Seamonsters [Extra tracks]

From Dalliance to Octupussy not one bad track on the album, in fact there are too many stand out tracks to justify a rational review. Recently I met up with a couple of friends & we did our top ten tracks of all time - it was a toss up between Cordurouy, Dalliance, Heather & Rotterdam. But along with the Pixies Doolittle this is a complete album, songs do not stand out, they are an integral part of a time & an atmosphere. Whereas Bizarro was a collection of post punk angst ridden love songs, Seamonsters is far more positive & Steve Albini has transformed quirky Englishness into bitter tales of love, gained & lost played at breakneck speed. They would never be this good again (with the sole exception of "Click,click from Watusi) I saw them twice in 1992 & they remain the best band I ever saw live. If you like the Smiths get George Best, which has humour wedded(no pun intended) with distinctive guitar. But if you want to hear out & out rock - tales of love, lost, never attained, or spurned buy this album. Dave Gedge is still recording fantastic material with Cinerama but Seamonsters is a must have, an album far heavier than Nevermind, knocks spot of Nevermind, & uses more feedback than even Hendrix.

The reissue of 'Seamonsters' is extremely welcome, as my tape is just about worn out...So, here we are- that brilliant ten track album, complete with the b-sides of the 'Dalliance', 'Lovenest' & the '3 Songs' e.p. of 1990...For anyone that appreciates Steve Albini's 'production' (recorded by...)- here is one of his best jobs. As good as his previous work with Pixies, Jesus Lizard & Breeders; up there with his own Rapeman/Shellac records...The Weddoes had taken their jingly-jangly blend of C-86, The Smiths etc. to their limit on the brilliant 'Bizarro'. The guitar destruction of 'Take Me' is evidence of this; they also seemed to have tired of the pop-side of songs like 'Nobody's Twisting your arm' & 'My favourite Dress'...You have to move on, or you will stagnate (as the Weddoes would find out after 'THe Hit Parade')...The indicators of the shift the Weddoes would make are shown on the 'Brassneck'& '3 Songs' e.p.'s. These were their first work with Steve Albini and the harsh guitar-work sounded at odds with lazy baggie mish like 'I'm Free' or 'Groovy Train' (the current re-cycled vomit)...This has more in common with the noises of MBV's 'Glider' or 'Bleach' by Nirvana (another harsh guitar record, with hooks & emotions beneath)...'Dalliance' is the opener (and one of the singles of the decade!)which starts & builds to a guitar-mass closer to Sonic Youth or the dub-guitar hell of XTC's 'Travels in Nihilon' or 'No Language in our Lungs'. By the time the final wave of guitars come in, you are blown away; this is the best loud music! (Oh, and the songs another one of those Gedge heartbreakers!)...The record just flows- oh, here is another classic ('Suck') & another ('Dare'). This is Indie music, with balls!...The centrepiece of 'Lovenest' into a fresh annihlation of 'Corduroy' is best; this is the crowning moment of the Weddoes career...A real heartbreaker; as MBV they seemed to be annihilating guitars (which is why the pop that followed always seemed a bit of a compromise). My only confusion is why the 'Brassneck' ep is on the 'Bizarro' reissue- as 'Don't talk just kiss', Albini's 'Brassneck' & their forward thinking cover of (then unknown) Pavement's 'Box Elder' would make more sense here...Saying that, 'Crawl' & their fantastic cover of 'Come up & See Me (Make me Smile)' piddles over the original 78...This record would influence PJ Harvey's 'Rid of Me' and would provide evidence that British guitars were once great (I'm thinking of Spacemen 3, My Bloody Valentine, Cocteau Twins, Julian Cope's 'Safesurfer'; Joy Division; XTC...)If you feel you have to buy 'Nevermind' or 'Screamadelica' - those bastions of Millennium lists, 'Pet Sounds'/'Revolver'/'Bends'-type reverance; get this too. Really, at the correct volume it will blow your mind & wipe up the floor of your emotions. The polar opposite of the excellent 'HIgher than the Sun'; if you listen to both you have an idea of the fine balance between agony & ecstasy. PURCHASE NOW!!!!!!!

In retrospect, a bridge between UK indie and US grunge. Id stopped listening to The Weddoes and their ilk having found The Pixies, Dinosaur JR etc, then a pal more loyal than I played this. Is this the same band? Utterly jaw dropping. They'd had great songs before, but nothing the likes of Dalliance. But its more about Albini's genius production here. Massive guitars, huge volume shifts, almost inaudible vocals; intimate and overpowering at the same time.
Proving that you can like Hatful of Hollow and In Utero.
You need this album