After a short hiatus the return of the Sunday series on albums on two formats
Del Amitri were/are one of those Scottish bands who shot to prominence in the late 80s/early 90's alongide the likes of Deacon Blue, Danny Wilson and Hue & Cry
Waking Hours from 1989 on A&M is their second album and the only one of theirs that I have. There are also a couple of solo albums by lead singer Justin Currie
Interestingly their 1985 epoymous debut album was well received by fans of alernative music with Stephen Schnee describing them as the bastard sons of XTC and Elvis Costello. Many of the admirers of the album were not too impressed with Waking Hours accusing the band of selling out and/or jumping on a bandwagon.
My second ever post on this blog in November 2012 was about in incident in the now former Halt Bar in Glasgow's Woodlands Road when Justin unsuccessfully tried to push in front of me at the bar. He is still doing the rounds of Glasgow pubs; I saw him in Wintergills last year
I've always thought that Nothing Ever Happens is a great song with great lyrics particularly while angry from Manchester writes to complain about all the repeats on TV and while American businessmen snap up Van Goghs for the price of a hospital wing.
Plus la change
Much as I appreciated Justin Currie's rich voice and the juxtaposition of earworm melodies and downbeat lyrics on daytime radio, I just couldn't get into Del Amitri. Time for a reappraisal, I think! Thanks for sharing, CC.
ReplyDeleteSaw them supporting R.E.M. in Cardiff on the Monster tour in 95. They were inoffensive and competent. That's about it.
ReplyDeleteBah. Love 'em. Love Justin's cynicism and misanthropy disguised as jangly pop songs. Never get why the cognoscenti have it in for them.
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