Various Artists - NME C86 (1986)
Track Listing:
1. Primal Scream – ‘Velocity Girl’
2. The Mighty Lemon Drops – ‘Happy Head’
3. The Soup Dragons – ‘Pleasantly Surprised’
4. The Wolfhounds – ‘Feeling So Strange Again’
5. The Bodines – ‘Therese’
6. Mighty Mighty – ‘Law’
7. Stump – ‘Buffalo’
8. Bogshed – ‘Run To The Temple’
9. A Witness – ‘Sharpened Sticks’
10. The Pastels – ‘Breaking Lines’
11. The Age Of Chance – ‘From Now On, This Will Be Your God’
12. Shop Assistants – ‘It’s Up To You’
13. Close Lobsters – ‘Firestation Towers’
14. Miaow – ‘Sport Most Royal’
15. Half Man Half Biscuit – ‘I Hate Nerys Hughes’
16. The Servants – ‘Transparent’
17. Mackenzies – ‘Big Jim (There’s No Pubs In Heaven)’
18. Big Flame – ‘New Way’
19. Fuzzbox – ‘Console Me’
20. McCarthy – ‘Celestial City’
21. The Shrubs – ‘Bullfighter’s Bones’
22. The Wedding Present – ‘This Boy Can Wait’
This compilation is one of the very few things I can actually give NME magazine credit for. But I’m guessing back then they were probably a half decent magazine, or maybe not. Either way this compilation stands on its own as a seminal and highly influential collection of songs that has inspired so much great music over the past 25 years. It is a perfect snapshot of the emerging indiepop scene in 1986, where bands were crafting expressive, joyous and thrillingly memorable pop songs within the confines of independent labels and with a stripped-down, D.I.Y. approach that gave their songs more urgency and purpose. There are quite a few songs on this compilation but I’ll keep this review short and try not to bore you.
This compilation consists of 22 bands and 22 songs. While there may be a lot of similarities between each of the bands, each has a different approach and array of influences. The Smiths are an obvious influence on a lot of the bands, but in particular Mighty Mighty and McCarthy who have The Smiths flowing through their veins. The only way they could be more like The Smiths would be if they were actually called The Smiths. But in their own way both of these band create wonderful music and are worthy of an inclusion here. A lot of the bands featured here, such as The Mighty Lemon Drops and The Soup Dragons, often take the energy and simplicity of punk rock and combine it with a jangly indie sound inspired by the likes of The Smiths and Orange Juice. The raw production and lack of musicianship here often gives the music an amateurish and shambling feel, but that’s all part of its charm and appeal. What shines though in every song is youthful energy and a passion for writing memorable songs and sweet melodies. The perfect example of this is the wonderful opening track ‘Velocity Girl’ by Primal Scream, at one minute and twenty-one seconds it is a bit on the short side, but it says everything it needs to say and leaves you wanting more. It’s bright, chiming Rickenbacker arpeggios recall the early Byrds sound.
Sticking out like a mentally-deranged uncle dancing around at your birthday party is the song ‘Buffalo’ by Stump. This song never fails to put a smile on my face due to its pure unhinged, atonal madness. In its own crazy world, in some parallel universe this is probably the greatest song ever. This song however shows that some of these bands were unafraid to think outside the box and take in more abstract influences. Also having an otherworldly feel are The Shop Assistants and their contribution ‘It’s Up To You’. The use of soft guitars, tubular bells and breathy female vocals create a dreamy and hazy ambience that soothes the soul. Fuzzbox add a darker and otherworldly feel to things with ‘Console Me’, with their use of fuzzed-out bass, weird keyboard sounds and Siouxie Sioux-esque vocals. One of the real highlights of the album is the indiepop classic ‘Breaking Lines’ by The Pastels. Compared to most of the bands here The Pastels show better songwriting skills and more confidence and were one of the few bands featured here that really made a name for themselves, along with The Wedding Present, The Soup Dragons, Half Man Half Biscuit and oh yes Primal Scream.
This compilation is the cornerstone for indiepop and its influence has had a profound effect on the indie scene today as well as over the years since its release. The number of bands inspired by this compilation is huge, but some notable bands that have channelled this inspiration over the years include The Field Mice, Belle and Sebastian, Another Sunny Day, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, The Vaselines and many many others. For anyone looking to delve further into the wonderful world of indiepop this is an ideal place to start.