I Am the Greatest

Frequently cited as one of the most vital and important Irish bands ever, A House has a garden littered with bad luck of near misses. Take this record for example. Constantly finding itself mentioned amongst the Top Tens in the history of Irish rock, on it's 1991 release it garnered so much publicity in the UK and Ireland that the Band and Record Co. couldn't keep up with it. Firstly, distribution problems led to band actually requesting that the BBC stop playlisting tracks from it as they could get any copies into the shops. Secondly, it evoked fury from the feminists when it's lead single 'Endless Art', an historic slab of rock which name checks the birth and death dates of major artists and composer failed to recognise that women too could be artistes!.. Righting this wrong with a special, woman only version, the song somehow managed to stay out of the UK top 40 even though it's video enjoyed saturation coverage on MTV. However, to bemoan it's lack of success is to undermine the album itself. The album is obviously hugely successfully in that it's a seminal, almost perfect work. From the opening, disjointed guitar of ' I Don't Care ' through the agonising, two fingers to the world title track we're treated to some of the finest, 3 minute pop ever created. ' Take it Easy on Me ' is the hit that didn't. Bouncy, jangly guitar and Dave Couse's bitter, acerbic wit combine in a moment of near Pop-Greatness..' I am Afraid ' is the heart-on-sleeve cry from the heart that unnerves, it's acoustic simplicity is served up with a side order of agony, and the cries and laughs of children as Couse sings solo ' Every since I was a Young Child, I cannot sleep at night... Without the light.. On '. A House never really got the break they deserved out of this record, but nevertheless they released five albums, there's a live album and a Best-of knocking around and the lead man Dave Couse is still ploughing away so you never know, you could be starting a revival by delving further into this

So these wannabes think they deserve more recognition. They even wrote a song about how they deserve more credibility! So any alt-rock band who doesn't fly to the top of the charts can now decry 'it's not our fault, it's not OUR fault no one wants to listen to us'. Good slogan.

But such brattish behaviour might just make that point, right? Sure, it's not taking credit for your short-comings, but this album packs the kind of attitudinal punch desperately praised in the grunge movement, so why can't these guys get a break? And even if this isn't as well known or as lauded as 'Dirt' or 'Nevermind', at least it's about on the same level of artistic merit, if not a little bit more.

David Couse is one cynic! His lyrics are entertaining, full of attitude and bizarre. But he's a great singer in his own way, bellowing out with underprivlidged passion and SINCERITY, and, all too oft overlooked these days, CLARITY. So aside from bashing your girlfriend and you hate everyone and don't care about anything, what's not to like about him?

On some other 'A House' albums, Couse's lyrics can be a distracting draw-card, but here the hooks dominate this catchy, crafty album, of cynical alternative rock with variety and some Irish charm thrown in for good measure. Get the British version for 'Cotton Pickers', one of the best songs on the album, the all too brief, but nonetheless great 'Victor' and 'Live Life Dead Die', probably the worst song on the album! Rating ***3/4 (3.75)