Stone Roses – Fool’s Gold (1989)

Manchester night continues!

Hey, after filling the dancefloor with a Joy Division album track, a 6 minute rant by John Cooper Clarke and an Oasis demo, what better way to build on my success than almost ten minutes of utter genius from the Stone Roses.

I have come to appreciate them more now than I did when I was living in Manchester in the late 1980s. I must have been blinded by The Smiths (err, and New Order and The Chameleons amongst others).

This is just a great record. Drums that never relent, a killer bassline and Ian Brown’s typically out of tune vocal rightly relegated to the obscurity of the groove.

I dare you not to dance to this.

John Cooper Clarke – Beasley Street (1980)

Hey, pop pickers, “Manchester Night” continues and, after the good time, party, vibe, of Joy Division, what better than a spot of lighthearted social realism from John Cooper Clarke.

I will be posting numerous track by John Cooper Clarke over coming weeks because, between 1978 and 1982, he was responsible for some of the smartest, funniest and, often, the most melodic tracks of the punk/post punk era.

Thinking back to one year into Margaret Thatcher’s new Government, this is a sincere and cynical denouncement of what was happening –  no ranting, just clever couplets.

Worth saying though, this was not just Thatcher’s early legacy; the fingerprints of Wilson, Callaghan and Heath are all over this track.

The boys are on the wagon, the girls are on the shelf

Their common problem is, they’re not someone else

You have to start with the vinyl original then graduate to The Old Grey Whistle Test. Fantastic lyrics.

Joy Division – Decades (1980)

My favourite band of all time, not sure why I have held off until now to post a track.

But today is a Manchester day, a City day (don’t care what happened to the Reds who have hijacked Love Will Tear Us Apart as a tribute to Ryan Giggs. Sacrilege.)

So, why not start with Decades (after all, that’s how long it’s been since City won anything ….)

A vocal of great gravity, synthesisers from a different world to Kraftwerk and Human League (both fine worlds to be in though, don’t get me wrong – but, still, different worlds).

I think the Ian Curtis story has always been overblown and the wrong lessons have been drawn.

I have never thought his was a statement by a “suffering artist” but rather the reflections of someone who two-timed his wife, never dealt with the guilt (and, perhaps, his medical condition), and who just wanted out. The essential human fragility that led to this outcome makes Joy Division immensely more powerful than if they had ever aspired to something grander, more universal, more totemic.

The sheer ordinariness of Ian Curtis is what makes this the best music of all time – things happen and sometimes it is difficult to deal with them.

Just the track.

Oasis – Fade Away (Demo) (1992)

It’s happened.

Manchester City have won something for the first time since 1976 (I remember that last time; late night radio commentary in Hong Kong at the age of 12 … the radio programme ended with 15 minutes to go when someone ran out of coins for the meter with City 2-1 up). Needed a telegram in the morning to confirm we had held out! 

Having just seen an absurd interview with celeb City fan Liam Gallagher, “reflecting” on the day’s events, I wanted to return to the early days of Oasis, when they were urgent and without complacency.

In my view, Oasis peaked early and then turned into a formulaic, rock behemoth/beast of considerable tedium.

However, Definitely Maybe was good and Morning Glory probably a tad better. But, Oasis might have peaked even earlier with their first demos.

It was when I heard this version of Fade Away that I thought there might be a band worth listening to. Maximum effect is achieved by cranking this up to maximum volume.

Gratifyingly underproduced. 

Antony and the Johnsons – Fistful of Love (2005)

To be frank, I often get a bit irritated by Antony’s rather mannered warble. However, on some occasions, he hits the mark so precisely that you just have to give the fella a pat on the back.

After that rather churlish intro, I’d just like to suggest that “Fistful of Love” might be the best record of 2005. A fantastic vocal, understated piano and the timeless Lou Reed on guitar and “introductory remarks”. The music builds, the horns kick in. Perfect.

Original LP version then a live version but sadly lacking Lou Reed and that guitar …

Leatherface – Not Superstitious (1991)

Formed in Sunderland in the late 1980s, Leatherface are one of the great. “provincial” punk rock bands. Headed by the legendary Frankie Stubbs, the band has released a series of great LPs and singles over the years, starting out on Roughneck Records.

Now, I would be first to admit that Mr Stubbs’ vocal style is an acquired taste. Gotta say, I acquired it pretty quickly.

This is one of my favourite tracks of the early 1990s; it was a single and also on the “Mush” LP.

Single version, acoustic version I’d never heard before.