- Audio CD (27 Sep 2005)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Format: Import
- Label: Capitol
- ASIN: B000B19BCG
- Other Editions: Audio CD | MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 647,385 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product details |
Track Listings
| 1. Tales Of Endurance (Parts 4, 5 & 6) |
| 2. St. Petersburg |
| 3. Sad Girl |
| 4. Roxy |
| 5. Coffee In The Pot |
| 6. Road To Rouen |
| 7. Kick In The Teeth |
| 8. Low C |
| 9. Fin |
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
What happens when rock’s young whippersnappers grow up? The last few Supergrass albums have seen a creeping maturity enter their happy-go-lucky design, but on Road To Rouen - the Oxford outfit’s fifth album – there’s little trace remaining of the wide-eyed adolescents that barrelled so madly through "Caught By The Fuzz".
The opening "Tales Of Endurance (Parts 4,5 & 6)" is a case in point: evolving from a gentle, rolling vista of warm brass and stroked piano into a rollicking rock groove over five-and-a-half minutes, frontman Gaz Coombes cooing lyrics about "commercial suicide" from the centre of the jam, it’s unquestionably the work of a band with pretensions that reach far beyond the desire to pen a tight pop single. This would be a terrible thing if the ‘Grass didn’t have the chops to pull it off, but the likes of the gently Beatlesesque "St Petersburg" and the string-augmented "Roxy" boast the sort of intuitive, on-point musicmanship that would shame a band twice their age. And pleasingly, too, there’s still room for the odd burst of eccentricity, in the shape of the peculiar, polka-tinged "Coffee In The Pot". --Louis Pattison
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
First off all, let's get the past out of the way. This is no I Should Coco..if you are looking to the past for an idea of the sound, you can't go far wrong with Moving and Late In The Day. The album sees Supergrass in a far more adult view of life, with songs taking on a more evolved feel. The opening track Tales Of Endurance (Parts 4,5 & 6) has an almost Beatles White album feel, with the group going from one style to another all within one track. The first single St Petersburg was again an interesting choice of single, as it clearly represents the feel of the album, but lacks that instant feel that commercial radio craves. The key tracks after this are Roxy and Road To Rouen (which cranks up the album briefly). Don't get me wrong, I like this album alot..it's just if you want the short punchy singles of the past, then this won't be for you. If you want a complete album, then don't think twice...by this album...you will enjoy it.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is classical rock music in the tradition of the beatles, Lennon solo and the Who ('coffee in the pot' is typical the Who humour), that's to mention a few. All new music nowadays is getting less and less innovative and going back all the time to the great bands in the 60's and 70's. Does that mean it is annoying that it already been done before? NO... Or is it in anyway possible to be great music then? Yes. It is beautifully produced and the arrangements are perfectly done. There is a lot of hard work in here. Although it is a bit short - road to rouen the song could be made easily 5 minutes longer - every second of music on this album is very much enjoyable.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
You can never judge an album from one listen, and I purposefully wanted to give 'Road to Rouen' that little longer to exact its influence given all the advanced comments about it being Supergrass 'in different packaging'. First and foremost, this is a wonderfully executed album, its melody simply roars out from the first chord and finishes tenderly with the excellent 'Fin'.
Its certainly not what we have come to expect from the 'Grass' but then, is that necessarily a bad thing? 'Don't Believe the Truth' is a vast improvement on recent fayre for Oasis, but it still seems to be pleading for the quality of yesteryear and 'Definitely Maybe'. The same can be said for X&Y, which plays far too safe in the light of 'Rush of Blood to the Head'. This is where the four lads from Oxford gain real credit. They are not afraid to break the mould even if it is to the cost of Parlophone's pockets. They have arguably written some of their deepest and best stuff in recent years 'Eon' and 'Evening of the Day' to name but two, and have gone largely unheralded. They are paying for simply having lasted the pace for a decade, which is no longer acceptable in these modern times where NME are as quick to forget you once your third album sales have levelled off.
This album has balance, creativity, poignancy and a remarkable freshness and the fact it only just scrapes past 30 minutes is an irrelevance in my opinion. If you have nine tracks as wonderfully crafted as this why try to strangle the album and upset the flow. After all, its only with the demise of vinyl that we have become accustomed to albums touching an hour. 'Roxy' is the standout track, but 'Tales of Endurance' and 'Road to Rouen' itself run it close.
Sadly, it is almost an inevitability that this album will not have the commercial impact of 'I Should Coco' or 'In It for the Money'. Nor will it score well with fans of the earlier Supergrass material. However, sounding like a blend of Thin Lizzy, The Beatles and Floyd this album doesn't need mass approval. It simply demands it every time you are lucky enough to partake in its 35 minute journey.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Fave Music
I purchased this cd as part of my son's Christmas present for which he seemed very pleased. AS it's not particularly my kind of music I can't say much more than that.
Published 4 months ago by Bikers Mum
Great
I think this is a fantastic album and well worth a purchase. The styles change throughout the album and the last two tracks are superb. Give it a go
Published 10 months ago by Mr. G. Baker
Supergrass - keeping you on your toes
This album couldn't have been more unexpected. After a crazy youthful start, then dialing down a bit with an all rounder 2nd album, to a darker 3rd album, to a fun, strange,... Read more
Published on 8 July 2008 by Peter B
It's official: Supergrass are now better at ballads than rock songs!
Rating: 5.5/10
Best tracks: "Fin", "Low C", "St. Petersburg", "Tales of Endurance (Parts 4, 5 and 6)"
Road to Rouen followed that classic crossroads a band... Read more
Best tracks: "Fin", "Low C", "St. Petersburg", "Tales of Endurance (Parts 4, 5 and 6)"
Road to Rouen followed that classic crossroads a band... Read more
Published on 22 April 2008 by New Gold Dreamer
Cracker
This album is a cracker! After a couple of play and I realised just how good it was and could not stop playing it. Read more
Published on 1 April 2008 by R. Bailie
nice surprise
this album was such a nice surprise, its so much more accomplished than most of the sg's earlier albums. Read more
Published on 4 Feb 2008 by Ms. C. Jones
Excellent, brilliant, superb
I wasn't to sure when I first listened to this record, as is it slightly different to their previous stuff - mainly not as poppy as their more famous tracks from 'I Should Coco'... Read more
Published on 13 Aug 2007 by alsion
Very good.
In short, this not the album that will win them awards like "I Should Coco", but that does'nt matter one bit, because if your a fan of "Supergrass" you'll love it (as long as you... Read more
Published on 1 April 2007 by Look Out!!
Beyond Comparison
Supergrass are for me, the best rock band for decades and they seem to be bizarrely underrated and undervalued, while other very mediocre and uninspiring artists are revered by... Read more
Published on 11 Feb 2007 by Wee Willy Winkie
Well up to standard.
I'm a big fan of Supergrass. They seem to be one of those bands that 'just get on with it', and quietly make interesting, well written varied albums. Read more
Published on 19 Dec 2006 by Mr. I. P. Moore
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