Amazon.co.uk allows you to pay for your items in your local currency. Restrictions apply. Learn More. |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Dismissed at the time as mere Smiths wannabes--thanks to the moany, mannered timbre of Martin Rossiter's vocals, combined with the eloquent self-obsession of his lyrics--many critics missed the most glaring influence upon these perennial UK second-stringers: the jagged, overdriven buzz of Steve Mason's guitar, which owed at least as much to Steve Marriott as it did to Johnny Marr. On this, their much-anticipated debut album, there is a distinct feeling of acknowledging and celebrating their influences, both musical and geographical: a deep sense of London was embedded in these songs, either overtly--on tracks like "To The City" and "London, Can You Wait?"--or implicitly, in its role as host to most of the great guitar-pop of the preceding decade. Inevitably, some tracks worked ("Haunted By You", "Sleep Well Tonight"), and some didn't ("Your Love, It Lies", "A Car That Sped"); yet for all the dutiful veneration of their sources, what Gene lacked were moments of actual transcendance. Obsessed with the great and enduring, they were capable only of the intermittently good. --Andrew McGuire
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
When this album was released in 1995, reviews in the indie press criticised it for sounding similar to the Smiths. The irony is that the same critics were praising Oasis to the heavens for their music which is even more derivative than this impressive debut. The truth is that this album is an accomplished debut and that the songs are much more than mere Smiths facsimiles. From the rocking opener "Haunted by You" to the mellow "We'll find our own way" this is an album characterised by the soothing, warm voice of Martin Rossiter and the smooth guitar work of Steve Mason. My favourite tracks are the emotional "London Can you wait?" and the spell-binding title-track "Olympian" which builds from an almost hypnotic bass-line into a crashing, spine-tingling climax. The only disappointment I experienced when I purchased this album is that the early single "Be my light, be my guide" wasn't included. Despite this, it is a stunning debut album, and despite their lack of chart success, Gene are still a great live band.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Gene get compared to The Smiths with some regularity - and this isn't entirely unfair: if you can't stand The Smiths, you probably won't think much of Gene either. On the other hand, if (like me) you can see the genius behind 'There is a light that never goes out' and all the other Smiths classics, you'll be smitten with Gene too.
'Olympian' is a glorious, honest, melancholy album; they haven't quite matched it since, though 'Drawn to the Deep End' is ace too. 'Olympian' (the song) is arguably the best on this CD, but 'Haunted by you', 'Sleep well tonight' and 'London, can you wait' all come darned close to it. 'We'll find our own way' closes the album on a gentle, cautiously optimistic note, with Martin Rossiter singing about a hopeful future - gorgeous.
Gene trivia: How many people noticed that there was an 'Olympian' poster on the wall in Ian's cafe, Albert Square, for about two years?
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I've certainly never heard any better. Rossiter's mileu is the disconsolate and disappointed and it is a powerful, sustained and compelling narrative. With Mason's melodies, James's drum excellence and Miles's bass brilliance this truly is an incredible piece of work.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
