Gene | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Gene will forever be haunted by comparisons to the Smiths, especially since lead singer Martin Rossiter favors the same strangled croon and tortured loneliness of Morrissey. Nevertheless, under the direction of guitarist Steve Mason, Gene developed a tougher sound than the Smiths, drawing not only from the fey tradition of British indie-pop, but also from the three-chord raunch of the Faces, the working-class punk of the Jam and the soulful stomp of Motown. Most critic s didnt hear such subtle differences, and opinions on the groups worth were fiercely divided upon the release of the groups first single in 1994, with the band earning as many detractors as supporters. Amidst such divided reaction, Gene developed a devoted following which helped them become one of the leading artists of the Britpop second tier in 1995, even if the band had trouble breaking into the States. The roots of Gene lay in a band called Spin, which featured guitarist Steve Mason and drummer Matt James. Spin disbanded after their career was sidetracked by their bassists injury in a car crash, yet Mason and James continued playing together, recruiting bassist Kevin Miles through a mutual friend. The trio eventually met Welsh native Martin Rossiter, and the quartet formed Gene in 1993. Over the course of the next few months, the band wrote a batch of songs and had performed a number of concerts by the end of the year. A pair of music journalists, Keith Cameron and Roy Wilkinson, formed the Costermonger label in order to release Genes debut single, "For the Dead," in April 1994. Nearly every copy of the limited-edition release sold out within the first week, and Gene soon became favorites of the British music weeklies. That July, "Be My Light, Be My Guide" became a number one hit on the indie charts, and Gene had emerged as one of the leading new bands of the burgeoning Britpop movement. Major-label interest beckoned, and the group signed with Polydor, who subsidized Costermonger in the U.K. An acclaimed third single, "Sleep Well Tonight," followed in September, and in January of 1995, Gene was named Best New Act at NMEs Brat Awards. Until the release of the groups debut album, Olympian, in the spring of 1995, Gene had continued to build momentum, partially because Martin Rossiter had adopted Morrisseys technique of giving articulate, outrageous and witty interviews. Olympian, however, was greeted with mixed reviews, and although the group had a sizable fan base -- the album debuted in the Top Ten -- they were soon overshadowed by the legions of groups that popped up in the wake of Blur and Oasis success. Even so, "Haunted by You" and "Olympian" both became Top 20 hits. Early in 1996, To See the Lights, a collection of B-sides and BBC sessions, was released in England. For the remainder of the year, Gene was quiet, preparing their second album, Drawn to the Deep End. "Fighting Fit" was released as a teaser in the fall and became a Top Ten hit, but Drawn to the Deep End didnt follow through on its success. Although it debuted in the Top Ten upon its release in early 1997, it was greeted with decidedly mixed reviews and quickly fell down the charts, although the groups core audience remained loyal. By the new millennium, the band was without a label. They founded Contra and issued the live set Rising for Sunset: Live at the Troubadour in 2000. The album went almost unnoticed among the indie scene, however a true comeback loomed ahead. In mid-summer 2002, Gene emerged with Libertine, their strongest material since Olympian. A late summer/early fall trek across America coincided with the release. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 6 Title: Olympian Released: 1995-03-20 Tracks: 11 Duration: 40:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Haunted by You (03:41) 2 Your Love, It Lies (03:18) 3 Truth, Rest Your Head (05:00) 4 A Car That Sped (03:36) 5 Left-Handed (02:20) 6 London, Can You Wait? (03:11) 7 To the City (04:00) 8 Still Cant Find the Phone (03:00) 9 Sleep Well Tonight (04:36) 10 Olympian (05:25) 11 Well Find Our Own Way (02:24) |
| Olympian : Allmusic album Review : Kicking off with the sprightly "Haunted by You," Olympian immediately conjures images of the Smiths, particularly "This Charming Man." Martin Rossiters voice also sways like Morrissey, yet his band plays their songs as if they were hard rockers, bringing a desperate edge to their best material. Most of Olympians finest moments were singles -- aside from "Haunted by You," the epic sweep of "Sleep Well Tonight" and the gentle urgency of the title track form the heart of the album; two other singles were added to the American version, including the stellar "Be My Light, Be My Guide." While Gene manages to carve out an identity indebted to the Smiths but not dominated by them, they also fail to produce an album of consistently compelling material -- considering that its a debut album, thats not a fatal flaw. And Genes best material shows they are capable of transcending their influences. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 6 Title: To See the Lights Released: 1996-01-22 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:19:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Be My Light, Be My Guide (04:03) 2 Sick, Sober & Sorry (02:52) 3 Her Fifteen Years (02:51) 4 Haunted by You (Live - Helter Shelter 6/7/95) (03:53) 5 I Cant Decide If She Really Loves Me (04:24) 6 To See the Lights (02:29) 7 I Cant Help Myself (03:14) 8 A Car That Sped (Radio 1 Session 1/2/95) (02:13) 9 For the Dead (03:27) 10 Sleep Well Tonight (Live - Forum 31/3/95) (04:13) 11 How Much for Love (03:39) 12 London, Can You Wait? (Radio 1 Session 18/5/94) (02:43) 13 I Cant Help Myself (Radio 1 Session 18/5/94) (02:06) 14 Childs Body (04:04) 15 Dont Let Me Down (Radio 1 Session 1/2/95) (03:10) 16 I Say a Little Prayer (Live - Glastonbury 25/6/95) (03:13) 17 Do You Want to Hear It From Me (02:48) 18 This Is Not My Crime (02:36) 19 Olympian (Live - Forum 31/3/95) (05:35) 20 Childs Body (Live - Forum 31/3/95) (15:23) |
| To See the Lights : Allmusic album Review : The easy joke is, To See the Lights is Genes Hatful of Hollow. True, the album is a collection of B-sides, non-album singles, radio sessions, and live tracks but, like the Smiths Hatful of Hollow before it, the album illustrates the bands strengths more effectively than their debut album, Olympian. Several of Genes greatest songs, including the roaring title track, the anthemic "Be My Light, Be My Guide," and the gorgeous "I Cant Decide If She Really Loves Me," are all rounded up on the album and they are frequently stronger than some of the material that appeared on the album. Also, the live versions of the Olympian singles are better, illustrating that the band can rock with a vengeance. It might appear to be an album designed solely for fans, but To See the Lights is a better, more compulsively listenable album than Olympian. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 6 Title: Drawn to the Deep End Released: 1997-02-17 Tracks: 12 Duration: 52:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 New Amusements (06:51) 2 Fighting Fit (03:55) 3 Where Are They Now (04:15) 4 Speak to Me Someone (03:55) 5 We Could Be Kings (05:15) 6 Why I Was Born (06:00) 7 Long Sleeves for the Summer (03:31) 8 Save Me, Im Yours (04:25) 9 Voice of the Father (03:21) 10 The Accidental (03:02) 11 I Love You, What Are You? (04:42) 12 Sub Rosa (03:37) |
| Drawn to the Deep End : Allmusic album Review : As if miffed by the flood of Smiths comparisons their otherwise brilliant debut Olympia garnered, Londons Gene call out the dogs, stiffening and toughening their sound for an even more spectacular and far more singular follow-up, the early favorite for 1997s LP of the year. Without changing their style, Drawn to the Deep End expands on it, determined to stretch their boundaries while digging in harder (hiring the ADAM & THE ANTS old post-punk producer CHRIS HUGHES pays off big time). Right from the emotional rollercoaster of "New Amusements," which goes through several seamless changes (including a brooding piano solo and a vibrating, closing guitar trill riff), anchored by MARTIN ROSSITERs desolate, yearning, guttural vocal, Gene bang you over the head where once they tickled your toes. The smashing, pre-LP single "Fighting Fit" was the hint. Its set to an insistent soul beat that recalls the verses of Smokey Robinsons "Tears of a Clown," dominated by the clap and clamor of STEVE MASONs dazzlingly deceptive guitar work. Drawn then settles in to more contemplative territory (with the exception of the also harried, overloaded "Voice of Your Father," which recalls the breathless rush of their 1994 b-side "This is Not My Crime"), without ever letting go of the monumental forward thrust and edge. "Save Me Im Yours" and "The Accidental" (featuring a surprising, terrific, guest female vocal solo) are the most touching tracks, so hushed and melancholic yet sweet, they make you fight back tears, a feeling that lurks throughout as Drawn burbles on. Therere plenty of other heart tuggers, such as "Where Are They Now," where Rossiter employs a typically mercurial metaphor, comparing being lovelorn and left behind to being "incapable of breathing," over another pulsing, thunder clap pang of Mason and pals. Yow! So much for apathy rock. And never mind heart tugging, theres a passage in "Speak to Me Someone" (which was previewed on Genes 1995 U.S. tour) that is out-of-the-blue heart stopping, one of those musical moments that makes the room freeze: a simple, screamed "no!!!!" seems to have been pulled by forceps out of Rossiters lungs, up his windpipe, out through his mouth as if hes been shot. Its clear that the Rossiter/Mason combo is lethal dynamite, and in bassist MILES and JAMES theyve got a dynamic rhythm section to make mountains out of molehills. Drawn to the Deep End, as its title implies, is an emotional onslaught, a flood of raw, unfettered, and unfiltered human feeling, an exquisite ebb and flow of earthquakes and temporary serenity. A total, total knockout. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 6 Title: Revelations Released: 1999-02-17 Tracks: 38 Duration: 2:33:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 As Good as It Gets (04:13) 2 In Love With Love (03:13) 3 Love Won’t Work (03:55) 4 The British Disease (04:12) 5 Fill Her Up (03:10) 6 Something in the Water (04:13) 7 Mayday (03:24) 8 Angel (04:34) 9 The Looker (03:17) 10 Little Child (03:40) 11 Stop (02:56) 12 The Police Will Never Find You (04:59) 13 You’ll Never Walk Again (06:08) 14 Toasting the Union (02:39) 15 Man on Earth (02:58) 16 All Night (03:23) 17 To All Who Sail on Her (03:24) 18 Pass On to Me (03:41) 19 Touched by the Hand of Havoc (03:57) 20 Common as Air (02:41) 21 Slice (04:09) 1 Youll Never Walk Again (live) (06:17) 2 Fighting Fit (live) (03:37) 3 Mayday (live) (03:40) 4 Where Are They Now? (live) (04:38) 5 As Good as It Gets (live) (04:43) 6 We Could Be Kings (live) (05:14) 7 Stop (live) (03:04) 8 Olympian (live) (05:15) 9 In Love With Love (live) (03:35) 10 The British Disease (live) (03:32) 11 Be My Light, Be My Guide (live) (05:54) 12 Speak to Me Someone (live) (04:21) 13 Sleep Well Tonight (live) (05:26) 14 Voice of the Father (live) (03:51) 15 London, Can You Wait (live) (04:31) 16 Sick, Sober & Sorry (live) (03:25) 17 Town Called Malice (03:41) |
| Revelations : Allmusic album Review : Gene more or less disposes of the Mancunian monkeys on their backs (the Smiths) with Revelations. Not as thick, emotionally draining, or cinematic as 1997s Drawn to the Deep End, Gene enlists another excellent producer in the form of Hugh Jones. Surprisingly, Jones doesnt add the graceful, rich luster to Revelations that he did to other great records like the Kitchens of Distinctions Strange Free World or the Teardrop Explodes Kilimanjaro. Instead, the sound is sharp and heavy on the high end. With Martin Rossiter getting hitched and becoming a father, his writing material is now focused more on politics than heartbreak. And yes, theres an ode to his "Little Child." Their dramatics havent been sacrificed by any stroke, but Revelations feels more like a batch of songs in the manner of their debut than their cinematic studio offering from 1997. The band might be running low on ideas, but they still sound full of fire. More than anything, they deserve credit for fearlessly maintaining an emotional edge that so few of their peers in the British scene lack or avoid. And Steve Mason is surely one excellent guitarist whos gone overlooked far too long. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 6 Title: As Good as It Gets: The Best Of Released: 2001-05-28 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:08:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 As Good as It Gets (04:13) 2 For the Dead (03:27) 3 Fighting Fit (03:55) 4 Olympian (05:25) 5 We Could Be Kings (05:15) 6 Sleep Well Tonight (04:36) 7 Fill Her Up (03:10) 8 You’ll Never Walk Again (06:08) 9 Where Are They Now? (04:15) 10 Haunted by You (03:41) 11 London, Can You Wait? (03:11) 12 Speak to Me Someone (03:55) 13 Mayday (03:24) 14 I Cant Help Myself (03:14) 15 Drawn to the Deep End (03:02) 16 Be My Light, Be My Guide (04:03) 17 Town Called Malice (03:41) |
 | Album: 6 of 6 Title: Libertine Released: 2001-10-29 Tracks: 33 Duration: 2:30:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Does He Have a Name? (07:15) 2 A Simple Request (03:47) 3 Is It Over? (04:42) 4 O Lover (05:58) 5 Let Me Rest (06:13) 6 Well Get What We Deserve (04:51) 7 Walking in the Shallows (02:54) 8 Yours for the Taking (06:23) 9 You (04:05) 10 Spy in the Clubs (04:16) 11 Somewhere in the World (03:06) 12 Let Me Move On (long version) (04:53) 13 If Im a Friend (05:08) 14 Left for Dust (05:08) 15 Supermarket Bombscare (03:17) 16 Little Diamond (06:10) 1 Rising for Sunset (05:28) 2 Who Said This Was the End (04:42) 3 From Georgia to Osaka (03:20) 4 With Love in Mind (03:10) 5 Welcome to Dover (03:53) 6 Baby Im Sorry (04:14) 7 Man Seeks Life (demo) (04:45) 8 6 AM (demo) (03:41) 9 Skin Parade (demo) (04:09) 10 You (Chapel Studio version) (03:19) 11 Does He Have a Name? (demo) (06:24) 12 Simple Request (demo) (03:45) 13 Is It Over? (demo) (04:37) 14 Spy in the Clubs (demo) (04:19) 15 Walking in the Shallows (demo) (02:51) 16 Let Me Move On (demo) (04:17) 17 O Lover (demo) (05:01) |
| Libertine : Allmusic album Review : Though not quite back to the high plane of their first two monumental albums, Libertine is an improvement over 1999s Revelations. Producer Hugh Jones (who really should be knighted by now) has corrected the rare small botch he made of Revelations, restoring the dollops of shiny radiance and vigor. If the band still seems more world-weary than in their beginnings, when their songs were hung on greater exuberance, Libertine is still the most soulful record since Ken Stringfellows Touched. And whereas Revelations most emotional, astounding song came too late for many, at the finale, this time the three that break 1,000 hearts -- the sort of wildly emotive feeling this band gives at its best -- mostly come at the onset. The first, the seven-minute epic opener "Does He Have a Name," features the pungent rage and helplessness of a left-behind lover contemplating his exs next. Likewise, the five-minute soundtrack-spectrum single "Is It Over?" backtracks to the sticky endgame of that deteriorating romance. The last of this terrific trio, another tearjerker that could shake a happy man to his knees, is the closing "Somewhere in the World," which remains as poignant as on 2000s live LP, Rising for Sunset. What lies in the valley betwixt these mountains? Namely, a greater predilection to classic 60s soul influences in a modern, post-Smiths pop context than listeners have seen previously. Theres a few lesser songs that dont rate, but the more up-tempo tracks -- like the nimble bounce of "Walking in the Shadows" and the late-period Jam-ish "Yours for the Taking" -- are spry winners, and the eerie, desperate "Spy in the Clubs" is the sort of haunting, worried beauty that was once Genes staple. Libertine is the sort of LP that is rarely made by anyone anymore: one that engages every ounce of empathy one possesses. [The U.S. edition appends three bonus tracks: "Let Me Move On," "With Love in Mind," and "From Georgia to Osaka."] | ||