FEATURE:
A Buyer’s Guide
Part Eighty-Two: The Charlatans
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ONE of the greatest British bands ever…
I am going to spend some time recommending the essential work of The Charlatans. Fronted by the amazing and inspiring Tim Burgess, the 1988-formed legends have released some amazing music through their career. The band’s most-recent album, Different Days, came out in 2017. I hope we hear more from them. Prior to highlighting their four best albums, the underrated gem, the latest studio album and a book associated with them/Burgess, I want to drop in their biography. It is to AllMusic for that task:
“For many years, the Charlatans were perceived as the also-rans of Madchester, the group who didn't capture the Zeitgeist like the Stone Roses or the mad genre-bending of Happy Mondays. Of course, they were more traditional than either of their peers. Working from a Stonesy foundation, the Charlatans added dance-oriented rhythms and layers of swirling organs straight out of '60s psychedelia. At first, the group had great promise, and their initial singles, including "The Only One I Know," were hits, but as Madchester and "baggy" faded away, the band began to look like a relic. It was commonly assumed that their third album, 1994's Up to Our Hips, was the end of the line. However, the Charlatans made a remarkable comeback in 1995 with their eponymous fourth album, which found them embracing not only the flourishing Brit-pop movement, but also underground dance and techno, as well as their mainstay of classic rock. The Charlatans debuted at number one, and the guys were hailed as survivors. Unfortunately, few knew how literal that term was -- as they were recording their follow-up album in 1996, organist Rob Collins, who had defined the band's sound, died in a car crash. The Charlatans decided to continue as a quartet, and their subsequent album, Tellin' Stories, debuted at number one in the U.K. upon its 1997 release. They consolidated this success with 1999's Us and Us Only and 2001's Wonderland -- both of which reached number two -- proving they had become one of the great British journeyman bands of the new millennium.
At the time of their formation in the West Midlands in 1988, it appeared that the Charlatans were all about transience. Inspired by the emergence of the Stone Roses, Rob Collins (keyboards), Jon Baker (guitar), Martin Blunt (bass), and Jon Brookes (drums) formed the Charlatans, rehearsing with a variety of vocalists before Salford-born Tim Burgess joined as their singer, after the band's relocation to Northwich, Cheshire. The group attempted to land a record contract with no success, so they formed Dead Dead Good Records and released their debut 12" single, "Indian Rope," in January 1990. Collins' dynamic, sweeping Hammond organ distinguished the group from their Madchester scene peers, and the single became a number one hit on the indie charts. By the spring, they'd signed with Beggars Banquet, releasing "The Only One I Know" a few months later. Borrowing heavily from the Stones, jangle pop, and funk, "The Only One I Know" became a monster hit, climbing into the pop Top Ten and becoming the group's signature single. Following another hit single, "Then," the band's debut album, Some Friendly, was released in the fall, debuting at number one.
It was a remarkable beginning to their career, so perhaps it was inevitable that bad luck hit early in 1991. As they launched their first American tour, the Charlatans were forced to add "U.K." to their name since a San Francisco garage rock band from the '60s already had a claim on the name. The group returned to Britain, where they played a concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Following the gig, Baker announced he was leaving the band. He was replaced by Mark Collins (no relation) yet the group was sidetracked further by Blunt's bout with severe depression. By the time they finally released their second album, Between 10th and 11th, Madchester had become passé, and the album was ignored by the public and earned mixed reviews.
Despite their declining popularity, the Charlatans soldiered on, yet hit their biggest setback in late 1992, when Rob Collins was arrested as an accessory to armed robbery. The situation had been entirely accidental -- Collins had been drinking with an old friend and wound up following him into a liquor store -- but he was sentenced to eight months imprisonment. Before he went into jail, he laid down the tracks for the band's third album, which was released in early 1994, once he had left prison. Up to Our Hips received stronger reviews than its predecessor, and its single, "Can't Get Out of Bed," was a bigger hit than anything on Between 10th and 11th. It was the beginning of a comeback that culminated in the summer of 1995.
Prior to the release of the group's eponymous third album, Tim Burgess sang on the Chemical Brothers' "Life Is Sweet," which re-established his hip indie credentials and gave him, and the Charlatans, credibility in electronica circles. Appropriately, The Charlatans demonstrated a deeper dance sensibility, as well as more concise tunes, and it unexpectedly entered the British charts at number one. Following the release of the album, the Charlatans re-entered the front rank of British rock bands and were at the peak of their popularity, as well as critical acclaim. The group was still unable to crack the American market -- initially, they were barred from touring the country due to Collins' arrest -- yet they remained popular throughout Europe and Asia.
As the band was recording its follow-up to The Charlatans, Collins was killed in a drunk-driving accident as he headed to the studio. Although Collins was pivotal to the band's signature sound, they carried on without him, completing their fifth album, Tellin' Stories, with the assistance of Primal Scream's keyboardist, Martin Duffy. Tellin' Stories was released in the U.K. in the spring of 1997 to generally strong reviews, and it entered the charts at number one. Two years later, Us and Us Only came out, followed in 2001 by the dance-inspired Wonderland. The next year saw two releases, Live It Like You Love It, recorded live in the band's hometown in December 2001, and Songs from the Other Side, a collection of B-sides from 1990 to 1997. The Charlatans' eighth studio album, Up at the Lake, was issued in 2004, and two years later, Simpatico hit the shelves. In 2008, the group released You Cross My Path on the Cooking Vinyl label.
In 2010, the band marked the 20th anniversary of the release of Some Friendly by performing the album at Barcelona's Primavera Sound Festival. Their 11th studio album, Who We Touch, was slated for release in September of 2010. During the supporting tour for Who We Touch, drummer Jon Brookes was diagnosed with a brain tumor; Peter Salisbury helped finish off the tour, but Brookes showed up at year-end gigs with the band. Burgess and Collins did a brief acoustic tour on their own in 2011 before Burgess began work on a solo album. He returned to the Charlatans in 2012, with the group starting a new album and playing their 1997 album Tellin' Stories in its entirety at two separate shows that summer; the June 8 show at HMV Hammersmith Apollo, London was released as a live album that August.
However, after several operations and ongoing treatment for his brain tumor, Brookes died in hospital on August 13, 2013 at the age of 44. The Charlatans reconvened in 2014 to record their twelfth studio album. Entitled Modern Nature, the record appeared on BMG in January 2015; it debuted at number seven in the U.K., making it the band's highest-charting album since 2006's Simpatico. Two years later, the Charlatans followed up with Different Days, a record sporting cameos from Paul Weller and Johnny Marr.
The Charlatans spent the next few years quietly, reissuing portions of their catalog -- including an expanded version of Between 10th & 11th in 2020 -- while Tim Burgess resumed his solo career. During this period, Burgess also conceived and popularized the notion of online listening parties. He began by marshalling a look back at Some Friendly in March 2020, and within 12 months he'd organized over 700 such events. Next, borrowing a line from 1996's "One to Another" -- their highest-charting U.K. single -- the band issued A Head Full of Ideas, a lavishly packaged and thorough retrospective celebrating their 30th year as recording artists”.
To showcase the brilliance and inventiveness of an iconic band, below are the records from The Charlatans that you need to own. I would urge people to check out their music if they are not already familiar. They are a band that I have loved since I first heard them in the 1990s. Even though they have been around for years, let’s hope they keep on recording albums…
FOR some time.
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The Four Essential Albums
Some Friendly
Release Date: 8th October, 1990
Labels: Dead Dead Good/Situation Two/Beggars Banquet
Producer: Chris Naggle
Standout Tracks: Opportunity/Then/Flower
Buy: https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/635541
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/6Bb253vXd4mFULDwLhNf7u?si=ecqDLOoERFaPJa5yI9xGEg
Review:
“Emerging out of semi-nowhere -- well, Northwich -- the Charlatans were saddled with a name that lent itself to jibes about their quality, perceived bandwagon jumping and the burden of being a one-hit wonder with "The Only One I Know." Then Some Friendly, the group's debut, planted itself at the top of the UK charts; while the rest of the '90s were up-and-down for the band, this album set the band on its way. Drawing on Blunt's background in mod and psych outfits, Collins' outrageously funky keyboards and Burgess' unexpected star quality -- even if his voice wasn't the strongest -- Some Friendly is just that, a friendly and fun vibe. Some of the lyrics betray Burgess' sharp-tongued punk background -- "You're Not Very Well," the opener, expresses anything but sunny sentiments -- but otherwise Some Friendly delivers everything from '60s beat groove to Madchester bagginess with verve. True, the group was still following in the Roses/Mondays slipstream -- "Fool's Gold" was the blueprint for much of the album -- but the individual delights of the slow trance "Opportunity," "Polar Bear"'s upfront rhythms and "Flower"'s slightly ominous funk all show the band's abilities well. "The Only One I Know" remains the best-known cut, Blunt's crisp bass and Collins' Deep Purple-inspired keyboards providing its charge. But Some Friendly's hidden masterpiece comes at the very end -- "Sproston Green," a monster jam based on Collins' supreme keyboard work, with Burgess' soaring lyric matching the massive surge of the music. It remains the concluding number of the band's sets to this day for good reason” – AllMusic
Choice Cut: The Only One I Know (not included on original L.P. versions)
The Charlatans
Release Date: 28th August, 1995
Label: Beggars Banquet
Producers: The Charlatans/Dave Charles/Ric Peet (with Steve Hillage)
Standout Tracks: Just Lookin'/Crashin' In/Bullet Comes
Buy: https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=70890&ev=mb
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/3w929DsUH49KkQ8FNLo2wE?si=0SoeZAItQw-DucnrxwdNcg
Review:
“The Charlatans first came in as a part of the madchester scene, and were considered second rate in the genre, putting out solid but ultimately unimpressive albums throughout until the scene died. The Charlatans carried on however and truly hit their stride with thier self titled fourth album. It opens with some wierd chant that seems out of place along with some of the funkiest organ playing Ive heard in the largely instrumental opener "Nine Acre Court."
After this questionable start the album picks up a bit with "Feeling Holy" but doesnt kick off untill the incredibly catchy "Just Lookin" which perfectly sums up the bands sound on the album. The album takes the brashness and crunch of Oasis' Definitely Maybe and mixes it in with the shoegaze formula they already had down solid. "Crashin In" is very similar to "Just Lookin" but manages to keep its own identity. "Bullet Comes" adds some piano and gives the album a little lighter sound, as though to let the listener relax for their next song, "Here Comes A Soul Saver" which is a top notch tune which could be The Charlatans attempt at "Live Forever." It falls short of that goal, but is impressive nonetheless.
"Just When Your Thinking Things Over" continues the streak of excellent songs with an upbeat relaxed groove that gracefully carries you through the ride, throwing some great melodies at you along the way. Unfortunately "Tell Everyone" is where the album starts to tail off. Despite a subdued catchy chorus the verses are entirely forgettable, which cuts the albums momentum off. Perhaps if placed in a different spot this song would be a great fit, but it leads into three entirely forgettable mediocre songs.
Fortunately, the instrumental closer "Thank You" brings the band to form with an excellent, very Verve-esque instrumental jam that reminds you a little too much of "Gravity Grave." Despite the similarities the song is saved by the consistently unique organ playing Rob Collins. All in all a solid finish to an excellent album” – Sputnikmusic
Choice Cut: Just When You're Thinkin' Things Over
Tellin' Stories
Release Date: 21st April, 1997
Label: Beggars Banquet
Producers: The Charlatans/Dave Charles/Ric Peet
Standout Tracks: Tellin' Stories/One to Another/How High
Buy: https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=70885&ev=mb
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/3bP20RC8ELescgvnbTEbM9?si=Szn7c-jETcihOtOwm4dkeA
Review:
“Vanishing Point obliterates that notion, right along with logic, structure and sanity. An abstract, truly psychedelic record, it rages woozily across the cranial dance floor, pinballing between mind fucks, genre hops and drug trips even as it acknowledges tradition with an obligatory Stonesy junk nod ("Medication") and a techno-punk cover of "Motorhead." Violence and revolution dominate "Kowalski," a noisy, urban anthem that is impenetrable on first listen but ends up ultracatchy, thanks to Mani's (ex-Stone Roses) pummeling bass lines and a creepy, whispered chorus of "I'm Kowalski/In Vanishing Point" (referring to the '70s car-chase movie). There's also futuristic dub (the sinister, Tricky-esque "Stuka"), sweet space rock ("Out of the Void") and the tranquil "Star," a civil-rights tribute that sets the Memphis Horns and Augustus Pablo's melodica against Gillespie's fragile croon. The band's Trainspotting theme is here, too, still a perfectly sleepy evocation of dread vs. bliss.
Dance music also shapes the Charlatans UK, an original "Madchester" band that now favors hard, tuneful gutbucket groove rock – they're the Stones to Oasis' Beatles. Tellin' Stories boasts a trio of rhythm tracks from Chemical Brother Tom Rowlands (payback for singer Tim Burgess' guest vocals on the Chemicals' "Life Is Sweet"). The opener, "With No Shoes," is all hungrily exuberant vocals over whimsical guitar crunch and turntable scratching; both that and the joyous "North Country Boy" stand in poignant contrast to the reallife circumstances of the making of Tellin' Stories: Keyboardist Rob Collins, the band's primary sonic architect, was killed in a car crash during its recording (Primal Scream's Martin Duffy finished Collins' parts). While the noirish, understated "Rob's Theme" serves as the record's coda, Collins' real epitaph is the Ray Manzarek-cum-Jimmy Smith organ grease on "Area 51," another instrumental and the record's trippiest, most clubworthy track.
The Charlatans scramble up industrial hip-hop soul with spirited, melodic '60s-rock influences, but they never let their postmodernism detract from the base simplicity of well-crafted songs and unabashed rockin'. Combine that with the out-there eclecticism of Vanishing Point and you'd have the record U2's Pop wanted to be. (RS 764/765)” – Rolling Stone
Choice Cut: North Country Boy
Up at the Lake
Release Date: 17th May, 2004
Label: Island
Producers: The Charlatans/James Spencer
Standout Tracks: Up at the Lake/High Up Your Tree/Try Again Today
Buy: https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=70897&ev=mb
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/7tU0lwdqAdFGNNCcTLIHsh?si=-GtggONPRtSazMiDyqV65w
Review:
“The British love an underdog, which may explain why the Charlatans have made it to their eighth album despite a death, an imprisonment, a bout of testicular cancer, a swindling accountant and a bassist who, following a nervous breakdown, came to rehearsals clutching carrier-bags of dog food.
However, their success has been equally based around the indefinable joie de vivre that vocalist Tim Burgess brings to even their most ostensibly melancholy songs. Sensibly, Burgess has abandoned the curious falsetto of 2001's Wonderland in favour of his trademark (or Ian Brown's trademark) nasal whine, while the band have responded with some of their finest rollicking grooves.
High Up In Your Tree boasts a super-sweet melody; elsewhere they rampage through everything from country rock to Carly Simon. By the time keyboardist Tony Rogers takes lead vocals on the sublime Loving You Is Easy, it seems that even Burgess's demise in a gardening accident would be unlikely to stop them” – The Guardian
Choice Cut: Loving You Is Easy
The Underrated Gem
Wonderland
Release Date: 10th September, 2001
Label: Universal
Producers: The Charlatans/Danny Saber/James Spencer
Standout Tracks: Love Is the Key/A Man Needs to Be Told/The Bell and the Butterfly
Buy: https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=70909&ev=mb
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/4GmXnmWGndjONOi5mWhEHf?si=PnMnBpRDRLG5X6V5bOla6g
Review:
“Nearly as obvious a choice for a single is "I Just Can't Get Over Losing You," which creeps in slowly before kicking into another one of the band's infectious grooves. Burgess exhorts you to get down, and it's pretty likely that you won't have any problem complying. Guitarist Mark Collins weaves dozens of little stuttering passages through the mix, vying with Rogers for control of the harmonic and countermelodic space. This is followed by the instrumental "The Bell and the Butterfly," a four-minute bass- and drum-dominated rave-up that opens with a bombastic, fuzzed-out bass riff, then completely recontextualizes the riff with programmed, almost junglist beats. Brookes joins the programmed percussion on his kit as Blunt briefly reprises the bassline from "Love Is the Key" before launching off on an impressive lead tangent.
Tracks like "The Bell and the Butterfly" are one of the reasons I love the Charlatans as much as I do. In an era when it's cool for rock bands to be ashamed of being rock bands, the Charlatans aren't. No matter how much programming they incorporate or how many other elements color their sound, they're a rock band at heart, unafraid to rock out just for the sake of it. And there's plenty of subtle programming to be found on Wonderland-- little artificial hi-hat flourishes color the edges of the beat in "And If I Fall," which just might contain one of the best choruses the band has ever written.
Elsewhere, "A Man Needs to Be Told" most closely resembles Us & Us Only's rootsy vibe, employing none other than Daniel Lanois on the pedal steel. It's amazing how well the faux-country sound suits the band. Burgess' falsetto feels more at home surrounded by the keening guitars and extra percussion (provided by Jim Keltner, who's played with absolutely everybody, including Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Ry Cooder, George Harrison, and John Lennon). "Wake Up" runs in a slightly similar vein, breaking into a melodic ballad after a guitar intro that you could pretty easily mistake for a mid-80s King Crimson track. Soon afterward, though, the guitar is dripping in Leslie and wah pedals. Burgess presides over the song with some uncharacteristically aggressive lyrics, including the catchy couplet, "Sayin' something, saying nothing/ You'll be a little quieter with a gun in your mouth."
This is followed by the mellotron- and piano-drenched "Is It in You?," which, for all its gripping atmosphere, is one of the few songs on the album that doesn't really hang onto your ear after grabbing it. The closing "Ballad of the Band" doesn't really do much to lift things, either, and the album unfortunately ends on a somewhat lackluster note.
Regardless of the ending, though, the Charlatans have managed to release yet another immensely satisfying album. The deft synthesis of all of the band's past incarnations speaks to the fact that their best work may indeed lie ahead of them. If you're looking for a starting place for the Charlatans, I'd probably recommend Tellin' Stories or Us & Us Only first, but Wonderland is a worthy entry from one of Britain's most underappreciated bands” – Pitchfork
Choice Cut: You're So Pretty – We're So Pretty
The Latest Album
Different Days
Release Date: 26th May, 2017
Label: BMG
Producers: The Charlatans/Jim Spencer
Standout Tracks: Plastic Machinery/Not Forgotten/Over Again
Buy: https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=1186476&ev=mb
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/3kSjmsheSS3A7A0jcF6U9X?si=Co7QGvkUQJCOW1PtBamZUA
Review:
“After the tragic loss of their long-time drummer Jon Brookes in 2013, a cloud of doubt began to cast over The Charlatans. It's never easy for a band to lose a key member, especially one who has been there since the beginning. However this didn't quell The Charlatans' spirits and they returned in 2015 with the fantastic 'Modern Nature'.
Now two years later, with guests ranging from Johnny Marr to Stephen Morris, The Charlatans arrive back once again with 'Different Days'. But how does it fare next to its 2015 counterpart?
From the offset, 'Different Days' is an album drenched in colour. Opener 'Hey Sunshine' bursts with lavish kaleidoscopic synths, whilst The War On Drugs-esque follow up 'Solutions' drives with zealous passion. Elsewhere on the LP, 'Let's Go Together' and 'Not Forgotten' are the record's most anthemic moments and see The Charlatans rising in a concoction of electric organs and Madchester swagger.
The orchestral led-single 'Plastic Machinery' is an energetic thrill and is matched by the groove-filled title-track 'Different Days'. Closing on the down-tempo and string infused 'Spinning Out', frontman Tim Burgess sounds better than ever as he croons his way to the end of this chapter of the band.
The Charlatans may have gone through some rough times over the years but, unlike many of their peers, they've continued to deliver musically and 'Different Days' is no exception. A fun and colourful indie album full of pop sensibilities, 'Different Days' is a joy from start to finish and is further indication that Tim Burgess and co. show no sign of stopping” – CLASH
Choice Cut: Different Days
The Charlatans Book
One, Two, Another: Line By Line: Lyrics from The Charlatans, Solo and Beyond
Author: Tim Burgess
Publication Date: 14th November, 2019
Publisher: Constable
Synopsis:
“'From lists to experiences and stories, there are no rules. A good song is a good song whoever writes it and however the writing happens.'
Over the past three decades, Tim Burgess has cultivated a lyrical style that is equal parts searing, elusive and raw. Brimming with nods to an eclectic array of influences, from French chanson to East Coast rap, his words provide vivid snapshots of modern life, its highs and lows, and the things we do to get by.
For the first time Tim's collected lyrics are accompanied by his revealing commentary, featuring backstage anecdotes, advice on how to conjure up the music muse, poignant reflections - and insight into a very idiosyncratic songwriting process.
One Two Another chronicles the evolution of Tim's songwriting and reveals the method behind the madness.
'Tim Burgess is a crusader and vinyl's epic voyager. He knows why pop's art, a culture and a cure. Learn and listen. He knows good things' Johnny Marr
'You can't feel blue around Tim. He makes you feel happy, not just about music but about life. Even the most cynical of souls (mine) become infected by his gorgeous energy. Plus he gives good vinyl' Sharon Horgan” – Waterstones.co.uk
Order: https://www.waterstones.com/book/one-two-another/tim-burgess/9781408715437