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View Full Version : Album Club: 14.12.2011: The Boo Radleys - Giant Steps.



The Grand Wazoo
14-12-2011, 09:08
Album Club: 14.12.2011: The Boo Radleys - Giant Steps. 1993
Creation Records

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ivneBpWYL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Spotify Link: http://open.spotify.com/album/6347aGYak5Dsi0hwPMMpmj

Wikipedia Links
Album: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Steps_(The_Boo_Radleys_album)

Band:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boo_Radleys

Most of what follows is lifted shamelessly from my review of this album (http://www.adventuresinhifiaudio.com/23/06/2010/the-boo-radleys-giant-steps/) on Neil's Adventures in Hi-Fi Audio website:


Many people remember The Boo Radleys for the hit single ‘Wake Up Boo!’ in the summer of 1995, but this was not really at all representative of the band’s sound up to then. They’d been very strongly influenced by bands such as My Bloody Valentine and Dinosaur Jnr. but by the time of 'Wake Up Boo!' they had unwillingly been dragged into the so-called Britpop fraternity which diverted attention away from the complex arrangements, experimental techniques and sophisticated songwriting that the band were routinely displaying.

‘Giant Steps’ preceded ‘Wake Up Boo!’ by two years and is characterised by it’s uncompromisingly big sound.
Apart from the above influences, there is dub-style bass, obvious tinges of The Beach Boys in some of the harmonies, Hendrix, in some of the guitar playing and the pop combined with dextrous experimentalism of The Beatles throughout the whole. Seventeen tracks spread over more than an hour of uplifting and sometimes challenging music – glorious!

Before now, I've described 'Giant Steps' as "a 'Forever Changes' for the nineties" & I don't think that's too far off the mark really, and this album is now a bit of a hidden classic that deserves to be more widely appreciated. It can be gentle, but also frightening in its intensity. A hugely diverse range of influences shaped it into what it is, so there should be something there for almost everyone!

Bazil
14-12-2011, 10:13
I bought this when it first came out, didn't like it much and sold it at a car boot sale a few years ago. I shall have to try again on Spotify.

Audioman
14-12-2011, 18:12
I didn't think I would like this. The first 2 tracks did little for me but then it gets better and better. It is pretty typical brit pop before the name evolved and has those 60's influences as well as later stuff. One track sounds very similar to a well known New Order number. Similar in many respects to a certain better known Manchester band on the same label (Creation) but a wider musical palet. I suspect the Boo Radleys had more than some influence on Noel Gallagher.

Overall it still washes by me in a pleasant way as much of this genre did at the time. Decent listen but would not purchase it. A worthy record from this period but the sound is at times rather fuzzy and compressed. 6/10

The Black Adder
14-12-2011, 22:04
I remember meeting the band at a gig in the mid 90's. Nice chaps but I never actually bought any of their stuff as 'Wake up Boo' was being played far too much and Chris Evans even got the band to make it in to a Jingle for his show on Radio 1 which ruined the track for me to be honest.

keiths
15-12-2011, 01:36
Copy 'acquired'. Will listen to ASAP.

MartinT
16-12-2011, 07:29
I had never previously heard them. This album is a mix of some great melodies and good, catchy, hooks with a large dollop of weird shit. I can't decide if I like it or not but I'm thinking that I'll be won over. Some definite Beatles influence in there and a number of other bands come to mind. I'll give it 6/10 with the strong possibility of improvement.

The Grand Wazoo
16-12-2011, 07:40
This album is a mix of some great melodies and good, catchy, hooks with a large dollop of weird shit.

How very astute of you Martin - that's summed it up completely in one sentence! I suppose the presence of weird shit will always cause a 'marmite reaction' with people. It's probably what attracted me to the album in the first place but it could equally drive others away.

John
16-12-2011, 07:52
I am enjoying some of the weird shit parts Lol; but still not really made my mind up what I really think

MartinT
16-12-2011, 08:04
I suppose the presence of weird shit will always cause a 'marmite reaction' with people.

I can think of quite a few 'Marmite' albums that I like but which frequently generate looks of horror in others (Portishead - Portishead, Jeff Beck - You Had it Coming are two that come to mind). I guess we each have our Marmites!

Beechwoods
16-12-2011, 19:39
Interesting reference points Chris, I've never given The Boo Radleys time of day based on 'Wake Up Boo' but if their earlier stuff was anything like Dinosaur Jr and My Bloody Valentine they sound well worth checking out.

On a slight tangent, a band I like a lot from the early Brit-pop years was 'Top'. They had a fab album then zip... they were good live too. Liverpool Brit-pop. Check out the second and last tracks... http://open.spotify.com/album/2o56wI7wlgDDw9xVs4yHGX

The Grand Wazoo
16-12-2011, 21:06
I got Giant Steps when it was released, loved it & played it to death, then was really disappointed when 'Wake Up Boo!' was released.
Did Top release anything?

Bazil
17-12-2011, 19:03
I'm afraid nothing has changed in my opinion of this album, its ok but to be honest it bores me. Did like a couple of songs so its 4/10.

The Grand Wazoo
17-12-2011, 20:40
That's a shame Barry, but thanks for giving it a go.

WAD62
18-12-2011, 12:54
Bought and enjoyed this when it came out, gave up with them after 'Wake Up!'...it'll be interesting to see how it stands up to time, I don't think I've listened to it in 15 years! :eek:

aquapiranha
18-12-2011, 20:08
Well Like others here I was initially put off by the more recent 'hit' that they had, but in fairness on listening to this album I actually think it is quite good. Not really sure if it will grrow on me but worth 6/10 at least. :)

The Grand Wazoo
20-12-2011, 00:03
Interesting reference points Chris, I've never given The Boo Radleys time of day based on 'Wake Up Boo' but if their earlier stuff was anything like Dinosaur Jr and My Bloody Valentine they sound well worth checking out.

I just found this quote from Martin Carr of the band about the influences on the album (10 years after Giant Steps was released):

I just listened to the album now in headphones for the first time in an age and I can hear Surf's Up/Smile/Pet Sounds, Spiritualized, Suede (well, Bernard Butler), The Flaming Lips, London Calling by The Clash (I think all the dub on the album sounds like the people who made it hadn't heard an awful lot of dub music) Moose, Dinosaur Jr, Sugar, MBV, Forever Changes by Love (of course), Goffin/King, New Order, The Beatles, Spacemen 3, Gershwin. It all sounds very old fashioned to me but that's from a distance of ten years, I could never make an album like that now. I heard Os Mutantes about seven years later and realised that we hadn't done anything that hadn't been done before. I wanted everything to sound like a bootleg, like the Smile CD that we listened to so much in those days, with mistakes and talking and all that stuff but I don't hear as much of that as I thought I would.

Alex_UK
21-12-2011, 20:44
Interesting choice, Chris. I really liked it in parts (love the dub tracks!) but found it a bit samey in others - listened to it a couple of times, will probably play it again some time. I gave it 6.

keiths
22-12-2011, 13:56
Finally got round to listening to this a few times. At first, I thought it sounded like a band who didn't know what they wanted to be - lots of jaunty BritPop melodies but many more experimental bits too. But by the second or third play through, it all seemed to start sounding a bit more cohesive and I began enjoying it rather more.

7 out of ten from me then.

RichB
09-05-2012, 18:41
Sorry for reviving an old thread, bought this album for less than a quid on the auction site and for the last couple of days its been on in my car stereo. Much like the other posters here i wasn't impressed with the whole 'wake up boo' thing but this album actually sound fairly current... its easy to tell their influences, i hear plenty sub-pop and late 80s pre grunge in there.

I also think its a good recording, really dynamic (if a bit shrill in places)... good for blowing out the cobwebs early in the day on the way to work. I gave it 10 as I can see myself going back to this for repeated listens and its definately my cuppa. Indeed for less than a quid one can't be robbed!

The Grand Wazoo
09-05-2012, 18:56
Don't apologise for reviving it Richard, it's great to see that you bought a copy and tried it. That you gave it a 10/10 is just brilliant. I'm really glad you're liking it.
Cheers

Tim
09-05-2012, 19:04
Somehow I missed this one :scratch: I will give it a spin after this weeks one Chris.

Reid Malenfant
09-05-2012, 19:08
Somehow I missed this one :scratch:
Me to :eyebrows:

This'll get a spin along with Mikes two new offerings, thanks to Richard for the bump :)

Tim
09-05-2012, 19:10
Haha Mark, spun your selection this arvo' and just about to vote and comment :eyebrows:

Reid Malenfant
09-05-2012, 19:12
:lol: Should be interesting as I know what you tend to normally listen to ;)

RichB
09-05-2012, 19:34
Me to :eyebrows:

This'll get a spin along with Mikes two new offerings, thanks to Richard for the bump :)

I keep a list of recommendations i like from this and the 'spinning today' thread then periodically scan the auction sites to see if they come up, if bid for a quid secure the goods then its a fun (and cheap) way for me to keep expanding musical horizions, and many of the punters have a good ear for stuff to make our systems shake which is what i like...