TheCellarTapes

The Vaselines - Enter The Vaselines
(2009)



Tracks


Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee otherwise known as The Vaselines, were the little known Scottish outfit championed by Kurt Cobain. Unrepentantly 80’s Indie with a hint of Velvet Underground production standards, their existence was somewhere between 86 and 89, with a legacy today that is as subtle as their musical output.

There have been a couple of attempts to document The Vaselines work over the years including the excellent All The Stuff and More on Avalanche in 2003, but in 2009 Sub Pop really have surpassed them all with the release of Enter The Vaselines. With 36 tracks including all the well known, the not so well known, the unreleased and the live, this really is a Mecca for all fans of the band as well as those who have not yet had the pleasure of listening to one of the finest bands to come out of the 1980’s.

The album begins with the rampant Son of a Gun, a song which starts with a growl from the guitar followed by the beats of the tinniest drum sound known to man, it also has some of the most shockingly bad lyrics known to man, but rather oddly, as a song it’s actually quite brilliant.



The album moves forward with Rory Ride Me Raw, a song which we can only assume is about riding a lion although I fear it may have vulgar undertones. Speaking of which, the third track on this album; You Think You’re A Man is also crammed with vulgar undertones, in fact saying that the whole album is pretty much filled with them.......but in a fun way obviously.

Track four, Dying For It, is really the first time on this album The Vaselines lose their low-fi feel and go somewhat raw and stompy, and to be fair they do come out the other side with an incredible song. As well as this song there is Teenage Jesus Superstar which again shows more of the uncivilised nature to The Vaselines sound, but no question like most of the songs on this album, it remains marvellous.

There’s also a lovely moment with Frances McKee on track five, despite her flattish voice, there is no doubting the sweetness of her vocals and with Molly Lips we have a full illustration of her unique qualities as a singer.

The most famous of all Vaselines songs is of course Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam, a song propelled into the public consciousness by Nirvana. Here the original version oozes with charm and grace, quite rightly loved by Cobain, its understated character is its strength.



What Sub Pop has triumphantly done here is to have gone to town with The Vaselines and produced the definitive anthology of this very much underrated Scottish act, an act that to this day remain on the fringes of popular culture, a place which suits them perfectly. Fun and quirky, graceful and sweet, raw and unvarnished, The Vaselines are one of the greats of the 1980’s indie scene in Britain, a must for all.

Guybrush

Nice review! I don't actually know the Vaselines very well .. are they as vulgar as the track list / name implies?

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TheCellarTapes

I would say subtly so, its very tongue in cheek and done in a way that isnt at all offensive.

Angus

yes, this is a good album

i like it very much

Gone Sugaring

I've owned The Way Of The Vaselines compilation for years now and since the track listing doesn't look entirely different I doubt I'll be buying this but the songs themselves are excellent. Great review.

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