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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Timely compilation of early Orange Juice..., 14 Aug 2005
'The Glasgow School' is a timely compilation released by Domino that collects the early work of Orange Juice released and recorded for the legendary Postcard-label (also home to Aztec Camera, The Go-Betweens, & Josef-K). Bands like Bloc Party, Editors, Franz Ferdinand, & Interpol have helped revive a period of angular post-punk itself influenced by bands like Buzzcocks, Chic, The Slits, Subway Sect, & Television. Critically revered, these recordings are part of Scottish/British indie mythology and this compilation comes with praise from Belle and Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch and that Alex Kapranos bloke from Josef Ferdinand...Like 'Spiral Scratch'-Buzzcocks, Orange Juice created their own DIY-scene and set the tone for indie-labels like Creation, Mute and Rough Trade (the chapter in 'Rip It Up & Start Again' is more expansive and helpful than my comments)This is the original line-up which mutated from the Nu-Sonics - Edwyn Collins (who is now rumoured to be on the mend after his terrible recent illness - hope he recovers and can take in some of the credit he and his cohorts deserve), Steven Daly, James Kirk, & David McClymont (the band would later feature Zeke Manyika and Malcolm Ross). In many ways this is a companion to the compilation of their later Polydor years 'The Esteemed' - a 22 track collection that took in 'You Can't Hide Your Love Forever' (1982), 'Rip It Up' (1983), mini-LP 'Texas Fever' (1983- rerecords a track here)& swansong 'Orange Juice (The Third Album)' (1984). This is great value, coming in a lovely package with great sleevenotes and having been remastered - the compilation 'The Heather's on Fire' had previously collected much of what is the first half here. 'Ostrich Churchyard' takes up the latter half - originally intended as OJ's debut, it ended up getting shelved until its posthumous release in the early 1990s. There's even a joke Peel-Session ('Blokes on 45') and a Nu-Sonics rarity 'I Don't Care' included... It's all great - jangly and joyful stuff - though 'Moscow'/'Moscow Olympics' and 'Blokes on 45' are more curios, the rest is classic stuff. The earlier versions of 'Consolation Prize','Falling and Laughing', 'In a Nutshell' & 'Texas Fever' have a ragged charm that the later, slicker versions don't. Things sound like they could fall apart at any time, which is always a great thing! The singles are all great - 'Falling and Laughing' and 'Simply Thrilled Honey' in particular- while the Part Two-version of 'Poor Old Soul' features a fantastic chant inspired by Subway Sect (ooh, I like a good chant...) 'The Glasgow School' is exactly the type of compilation/reissue we should have these days, and along with Scritti Politti's 'Early' is currently fighting for compilation of the year in my list-orientated mind...
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See all 23 tracks on this disc
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