive influence of Nick Cave on this LP, which is why I like it.

Hit: Don’t Jump In Front Of My Train

Hidden Gem: The End

Rocks In The Attic #85: Primal Scream - ‘XTRMNTR’ (2000)

Wikipedia tells me that this album was the final LP released on Creation Records. I don’t remember that at the time - I definitely remember Creation folding, but I think I bought this purely for Kill All Hippies, a great song I would regularly play in my Saturday night DJ set at Oldham’s 38 Bar / The Castle.

I must have met Primal Scream (and ex-Stone Roses) bassist Mani not long after this album was released, down in the basement bar of Corbieres in Manchester’s St. Anne’s Square. He signed my cigarette packet - which I still have - and as I’m not a fan of the band he’s more well known for, his bass playing for Primal Scream will always remind me of that chance encounter. His bass playing on this album, especially Blood Money, is noteworthy - it’s like he’s playing his own tune, keeping the bass driving forward regardless of what the rest of the band are doing.

This version of Primal Scream isn’t my favourite. It’s a bit - dare I sound like an old man - noisy and tuneless. It’s also not the most popular thing to say, but my favourite version of Primal Scream is the Give Out But Don’t Give Up version - where they’re practically doing everything right to appeal to my classic rock leanings. That album almost sounds like a Black Crowes record, and although I’d like them to record another album like that, I guess you just have to admit that they’re a continually evolving band - probably one of the most genre-shifting bands in the last couple of decades.

Hit: Swastika Eyes (Jagz Kooner Mix)

Hidden Gem: Keep Your Dreams

Rocks In The Attic #64: Bis - ‘New Transistor Heroes’ (1997)

I can understand why people don’t like Bis. I wouldn’t even argue about it. Manda Rin’s vocals are grating at best, but their saving grace is that they can write a decent pop song. However, I’m not a fan of this album.

I first caught them supporting Garbage in Manchester in 1995. I wasn’t too impressed - musically they sound okay, and they get a decent sound out of two guitars and a keyboard, but Manda’s vocals are just on the wrong side of the squealometer.

I remember being aware of Bis when I saw them support Garbage - most musos knew about them as a lot had been made of them being the first unsigned band to play Top Of The Pops (which is untrue). I definitely remember them playing Kandy Pop, which was the only song I knew them for, but they didn’t make me rush out and buy their records.

A couple of years later when I was at University, my good friends Robbie and Natalie introduced me to their second album, Social Dancing, which I still regard as an overlooked gem. I ended up meeting the band when they were touring that album, but I guess that story is best saved for another time.

Hit: Sweet Shop Avengerz

Hidden Gem: Tell It To The Kids

Rocks In The Attic #55: Elastica - ‘Elastica’ (1995)

This is an odd little record. Fifteen songs breeze by in less than forty minutes. There’s one song over four minutes, a couple at the three minute mark, and then all the rest chalk up between one and two minutes. How punk is that?

I probably bought this album purely for Connection, and from the sticker inside the sleeve I seem to have bought it from the Vinyl Exchange on Oldham Street in Manchester for £12. Not bad considering that, as the Vinyl Exchange sticker proudly states, it’s in mint condition and comes with a free 12-page booklet and a flexi-disc.

The flexi-disc - a cover of Adam Ant’s Cleopatra is pretty good. Well, at least it doesn’t sound as bad as the flexi-discs you would get free in Look-In magazine in the 80s. There’s no surface noise and it plays just like a standard 7”.

This is a pretty good album - with plenty of catchy songs. At the end of the day though, you can never have enough albums with a photo of the band standing in front of a brick wall on the cover. It should be mandatory, for debut albums at least.

Hit: Connection

Hidden Gem: Waking Up

Rocks In The Attic #24: Doves - ‘Lost Souls’ (2000)

Another band I liked really early on - I have all their early singles on vinyl - before abandoning them to the Oasis fans. I’d been following their rise in Manchester, mainly on the coat-tails of Badly Drawn Boy, who they used to be a backing band for; and they got played relatively early by Jo Whiley on Radio 1. I can remember working at my desk in my room at University, when she played Sea Song for the first time on radio. I nearly hit the roof - I had bought the song on vinyl (this was way before the album came out) and I had loved it from the first time I heard it.

I then had the misfortune of missing them play a small bar in my hometown, Oldham, because I was playing with my own band a few streets away on the same night. I did get to catch them that summer at Glastonbury on the Second Stage - I think they were the first band I ever saw at the festival - on the ridiculously early Friday morning slot. This set was also the first of many missed meetings at Glastonbury, as my University housemate Kaj, who I was looking out to meet up with (in the days just before mobile phones) saw me watching them, but wasn’t sure enough that it was me to come over and tap me on the shoulder. We caught up the following day if I remember correctly.

The next time I saw Doves was a few years later. They were headlining the same stage on the Sunday night, touring their second album, and I walked through the field and caught them for 5 minutes, enough to see them dedicate a song to Marc-Vivien Foé - the Manchester City and Cameroon international who had recently died on the pitch (the band are big Man City fans); but by that point they had got a bit more famous and a lot of Oasis fans (ie. non-musos who only dabble in music) had started liking them as a faux-Oasis substitute band.

I did see Jimi from Doves once in Manchester, as pissed off as I was that we both couldn’t get into a bar that was holding a night celebrating Bill Hicks on the 10^th anniversary of his death. I’ve never seen a rock star so mad.

But I have fond memories of this, a great album.

Hit: Here It Comes

Hidden Gem: Sea Song

Rocks In The Attic #15: John Mayall With Eric Clapton - ‘Bluesbreakers’ (1966)

The only reason I have this on vinyl is down to my good friend, Moo. I was searching frantically for this in every record shop in Manchester until Moo let me have his copy - a very good copy, too - in exchange for a newly remastered copy of the album on CD.

I can’t remember why I wanted it so much at the time, but it takes pride of place in my collection, alongside Clapton’s other key moonlighting appearances (outside of his solo stuff, Cream and The Yardbirds): the eponymous Blind Faith album, and Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs by Derek And The Dominoes.

The album is very easy to listen to - similar to early Fleetwood Mac in scope (and general reverence to the blues), and Clapton’s guitar sound is awesome. This marks the first time a Gibson Les Paul had been recorded through an overdriven Marshall amplifier. Smoking!

Hit: All Your Love

Hidden Gem: Ramblin’ On My Mind