The Charlatans | ||
| Allmusic Biography : For many years, the Charlatans were perceived as the also-rans of Madchester, the group that didnt capture the Zeitgeist like the Stone Roses, or that failed to match the mad genre-bending of Happy Mondays. Of course, they were more traditional than either of their peers. Working from a Stonesy foundation, the Charlatans added dance-oriented rhythms and layers of swirling organs straight out of 60s psychedelia. At first, the group had great promise, and their initial singles -- including "The Only One I Know" -- were hits, but as Madchester and "baggy" faded away, the group began to look like a relic. It was commonly assumed that their third album, 1994s Up to Our Hips, was the end of the line. However, the Charlatans made a remarkable comeback in 1995 with their eponymous fourth album, which found them embracing not only the flourishing Brit-pop movement, but also underground dance and techno, as well as their mainstay of classic rock. The Charlatans debuted at number one, and the guys were hailed as survivors. Unfortunately, few knew how literal that term was -- as the band was recording its follow-up album in 1996, organist Rob Collins, who had defined the bands sound, died in a car crash. The Charlatans decided to continue as a quartet, and their subsequent album, Tellin Stories, debuted at number one upon its 1997 release, suggesting that they had become one of the great British journeyman bands of the 90s. At the time of their formation in 1989, it appeared that the Charlatans were all about transience. Inspired by the emergence of the Stone Roses, Rob Collins (keyboards), Jon Baker (guitar), Martin Blunt (bass), and Jon Brookes (drums) formed the Charlatans, rehearsing with a variety of vocalists before Tim Burgess joined as their singer. The group attempted to land a record contract with no success, so they formed Dead Dead Good Records and released their debut 12" single, "Indian Rope," in January 1990. Collins dynamic, sweeping Hammond organ distinguished the group from their Madchester peers, and the single became a number one hit on the indie charts. By the spring, theyd signed with Beggars Banquet, releasing "The Only One I Know" a few months later. Borrowing heavily from the Stones, jangle pop, and funk, "The Only One I Know" became a monster hit, climbing into the pop Top Ten and becoming the groups signature single. Following another hit single, "Then," the bands debut album, Some Friendly, was released in the fall, debuting at number one. It was a remarkable beginning to their career, so perhaps it was inevitable that bad luck hit early in 1991. As they launched their first American tour, the Charlatans were forced to add "UK" to their name since a San Franciscan garage rock band from the 60s already had a claim on the name. The group returned to Britain, where they played a concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Following the gig, Baker announced he was leaving the group. He was replaced by Mark Collins (no relation), yet the group was sidetracked further by Blunts bout with severe depression. By the time the group finally released their second album, Between 10th and 11th, Madchester had become passé, and the album was ignored by the public and earned mixed reviews. Despite their declining popularity, the Charlatans soldiered on, yet hit their biggest setback in late 1992, when Rob Collins was arrested as an accessory to armed robbery. The situation had been entirely accidental -- Collins had been drinking with an old friend and wound up following him into a liquor store -- but he was sentenced to eight months imprisonment. Before he went into jail, he laid down the tracks for the bands third album, which was released in early 1994, once he had left prison. Up to Our Hips received stronger reviews than its predecessor, and its single, "Cant Get Out of Bed," was a bigger hit than anything on Between 10th and 11th. It was the beginning of a comeback that culminated in the summer of 1995. Prior to the release of the groups eponymous third album, Tim Burgess sang on the Chemical Brothers "Life Is Sweet," which re-established his hip indie credentials and gave him, and the Charlatans, credibility in electronica circles. Appropriately, The Charlatans demonstrated a deeper dance sensibility, as well as more concise tunes, and it unexpectedly entered the British charts at number one. Following the release of the album, the Charlatans re-entered the front rank of British rock bands and were at the peak of their popularity, as well as critical acclaim. The group was still unable to crack the American market -- initially, they were barred from touring the country due to Collins arrest -- yet they remained popular throughout Europe and Asia. As the band was recording its follow-up to The Charlatans, Collins was killed in a drunk-driving accident as he headed to the studio. Although Collins was pivotal to the bands signature sound, they carried on without him, completing their fifth album, Tellin Stories, with the assistance of Primal Screams keyboardist, Martin Duffy. Tellin Stories was released in the U.K. in the spring of 1997 to generally strong reviews, and it entered the charts at number one. Two years later, Us and Us Only came out, followed in 2001 by the dance-inspired Wonderland. The next year saw two releases, Live It Like You Love It, recorded live in the bands hometown in December 2001, and Songs from the Other Side, a collection of B-sides from 1990-1997. The Charlatans eighth studio album, Up at the Lake, was issued in 2004, and two years later, Simpatico hit the shelves. In 2008, the group released You Cross My Path on the Cooking Vinyl label. In 2010, the band marked the 20th anniversary of the release of Some Friendly by performing the album at Barcelonas Primavera Sound Festival. Their 11th studio album, Who We Touch, was slated for release in September of 2010. During the supporting tour for Who We Touch, drummer Jon Brookes was diagnosed with a brain tumor; Peter Salisbury helped finish off the tour, but Brookes showed up at year-end gigs with the band. Burgess and Collins did a brief acoustic tour on their own in 2011 before Burgess began work for a solo album. He returned to the Charlatans in 2012, with the group starting a new album and playing their 1997 album Tellin Stories in its entirety at two separate shows that summer; the June 8 show at HMV Hammersmith Apollo, London was released as a live album that August. However, after several operations and ongoing treatment for his brain tumor, Brookes died in hospital on August 13, 2013 at the age of 44. The Charlatans reconvened in 2014 to record their 12th studio album. Entitled Modern Nature, the record appeared on BMG in January 2015; it debuted at number seven in the U.K., making it the bands highest-charting album since 2006s Simpatico. Two years later, the Charlatans followed up with Different Days, a record sporting cameos from Paul Weller and Johnny Marr. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 25 Title: Some Friendly Released: 1990-10-08 Tracks: 28 Duration: 2:02:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 You’re Not Very Well (03:31) 2 White Shirt (03:25) 3 Opportunity (06:41) 4 Then (04:11) 5 109, Part 2 (03:18) 6 Polar Bear (04:56) 7 Believe You Me (03:41) 8 Flower (05:27) 9 Sonic (03:32) 10 Sproston Green (05:13) 1 The Only One I Know (03:58) 2 Imperial 109 (03:41) 3 Everything Changed (03:23) 4 Then (BBC Peel session) (04:36) 5 Always in Mind (BBC Peel session) (03:25) 6 You Can Talk to Me (BBC Peel session) (04:50) 7 Polar Bear (John Peel Show 20.03.90) (03:43) 8 You’re Not Very Well (BBC Goodier session) (03:33) 9 Indian Rope (BBC Goodier session) (04:53) 10 The Only One I Know (BBC Goodier session) (04:52) 11 White Shirt (BBC Goodier session) (03:27) 12 Then (alternate take) (05:38) 13 Taurus Moaner (02:30) 14 Polar Bear (12″ mix) (04:57) 15 Over Rising (03:38) 16 Way Up There (04:36) 17 Happen to Die (long version) (04:55) 18 Opportunity Three (07:28) |
| Some Friendly : Allmusic album Review : Emerging out of semi-nowhere -- well, Northwich -- the Charlatans were saddled with a name that lent itself to jibes about their quality, perceived bandwagon jumping and the burden of being a one-hit wonder with "The Only One I Know." Then Some Friendly, the groups debut, planted itself at the top of the UK charts; while the rest of the 90s were up-and-down for the band, this album set the band on its way. Drawing on Blunts background in mod and psych outfits, Collins outrageously funky keyboards and Burgess unexpected star quality -- even if his voice wasnt the strongest -- Some Friendly is just that, a friendly and fun vibe. Some of the lyrics betray Burgess sharp-tongued punk background -- "Youre Not Very Well," the opener, expresses anything but sunny sentiments -- but otherwise Some Friendly delivers everything from 60s beat groove to Madchester bagginess with verve. True, the group was still following in the Roses/Mondays slipstream -- "Fools Gold" was the blueprint for much of the album -- but the individual delights of the slow trance "Opportunity," "Polar Bear"s upfront rhythms and "Flower"s slightly ominous funk all show the bands abilities well. "The Only One I Know" remains the best-known cut, Blunts crisp bass and Collins Deep Purple-inspired keyboards providing its charge. But Some Friendlys hidden masterpiece comes at the very end -- "Sproston Green," a monster jam based on Collins supreme keyboard work, with Burgess soaring lyric matching the massive surge of the music. It remains the concluding number of the bands sets to this day for good reason. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 25 Title: Between 10th and 11th Released: 1992-03-23 Tracks: 10 Duration: 43:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 I Don’t Want to See the Sights (04:53) 2 Ignition (03:03) 3 Page One (04:12) 4 Tremelo Song (04:38) 5 The End of Everything (05:50) 6 Subtitle (04:12) 7 Can’t Even Be Bothered (03:41) 8 Weirdo (03:38) 9 Chewing Gum Weekend (05:06) 10 (No One) Not Even the Rain (04:23) |
| Between 10th and 11th : Allmusic album Review : A few songs aside, the Charlatans generally regard this release as their least successful album, considering it was recorded at a personal and professional crossroads (Bakers departure, Rob Collins conviction, and so forth). Criticism within and without settled on Floods production style as well, his crisp, technically sharp abilities seem to go against the bands natural flow. In hindsight, though, Between is much stronger than its reputation, with many fans proclaiming it their favorite. Its partly due to Burgess more up-front vocals -- his singing is still some of the calmest one will ever hear at the front of such a band, but his performance maintains Some Friendlys loose flow while sounding more compelling. Similarly, Blunts bass sounds stronger and Rob Collins keyboards stand out more, either shading or leading the songs perfectly. "Weirdo," the albums lead single and strongest point, has a brilliant lead organ break from Collins and series of great funk stabs that became his strongest performance ever. Equally fine is the electric piano start to "Tremolo Song," leading to a deep Blunt bass and sassy flow of a song. Brookes and Mark Collins also fill out their parts equally well, with Floods production strengthening and creating excellent arrangements for everyone as a whole. His numerous touches are really something, from the sudden shift to buried/flanged production on "Ignition" to "Subtitle"s atmospheric mixing and burbling bass. Other highlights include the string-laden charge of "Cant Even Be Bothered" and the concluding "No One (Not Even the Rain)." | ||
 | Album: 3 of 25 Title: Up to Our Hips Released: 1994-03-21 Tracks: 10 Duration: 44:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Come in Number 21 (04:26) 2 I Never Want an Easy Life If Me and He Were Ever to Get There (04:12) 3 Can’t Get Out of Bed (03:11) 4 Feel Flows (06:17) 5 Autograph (04:31) 6 Jesus Hairdo (03:13) 7 Up to Our Hips (04:32) 8 Patrol (06:06) 9 Another Rider Up in Flames (03:22) 10 Inside-Looking Out (05:05) |
| Up to Our Hips : Allmusic album Review : Having experienced initial fame and its retreat, the Charlatans (perhaps somewhat self-consciously) set out to create a series of classic-rock-inspired albums, fusing everything from Dylan and the Stones to whatever else caught their fancy. Up to Our Hips, the first result, was produced by Steve Hillage, who made a career ranging from wacked-out hippie ramblings in Gong to the clean, inspired synth/Krautrock surge suffusing his production for Simple Minds. One thing he contributed to the Charlatans was more active percussion. While Flood didnt hide the drums on Between, on "Come In Number 21" Brookes work feels strong and punchy for the first time. While production was a touch more straightforward than on Between, Hillage otherwise let the Charlatans be the Charlatans; where changes are apparent, its more in the name of atmosphere than attention-getting, especially on the echoed, rumbling funk instrumental "Feel Flows" (excellent Blunt bass and Rob Collins clavinet on this one). The band stretches with the lovely, acoustic stomp "Autograph"; Mark Collins guitar work was, increasingly, a larger part of the bands sound than Rob Collins Hammond, but both worked well together. The laid-back lead single "Cant Get Out of Bed"s lazy Exile on Main Street vibe and the equally groovy "Patrol" and "Jesus Hairdo" showcased both of their work to good effect, especially on the breaks between chorus and verse. Rob Collins certainly still has his moments -- witness the opening build to the title track, another great effort with Blunt. Burgess sounds his strongest yet; while his singing still lurks in the mix more than anything else, he never disappears entirely. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 25 Title: The Charlatans Released: 1995-08-28 Tracks: 13 Duration: 52:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Nine Acre Court (03:45) 2 Feeling Holy (05:16) 3 Just Lookin’ (03:51) 4 Crashin’ In (05:02) 5 Bullet Comes (05:25) 6 Here Comes a Soul Saver (03:24) 7 Just When Youre Thinkin Things Over (04:51) 8 Tell Everyone (03:32) 9 Toothache (05:16) 10 No Fiction (03:58) 11 See It Through (04:07) 12 Thank You (03:33) 13 Chemical Risk (toothache remix) (?) |
| The Charlatans : Allmusic album Review : The Charlatans demonstrated signs of a revival on Up to Our Hips, yet that record in no way suggested the full-fledged return to form of The Charlatans, the groups most ambitious, focused, and successful album. The group hasnt changed its sonic approach, yet its music has deepened, incorporating heavy dance elements without losing its core sound. Occasionally, the album relies too heavily on trippy dance instrumentals, but those are funkier and wilder than ever before, and they fit neatly next to the groups Stonesy pop, which is consistently catchy this time around. The Charlatans illustrates how a working rock & roll band can balance traditional rock and modern post-acid house music, and the results are frequently glorious. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 25 Title: Tellin’ Stories Released: 1997-04-21 Tracks: 13 Duration: 55:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 With No Shoes (04:43) 2 North Country Boy (04:05) 3 Tellin Stories (05:12) 4 One to Another (04:30) 5 Youre a Big Girl Now (02:50) 6 How Can You Leave Us (03:46) 7 Area 51 (03:37) 8 How High (03:06) 9 Only Teethin’ (05:19) 10 Get on It (05:56) 11 Robs Theme (03:58) 12 Two of Us (04:08) 13 Reputation (04:00) |
| Tellin’ Stories : Allmusic album Review : The Charlatans made a surprising comeback in 1995, turning in an eponymous album that earned them their best reviews and sales ever. Tellin Stories, the follow-up to The Charlatans, should have been triumphant, but tragedy struck midway through its recording, when keyboardist Rob Collins was killed in a car accident. Collins was an integral part of the bands lineup, creating a distinctive, swirling, neo-psychedelic sound, and it seemed unlikely that the band could carry on without him, much less record a record as earthy and warm as Tellin Stories. Primal Screams Martin Duffy volunteered to help the band complete the album, which was basically written before Collins death, and that might explain why there are no overt references to his absence anywhere on the album. Instead, Tellin Stories is another collection of classicist rock & roll spiked with dance beats, much like any other Charlatans album. Where its predecessor was more informed by mechanized beats, the rhythms are more organic, which perfectly suits the rolling "North Country Boy," the sweeping "One to Another," and the heart-tugging "How Can You Leave Us?" And, like any other Charlatans album, it doesnt quite hold together, falling apart with instrumentals and ill-conceived songs toward the end. On the whole, however, Tellin Stories is more consistent than their earlier records, and the best songs showcase the band at its strongest, which is quite an achievement considering the traumas the Charlatans underwent during its recording. More than anything, thats a fitting salute to Collins. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 25 Title: Melting Pot Released: 1998-02-23 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:14:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 The Only One I Know (03:58) 2 Then (04:11) 3 Opportunity Three (07:28) 4 Over Rising (03:39) 5 Sproston Green (US version) (04:19) 6 Weirdo (03:44) 7 Theme From “The Wish” (03:32) 8 Patrol (Chemical Brothers mix) (07:00) 9 Can’t Get Out of Bed (03:11) 10 I Never Want an Easy Life If Me and He Were Ever to Get There (04:12) 11 Jesus Hairdo (03:13) 12 Crashin’ In (05:02) 13 Just Lookin’ (03:51) 14 Here Comes a Soul Saver (03:24) 15 Just When You’re Thinkin’ Things Over (04:54) 16 One to Another (04:29) 17 North Country Boy (04:02) |
| Melting Pot : Allmusic album Review : When the Charlatans emerged with "The Only One I Know" in 1991, there were countless bands similar to them, but they immediately catapulted to the forefront of the Madchester scene, standing alongside such icons as the Stone Roses and the Happy Mondays. They had such success because they not only could ride the groove, like so many Madchester bands, but they could also write great songs, drawing partially from the 60s-saturated Roses and the Rolling Stones. These were the gifts that made them among the greatest British survivors of their time, rolling through tragedy and stylistic changes to amass a terrific little body of work -- one that was modern enough to play in clubs (they were the first rock band to embrace the Chemical Brothers, after all) but classicist enough to stand the test of time. Occasionally, they could pull all this together throughout the course of a proper album -- particularly on 1995s The Charlatans and 1997s masterpiece Tellin Stories -- but usually they shined their brightest on singles. And this means that the 1998 singles compilation Melting Pot shines bright among their catalog, making a strong argument for their talents. Over the course of 17 songs (including such nominal rarities as the U.S. version of "Sproston Green" and the Chemicals mix of "Patrol"), the singles unfurl at an intoxicating pace; some get by only on texture, but there are more than enough where the sound and song merge brilliant, highlighted by the lazy Jaggerisms of "Cant Get Out of Bed," the raucous "Jesus Hairdo," "Just Lookin," the hard dark funk of "One to Another," the blissful "North Country Boy" and, of course, "The Only One I Know," a record that transcends its baggy times to stand as a pop classic. And if this doesnt necessarily prove that they shine like geniuses, Melting Pot does prove they were a damn fine band, whose best moments hold their own alongside bigger stars from either side of the ocean. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 25 Title: The Other Stories Released: 1998-08-21 Tracks: 10 Duration: 42:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Tellin Stories (05:13) 2 Keep It to Yourself (02:15) 3 Clean Up Kid (04:50) 4 Thank You (live) (04:47) 5 Toothache (Chemical Brothers remix) (03:36) 6 Two of Us (04:07) 7 Reputation (04:00) 8 Down With the Mook (02:57) 9 Title Fight (05:16) 10 Don’t Need a Gun (05:08) |
 | Album: 8 of 25 Title: Us and Us Only Released: 1999-09-29 Tracks: 11 Duration: 52:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Forever (07:25) 2 Good Witch, Bad Witch 1 (00:51) 3 Impossible (05:05) 4 The Blonde Waltz (04:34) 5 A House Is Not a Home (04:52) 6 Senses (Angel on My Shoulder) (04:46) 7 My Beautiful Friend (04:34) 8 I Dont Care Where You Live (02:58) 9 The Blind Stagger (04:59) 10 Good Witch, Bad Witch 2 (03:24) 11 Watching You (08:48) |
| Us and Us Only : Allmusic album Review : Us and Us Only picks up where Tellin Stories left off and twists that albums virtues around. Where that record was essentially a stripped-down, straight-ahead collection, Us and Us Only dresses up the bands continually impressive songcraft in a moody atmosphere, borrowed in equal parts from Blonde on Blonde, Beggars Banquet, and the Chemical Brothers. The album unfolds in a haze of keyboards and subdued beats, and this murky veil never really lifts throughout the record, even as harmonics and acoustic guitars break through the mist every once and a while. Consequently, the album can initially seem a little amorphous, albeit intriguingly amorphous, filled with deep grooves and tantalizing sonic textures. Repeated plays reveal that Us and Us Only is merely a step below their previous high point of Tellin Stories. If nothing is as immediately grabbing as "North Country Boy" or "One to Another," thats not a problem, since nearly every song works its charms with subtle grace and considerable muscle. "Forever" soon reveals itself as a minor masterpiece of swirling menace and swagger, while the Dylan inflections of "A House Is Not a Home" and "My Beautiful Friend" seem natural instead of grandstanding. Soon, it becomes apparent that, unlike most of their trad rock contemporaries, the Charlatans figured out how to make their music sound both timeless and modern by quietly adding influences and changing their attack each time around, while remaining true to their core sound, much like the Stones did in their prime. The Charlatans may not be as innovative or as song-oriented as the Stones, but after a decade of recording, theyre turning out to be nearly as consistent as the Stones were at the same point in their career, which is no small accomplishment. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 25 Title: Wonderland Released: 2001-09-07 Tracks: 10 Duration: 48:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 You’re So Pretty—We’re So Pretty (04:44) 2 Judas (04:04) 3 Love Is the Key (04:28) 4 A Man Needs to Be Told (04:33) 5 I Just Can’t Get Over Losing You (04:54) 6 The Bell and the Butterfly (04:17) 7 And If I Fall (05:18) 8 Wake Up (05:10) 9 Is It in You? (04:45) 10 Ballad of the Band (05:56) |
| Wonderland : Allmusic album Review : Seven albums in, and the Charlatans havent so much settled into a groove as theyve settled into a style. They long ago carved out a niche between classic British rock and post-Madchester British dance, and thats what made their music seem fresh for several different generations -- they represented whatever you wanted to see within their distinctly British blend. In that sense, they are indeed proving themselves to be like the Stones, who subtly incorporated modern trends into the sound, sometimes so seamlessly you didnt realize they were branching out. The Charlatans work from the same template, gradually expanding their sonic texture in terms of modern dance trends, without ever abandoning their rock base. They occasionally emphasize one side over another -- Us and Us Only played to the rock side of the fence, while Wonderland is very heavy on groove and texture, a move thats strangely emphasized by Tim Burgess unexpected reliance on a falsetto. This can mean that the songs fade into the background, but that often seems like an intentional move, since it happens so frequently throughout a record where the surface remains stylish and sleek. Still, that means theres not a whole lot to hold onto, although certain songs start to emerge upon repeated listens -- "Youre So Pretty - Were So Pretty" seduces with its minor-key swagger, "Love Is the Key" rocks convincingly, "I Just Cant Get Over Losing You" swings nicely. Even so, this winds up as simply a good, solid Charlatans record, despite the efforts to jazz things up with a heavier dancefloor quotient. That may seem like a slight, but a solid Charlatans record still satisfies, and cant quite be taken for granted just yet. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 25 Title: Songs from the Other Side Released: 2002-05-20 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:18:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Imperial 109 (03:41) 2 Everything Changed (03:23) 3 Happen to Die (long version) (04:55) 4 Occupation H. Monster (04:20) 5 Stir It Up (07:42) 6 Feel Flows (Van Basten mix) (07:40) 7 Subterranean (03:50) 8 Back Room Window (04:17) 9 Green Flashing Eyes (04:36) 10 Nine Acre Dust (06:28) 11 Frinck (04:48) 12 Your Skies Are Mine (03:45) 13 Two of Us (04:06) 14 Don’t Need a Gun (05:08) 15 Title Fight (05:14) 16 Clean Up Kid (04:47) |
| Songs from the Other Side : Allmusic album Review : The Charlatans have always been the precious secret of American Brit-pop fans, an institution in their own homeland -- and this album celebrates the bands B-sides from 1990-1997. With those dates and this album, the listener will travel through baggy, Hammond-laden shoegazer swirls, Brit-pop, and the electronic crossover remix all with the thread of Tim Burgess sinewy verses and airy chorus melodies (and shakers/tambourines, of course). As an addendum to Melting Pot, the best-of album on Beggars Banquet in 1998, Songs From the Other Side serves as part of the re-evaluation of Brit-pops legacy in modern music -- a return to rock sensibilities with a new psychedelic, dance-driven tinge that has inspired bands like Doves, B.R.M.C., Starsailor, and many below-the-radar indie bands. "Stir It Up" and "Subterranean" recall the Stone Roses dreaminess and Oasis panache and serve as highlights to an album of hereto underlit material. Remixes by Van Basten ("Feel Flows") and the Chemical Brothers ("Nine Acre Dust") do little to reshape the bravado of the band, instead milling in clichéd circles. As the album is arranged chronologically, these dance tracks sandwich material from their 1994 comeback period and the latter track leads listeners into a few misguided attempts at becoming Brit electronica. Hardly a starting point for this long-running group, Songs From the Other Side is either an offering to diehards until the next album or a coupling for the reminiscent Anglophile remembering his/her undergrad days at the Brit-pop dance night. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 25 Title: Live It Like You Love It Released: 2002-07-22 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:12:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Love Is the Key (05:26) 2 Judas (04:17) 3 Tellin Stories (05:07) 4 A Man Needs to Be Told (04:40) 5 One to Another (04:35) 6 The Only One I Know (04:32) 7 Impossible (04:51) 8 North Country Boy (04:25) 9 Youre So Pretty - Were So Pretty (05:02) 10 Weirdo (03:51) 11 How High (03:07) 12 Forever (07:29) 13 And If I Fall (05:02) 14 Sproston Green (09:55) |
| Live It Like You Love It : Allmusic album Review : Recorded at the Manchester Evening News Arena in December 2001, Live It Like You Love It sees the Charlatans not quite living up to the mantra that is this live albums title. Over the course of the first ten tracks, Tim Burgess offers up some truly weak vocals, his voice lacking any passion, as he accidentally goes in and out of falsetto and hits a myriad of sour notes. While his bandmates are generally in better form, it would be a stretch to call their playing tight and impassioned. Even when Manchester guitar god Johnny Marr appears deus ex machina to help out on "Weirdo," the band plays well below its abilities as represented on many superb albums. Burgess and company steer through their key singles and standouts, tackling five songs from Wonderland, four from Tellin Stories, two from Us and Us Only and Some Friendly, and one from Between 10th and 11th. Surely a peek at the set list would show a rendition of "Cant Get Out of Bed" from Up to Our Hips or any track at all from their self-titled rebirth album, but no. All this being said, for the encore of the final four songs, Burgess emerges revitalized, all the other players attack their instruments, and energy bursts forth from where none previously existed. How strange that extended versions of "Forever" and "Sproston Green" rock the hardest, their vibes perfectly aligned. Still, the finale isnt enough to recommend Live It Like You Love It, and fans whove enjoyed them live might wonder if this set was just a bad showing, or if a recording just cant convey the bands live, psychedelic party atmosphere. This being said, fans would do well to investigate every studio effort before treading into this murky and uneven affair. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 25 Title: Up at the Lake Released: 2004-05-17 Tracks: 11 Duration: 43:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Up at the Lake (03:48) 2 Feel the Pressure (03:40) 3 Watch You in Disbelief (03:51) 4 Cry Yourself to Sleep (04:28) 5 Bonafide Treasure (03:41) 6 High Up Your Tree (04:05) 7 Blue for You (03:56) 8 Loving You Is Easy (04:55) 9 Try Again Today (03:49) 10 Apples and Oranges (04:20) 11 Dead Love (02:23) |
| Up at the Lake : Allmusic album Review : The dance and hip-hop textures on the Charlatans U.K.s 2001 album, Wonderland, fade to the back on the surprisingly subdued Up at the Lake, the Charlatans eighth studio album. On Wonderland, the band sounded like it still wanted to change the world (or, at the very least, the worlds dancefloors), but Up at the Lake sounds like its title suggests: a retreat and a retrenchment. The classic-rock coloring that dominated discs like the bands self-titled release and Tellin Stories are back, combined with some previously unheard brief flirtations with classic folk. Theres a defined sense that this is the beginning of a new chapter for the band, and that Up at the Lake is their first work as "mature" artists. It makes sense, since the Britpop torch had been passed on from the Charlies and their peers to the next generation (the Futureheads, Dogs Die in Hot Cars, the Coral, Franz Ferdinand, etc.) by 2004. Whats here instead is the boozy barroom shuffle of "Bona Fide Treasure," British trad rock in the title track, and just a touch of the bands post-Madchester tendencies on "Feel the Pressure." Up at the Lake is a relaxed and assured record, the work of craftsmen who know how to produce something solid and consistent. As such, there isnt much of a spark, but anyone whos bothered to follow the Charlatans U.K. this long (which hasnt been easy, since Up at the Lake was denied a U.S. release) wont be disappointed. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 25 Title: Simpatico Released: 2006-04-17 Tracks: 11 Duration: 44:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Blackened Blue Eyes (04:19) 2 N.Y.C. (There’s No Need to Stop) (03:32) 3 For Your Entertainment (03:58) 4 Dead Man’s Eye (04:21) 5 Muddy Ground (04:00) 6 City of the Dead (04:02) 7 Road to Paradise (04:32) 8 When the Lights Go Out in London (04:20) 9 The Architect (04:10) 10 Glory Glory (03:31) 11 Sunset & Vine (03:45) |
| Simpatico : Allmusic album Review : Sixteen years into their career and the Charlatans are roughly at the same place the Rolling Stones were at the same point in their career -- not in terms of popularity, of course (the Charlatans have never had anything approaching a hit in the U.S.), but in musical terms. Which is a roundabout way of saying that their ninth studio album, Simpatico, is the Charlatans version of the Stones Emotional Rescue: its a groove-centric rock album, heavy on disco and reggae rhythms, where the overall vibe is more important than the individual songs. Not that the quintets sense of craftsmanship has abandoned them -- the opening "Blackened Blue Eyes" is as confident, muscular, and memorable as anything from their 1997 high-water mark, Tellin Stories -- but theyve made a conscious decision to emphasize groove and group interaction on Simpatico, and the move pays off to a certain extent at least. They havent sounded this limber or danceable since the heyday of Madchester, and theyve lost many of the period affectations that date their early records; theyre now a lean, sinewy rock band and nowhere is that more evident than in the relaxed, natural rhythmic interplay on this record, which is the reason why Simpatico works as a party record, or stylish background music. At close listening, its not as compelling, which is all due to the emphasis of sound over song. While that may frustrate some listeners, Simpatico works well on its own terms and is proof that the now-veteran Charlatans are building a reliably entertaining body of work. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 25 Title: Forever. The Singles Released: 2006-11-06 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:17:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Indian Rope (04:33) 2 The Only One I Know (03:58) 3 Weirdo (03:44) 4 Cant Get Out of Bed (03:10) 5 Just When Youre Thinkin Things Over (04:47) 6 One to Another (04:29) 7 North Country Boy (04:01) 8 How High (03:06) 9 Tellin Stories (04:53) 10 Forever (07:25) 11 My Beautiful Friend (04:33) 12 Impossible (03:33) 13 Love Is the Key (04:28) 14 A Man Needs to Be Told (04:33) 15 Up at the Lake (03:45) 16 Try Again Today (03:42) 17 Blackened Blue Eyes (04:23) 18 Youre So Pretty, Were So Pretty (version 06) (03:57) |
| Forever. The Singles : Allmusic album Review : What separates the 2006 compilation Forever: The Singles (released in the U.S. in 2007) from the 1998 Melting Pot? The simple answer: the eight years separating the two compilations and that Forever draws heavily from the four albums that came out since Melting Pot, resulting in such 90s Charlatans classics as "Just Lookin" and "Jesus Hairdo" being left behind. In effect, if Melting Pot documents the Charlatans peak, tracing their rise from the baggy of 1990s Some Friendly to the retro-rock of the 1997 masterpiece Tellin Stories, Forever is the story of how this quintet turned into rock & roll survivors, weathering tragedies and shifts in fashion to become a strong, reliable rock band, always dependable for solid, entertaining albums even if their singles were not as big or as memorable as "The Only One I Know," "Cant Get Out of Bed," "Just When Youre Thinking Things Over," "One to Another," or "North Country Boy." Forever is a good overview of that band and is a worthwhile introduction in that regard, but Melting Pot remains a better portrait of the band at its popular and creative peak. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 25 Title: Collection Released: 2007 Tracks: 10 Duration: 46:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Forever (07:31) 2 When Your Ship Comes In (04:58) 3 I Dont Care Where You Live (02:58) 4 The Blonde Waltz (04:34) 5 Youre So Pretty - Were So Pretty (04:46) 6 Ballad of the Band (05:58) 7 Love Is the Key (radio edit) (03:47) 8 The Only One I Know - Live (04:19) 9 High Up Your Tree (04:03) 10 Blue for You (03:57) |
| Collection : Allmusic album Review : This Collection of Madchester jams from U.K. Brit-pop heroes Charlatans is a crock. Not only is "The Only One I Know" (the bands one international mega-hit) presented here in its live incarnation, but fan favorites like "Weirdo," "Then," "North Country Boy," and "Up at the Lake" are nowhere to be found. Listeners would be better off with 1998s superb Melting Pot compilation or 2001s Forever: The Singles. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 25 Title: You Cross My Path Released: 2008-03-03 Tracks: 10 Duration: 36:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Oh! Vanity (03:55) 2 Bad Days (03:25) 3 Mis-Takes (03:23) 4 The Misbegotten (04:11) 5 A Day for Letting Go (02:49) 6 You Cross My Path (04:02) 7 Missing Beats (Of a Generation) (03:35) 8 My Name Is Despair (04:17) 9 Bird (02:35) 10 This Is the End (04:28) |
| You Cross My Path : Allmusic album Review : Why did the Charlatans give away You Cross My Path on the internet? Because they needed a way to announce that they were back, to grab the attention of onetime fans who had long ago stopped paying attention to the group. Not that the Charlatans ever cratered, losing all their listeners, but rather they sank into a pleasant retro groove, emphasizing their fondness for the Stones instead of the modernist dance rhythms that helped bring them into the spotlight early in the 90s. You Cross My Path acts as a corrective as the band revs up the rhythms and takes risks in their production, all without abandoning the classicist structures theyve relied upon since their eponymous 1995 record. That album struck a good balance between modern and retro, with the subsequent Tellin Stories tipping the balance toward retro, and You Cross My Path follows its blueprint, bringing back that blend of contemporary and classic, perhaps even gently favoring the modern as this does emphasize sound over song. The Charlatans hardly abandon the songwriting craft theyve steadily honed over the course of a decade -- the songs arent growers, theyre immediate -- but what is compelling is the variety of sounds, how "Oh! Vanity" extrapolates a Booker T. & the MGs groove, how "Missing Beats (Of a Generation)" is a circular electronic chant, how "Bad Days" appropriates a bit of a chilly New Order pulse which "Mis-Takes" explores even further creating an icy synthesized vibe that uncannily sounds like a new wave relic without losing the Charlatans signature loose-limbed groove. Thats the truly surprising thing about You Cross My Path -- the Charlatans are taking risks again without losing their identity. If anything, theyre reconnecting to the spirit of their initial series of albums, which is surely the reason why this album first appeared for free on the web: it was the easiest and best way for the Charlatans to demonstrate to all fans, whether they were forgotten or devoted, that they were once again operating at their full powers. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 25 Title: The Best of the BBC Recordings 1999-2006 Released: 2008-07-14 Tracks: 32 Duration: 2:21:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Forever (04:57) 2 A Man Needs to Be Told (04:41) 3 Impossible (04:55) 4 Forever (06:47) 5 I Dont Care Where You Live (02:58) 6 Senses (04:41) 7 My Beautiful Friend (04:30) 8 The Blind Stagger (04:54) 9 A House Is Not a Home (04:59) 10 Love Is the Key (04:28) 11 Judas (04:11) 12 I Just Cant Get Over Losing You (04:59) 13 A Man Needs to Be Told (04:44) 14 Impossible (04:48) 15 Wake Up (05:18) 16 Youre So Pretty, Were So Pretty (04:38) 1 Feel the Pressure (03:45) 2 Dead Love (02:13) 3 High Up Your Tree (04:05) 4 Blackened Blue Eyes (04:15) 5 City of the Dead (04:07) 6 NYC (Theres No Need to Stop) (03:49) 7 For Your Entertainment (03:40) 8 Tellin Stories (04:45) 9 Feeling Holy (04:18) 10 North Country Boy (03:49) 11 Cant Get Out of Bed (02:56) 12 One to Another (04:18) 13 The Only One I Knew (04:11) 14 How High (02:40) 15 Weirdo (03:38) 16 Sproston Green (08:28) |
 | Album: 18 of 25 Title: Some Friendly and Greatest Hits Live Released: 2010-05-31 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:31:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 109 (03:17) 2 Youre Not Very Well (03:55) 3 White Shirt (03:35) 4 Opportunity (07:26) 5 Sonic (03:37) 6 Then (04:32) 7 Over Rising (04:01) 8 Way Up There (04:40) 9 Happen to Die (06:15) 1 You Can Talk to Me (05:24) 2 Polar Bear (04:43) 3 Believe You Me (04:07) 4 Flower (05:45) 5 The Only One I Know (04:27) 6 Indian Rope (04:42) 7 Everything Changed (04:29) 1 Me. In Time (03:37) 2 Cant Even Be Bothered (04:06) 3 Sproston Green (08:52) |
 | Album: 19 of 25 Title: Who We Touch Released: 2010-09-06 Tracks: 23 Duration: 1:51:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Love Is Ending (03:48) 2 My Foolish Pride (04:09) 3 Your Pure Soul (05:39) 4 Smash the System (03:34) 5 Intimacy (05:12) 6 Sincerity (06:28) 7 Trust in Desire (05:09) 8 When I Wonder (03:39) 9 Oh! (05:56) 10 You Can Swim / On the Threshold / I Sing the Body Eclectic (13:02) 1 Love Is Ending (early version) (03:29) 2 Intimacy (early version) (03:53) 3 Smash the System (early version) (03:15) 4 These Things (studio outtake) (03:10) 5 Your Pure Soul (early version) (05:01) 6 Sincerity (early instrumental) (03:54) 7 Trust in Desire (alternate take) (05:11) 8 My Foolish Pride (early version) (04:10) 9 Lips That Would Kiss (early version) (04:49) 10 Who We Touch Don’t Mind (studio outtake) (04:53) 11 Dont Know Where or When (studio outtake) (05:13) 12 Intimacy (alternate mix) (05:16) 13 Throbbing Genesis (studio outtake) (02:31) |
| Who We Touch : Allmusic album Review : No other pre-Oasis band embraced trad-rock like the Charlatans -- and to be fair, they did it exceedingly well, translating their baggy beats to a cool, swaggering rock & roll shuffle that paid off great dividends over the course of the next 15 years. By the end of the 2000s, they had become the rarest of things, a reliable rock band that seldom disappointed but the flip side of that is that they rarely surprised, either. Who We Touch is where that all changes. On this 2010 album, the Charlatans recapture their sense of adventure, something that is immediately apparent once the album kicks off with the neo-shoegaze swirl of “Love Is Ending,” simultaneously the loudest and lightest they’ve been in years. “Love Is Ending” ushers in a rush of sound, the textures taking precedent over groove but not at the expense of the songs, which remain smoothly assured. The Charlatans channel much of their energy into the sound of the album, shifting palates for each song, letting the softer moments revel in delicate textures, having the trippier moments stretch out on elastic loops of samples and keyboards, all the louder moments resulting in a cool wall of sound, not a repurposed swagger. It’s recognizably the Charlatans -- it’s hard to disguise Tim Burgess’s laconic drawl or the light psychedelic pull of his melodies -- but they’re unexpectedly abandoning their dad-rock handbook and taking risks, winding with their freshest, best album since they traded the Happy Mondays for the Rolling Stones. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 25 Title: Who We Touch Tour 2010 (Brixton Academy 22.10.10) Released: 2010-10-22 Tracks: 21 Duration: 1:39:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Then (05:46) 2 Weirdo (03:45) 3 Cant Get Out of Bed (03:14) 4 Bad Days (03:54) 5 Smash the System (04:23) 6 Youre So Pretty, Were So Pretty (04:51) 7 One to Another (04:33) 8 Your Pure Soul (05:41) 9 Tellin Stories (05:10) 10 Patrol (06:28) 11 Oh! Vanity (03:53) 1 My Foolish Pride (04:41) 2 Another Rider Up in Flames (03:30) 3 The Only One I Know (04:25) 4 North Country Boy (04:12) 5 Oh! (05:56) 6 Blackend Blue Eyes (04:28) 7 This Is the End (04:40) 1 Love Is Ending (03:56) 2 Jesus Hairdo (03:47) 3 Sproston Green (08:40) |
 | Album: 21 of 25 Title: Warm Sounds Released: 2011-03-08 Tracks: 6 Duration: 20:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Smash the System (03:26) 2 The Only One I Know (03:52) 3 North Country Boy (03:04) 4 Oh! Vanity (03:29) 5 Blackened Blue Eyes (02:48) 6 One to Another (03:39) |
 | Album: 22 of 25 Title: Tellin Stories Live (HMV Hammersmith Apollo, London. 8th June 2012) Released: 2012-06-08 Tracks: 22 Duration: 1:44:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 With No Shoes (04:41) 2 North Country Boy (03:58) 3 Tellin Stories (04:55) 4 Clean Up Kid (04:23) 5 One to Another (04:38) 6 Dont Need a Gun (05:06) 7 Youre a Big Girl Now (03:09) 8 How Can You Leave Us? (03:33) 9 Area 51 (03:38) 10 Title Fight (05:07) 11 How High (03:15) 12 Only Teethin (05:25) 13 Get on It (06:54) 1 Forever (06:46) 2 Weirdo (03:45) 3 Oh! Vanity (04:00) 4 Impossible (05:42) 5 Just When Youre Thinking Things Over (04:54) 6 Here Comes a Soul Saver (03:04) 7 Blackened Blue Eyes (04:32) 8 The Only One I Know (04:28) 9 Sproston Green (08:59) |
 | Album: 23 of 25 Title: Modern Nature Released: 2015-01-26 Tracks: 30 Duration: 2:05:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Talking in Tones (04:41) 2 So Oh (04:09) 3 Come Home Baby (03:56) 4 Keep Enough (04:18) 5 In the Tall Grass (03:50) 6 Emilie (03:18) 7 Let the Good Times Be Never Ending (06:30) 8 I Need You to Know (04:39) 9 Lean In (03:44) 10 Trouble Understanding (04:07) 11 Lot to Say (03:33) 1 We Sleep on Borrowed Time (04:29) 2 Walk With Me (04:09) 3 As Long as You Stick by Me (04:13) 4 I Will Never Leave You (demo) (03:01) 1 Talking in Tones (04:41) 2 So Oh (04:09) 3 Come Home Baby (03:56) 4 Keep Enough (04:18) 5 In the Tall Grass (03:50) 6 Emilie (03:18) 7 Let the Good Times Be Never Ending (06:30) 8 I Need You to Know (04:39) 9 Lean In (03:44) 10 Trouble Understanding (04:07) 11 Lot to Say (03:33) 12 We Sleep on Borrowed Time (04:29) 13 Walk With Me (04:09) 14 As Long as You Stick by Me (04:13) 15 I Will Never Leave You (demo) (03:01) |
| Modern Nature : Allmusic album Review : The Charlatans are no strangers to loss. Keyboardist Rob Collins died during the recording of their 1997 masterwork Tellin Stories, and 17 years later they lost founding member Jon Brookes to brain cancer. His absence hangs over 2015s Modern Nature, the first record the band has made since Brookes diagnosis in 2010, but the Charlatans arent the sort to dwell in darkness. Tim Burgess alludes to the drummers presence on the albums opening "Talking in Tones" but Modern Nature soon settles into a nicely worn soulful groove, a sound that suggests the group gains strength through the therapy of playing music. Happily, this emphasis on soul gives Modern Nature a different character than Who We Touch, the nifty 2010 LP where they dabbled in different sounds while retaining a solid song foundation. Due to its soulful undercurrents, this feels more unified than Who We Touch and also contemplative, a record designed not for the black depth of night but the sepia tones of twilight. Much of this haziness derives from the shimmering production, a sound thats mellow without succumbing to laziness. Its a nice fit for cleverly retrofitted 70s soul grooves like "Tall Grass," but it also suits the handful of songs like "Come Home Baby" and "So Oh" that echo the Charlatans early Madchester swirl. By incorporating these offhand allusions to the past while being firmly planted in a mature present, Modern Nature showcases a band whose members are aware of where theyve been and grateful for what they have. | ||
 | Album: 24 of 25 Title: Different Days Released: 2017-05-26 Tracks: 15 Duration: 45:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hey Sunrise (04:13) 2 Solutions (04:06) 3 Different Days (04:00) 4 Future Tense (00:49) 5 Plastic Machinery (03:43) 6 The Forgotten One (00:40) 7 Not Forgotten (05:35) 8 There Will Be Chances (04:37) 9 Over Again (04:00) 10 The Same House (02:51) 11 Lets Go Together (04:16) 12 The Setting Sun (01:37) 13 Spinning Out (04:35) 14 Plastic Machinery (Juan Maclean remix) (?) 15 Plastic Machinery (Sleaford Mods remix) (?) |
| Different Days : Allmusic album Review : As a title, Different Days certainly suggests the Charlatans have pushed themselves into a new era. In a sense, they were forced to change. After mourning founding drummer Jon Brookes on 2015s Modern Nature, the group has moved into a different phase with Brookes replacement Pete Salisbury, formerly of the Verve. Anchored by Salisbury, the Charlatans arent quite as traditionally minded as they used to be and they embrace a new fluidity not only in their rhythms -- which are sometimes enhanced by drum programming -- but their attitude toward collaborations. Former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr plays on three songs, Brian Jonestown Massacres Anton Newcombe plays on a couple of tracks, and Paul Weller co-wrote the closing "Spinning Out." Whats interesting is that none of these spotlights are flashy -- the guitars dont call attention to themselves, Wellers piano adds color but it doesnt provide the foundation for "Spinning Out" -- yet the presence of the additional musicians is instrumental in the variety of Different Days. True, this variety is rather subtle, partially due to the doggedly low-key production, but underneath its simmering shimmer Different Days offers spins on classic pop, electronic soul, and late-night chill. Perhaps its quiet exploration, but the Charlatans embrace the elastic possibilities of new avenues here, and the results are rewarding. | ||
 | Album: 25 of 25 Title: Totally Eclipsing Released: 2018-06-08 Tracks: 4 Duration: 13:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Totally Eclipsing (03:21) 2 Standing Alone (02:58) 3 Indefinitely in Your Debt (04:07) 4 Hopelessly Hoping (03:27) |