Teenage Fanclub :: the Concept
Back when i was tiny Johnny i used to watch 120minutes and Post Modern late nights on MTV with my sisters, where i first caught a glimpse of Scottish power pop band Teenage Fanclub. Soon i would see them performing this song on SNL, their long grungy hair juxtaposed with their uber-catchy melodies and nerdy looks. I found out later that this record Bandwagonesque was actually their third record as a band and first on a major label. This release in 1991 was considered the best record of the year by Spin Magazine, which beat out Nirvana’s Nevermind, My Bloody Valentines’ Loveless, and R.E.M.‘s hugest record Out of Time. Prior to Bandwagonesque they supposedly had a noisier hard rock sound that masked their vocals. Don Fleming their producer for this album, convinced them to strip down their sound for clarity and to bring forth their Brian Wilson inspired vocal harmonies.
No doubt about it, they’re my favorite of the power pop groups. Maybe because i grew up listening to them as opposed to Big Star or Cheap Trick, bands i didn’t find until later in my life. Maybe because at 11 years old seeing a band and getting caught in a moshpit was the sweetest feeling because it was the 90s. But there was no anger or apathy involved, it was just pure unadulterated pop music with loud guitars and songs about those ladies (or dudes) with the glowing aura you just have to be around. This song is about that girl or guy, the one that you see everywhere and want to hang out with because they’re just so damn sweet, wearing jeans (yup, that’s right jeans!) with a Status Quo Pictures of Matchstick Men 45rpm in hand. The picture is painted so clear with so little, yet in the chorus they sing “I didn’t want to hurt you, oh yeah” which leads your mind to wander and revel in the possibilities of this seemingly heart wrenching journey of fateful relationships. It’s not a new concept in the world of lyrics, but goddamn, they make it sound so luscious.
Ferg and Kurt this is for you. So turn out the lights, put your headphones on and blast the shit out of this song.
the Concept
Teenage Fanclub (homepage)
joshua said on thursday, may 08th, 2008
claire said on monday, may 12th, 2008
ouch, bandwagonesque brings back sad memories. but we all like those sometimes, right? thanks, dude.
johnny said on tuesday, may 13th, 2008
bad memories? more like awesome memories.
this does sound like summerteeth era. but in my opinion with both they don’t have dated sounds. which was hard to do in the nineties. i would love to get into the argument that the gin blossoms are also in this arena but i don’t want to get beat up again.
It has been about ten to fifteen years since I last heard this band and honestly couldn’t really remember what they sounded like though at one point I owned and liked Bandwagonesque. I was not expecting that epic solo or those great string parts. And also doesn’t this sound like Wilco, Summerteeth era?