Bobby

January 21, 2004 3:23 PM

Don't Miss Bobby Gillespie's Fantasy Festival On Saturday And Sunday! It's on BBC's rather good Radio 6. Just a heads-up to admirers of Primal Scream's constantly astonishing vocalist and producer - and, yes, the Rolling Stones are in. Strangely out are other Great Scots like Ivor Cutler and Roddy Frame, to mention only other undisputed geniuses. As a bonus, here's The Scotsman's very intelligent list of the 100 Best Scottish Albums. And don't mention Postcard Records! Ah, the "Sound of Young Scotland"... some dead; some turning 40. What and who are the new Scottish talents? *sigh*
posted by MiguelCardoso (15 comments total)

City to City, by Jerry Rafferty, is the best album of the seventies, and they rate it at 47? Hacks! And it causes me physical pain that Steeletown (Big Country) doesn't make the list at all, and The Crossing only weighs in at #53. And, considering #91, can I reiterate my loathing of The Bay City Rollers? (I'd have had Psychocandy about number 4.)

Lately I prefer my Scottish rock from places further south or maybe from the new country. But that's just me.
posted by Wulfgar! at 3:42 PM on January 21, 2004

some really good stuff here (i still listen to a lot of it, but who knew they were scottish?) : >
posted by amberglow at 4:15 PM on January 21, 2004

Am I the only one who never pictured Miguel as a Primal Scream fan?
posted by btwillig at 6:04 PM on January 21, 2004

"WHITE ON BLONDE
TEXAS "

Are they mental? Obviously yes, as they work for the brillo pad.

Really, that middle of the road pap that is Texas in at 14 makes a mockery of this list. OK, all rock lists are a mockery anyway, but Texas + Andrew Neil = a mockery of a mockery of a sham.
posted by ciderwoman at 6:18 PM on January 21, 2004

Bobby Gillespie? Constantly astonishing? Vocalist and producer? Miguel, are you smoking something? (or maybe shooting up, as the case may be...)

I enjoy Primal Scream quite a bit, but I know to recognize that their material is plundered from years of the Stooges, Stones, and MC5 to name a few. As for production, well... they've tapped a wide range of producers over the years, especially on the last two albums. Kevin Shields, anyone?
posted by mikeh at 6:29 PM on January 21, 2004

No, mikeh, smoking nothing but my usual Azorean cigarrillos (and I've never tried heroin); just expressing my opinion. Fwiw, I think Xterminator is one of the greatest recordings of the 90s and it's a rare day I don't listen/dance to it. Not liking the Stones, Stooges or MC5 probably helps. It's all about heritage and reconversion to me. Be kind enough to allow me my particular passions, if you don't mind.

ciderwoman: You're so right about Texas!
posted by MiguelCardoso at 6:50 PM on January 21, 2004

Not a bad top-100 list, though my shambly indiepop sensibilities would have put everything by the Vaselines, Shop Assistants, Teenage Fanclub and Belle & Sebastian higher.

I also like how the Scotsman notes that Teenage Fanclub's Howdy, released in 2000, was "almost 20 years on" from the great Bandwagonesque, which I distinctly remember coming out in the fall of 1991. I know summer days in Glasgow are long, but they're not THAT long.
posted by lisa g at 7:33 PM on January 21, 2004

1958 Lord Rockingham's XI score a hit with the rock'n'roll instrumental Hoots Mon.

This may well have been the reason for a Scottish diaspora. Elements in Australia grew up to become AC/DC and the Little River Band. AC/DC at one stage considered moving back to Scotland, sick of their pursuit by the Murdoch gutter press.

Not that I would have given two hoots.
posted by emf at 1:04 AM on January 22, 2004

Gillespie: Music taste = A+, Music ability = Junkie twat. Really, the guy should be a DJ & nothing else.
posted by i_cola at 3:06 AM on January 22, 2004

Ah, the "Sound of Young Scotland"... some dead; some turning 40. What and who are the new Scottish talents? *sigh*

? there's plenty of talent coming out of scotland. arab strap and mogwai come to mind first, as they were The Next Big Thing just a couple years ago...the beta band and boards of canada also...and a personal favorite, alasdair roberts/appendix out.
posted by ifjuly at 6:22 AM on January 22, 2004

Miguel: Oh, I agree. I recently got another copy of that particular album and have been listening to it about once a day. Good stuff. I was just trying to make sure that you realized that there are a lot of parties that can claim responsibility other than the aforementioned Mr. Gillespie.
posted by mikeh at 6:56 AM on January 22, 2004

Gillespie: Music taste = A+, Music ability = Junkie twat.

A-fucking-men. Classic case of Charlie The Tuna syndrome. I don't want singers with good taste, I want singers that taste good.

I also can't take a list of Scottish records seriously if it dosen't mention The Chaps version of "Rawhide."


can I reiterate my loathing of The Bay City Rollers?

Brother Wulfgar, I urge you to reasses the Rollers. "Saturday Night" was not only the first record that I ever went nuts over as a tyke, but also the inspiration for the Ramones "Hey Ho! Let's Go!" chant in "Blitzkrieg Bop." So I figure that anyone who hates bubblegum and loves punk is missing something.
posted by jonmc at 7:05 AM on January 22, 2004

Postcard records, yaaay! (Thanks for the link, Miguel).
posted by carter at 8:09 AM on January 22, 2004

How can there be no place for Champion Doug Veitch, "The Undisputed King of Caledonian Cajun Swing"?

New Scottish talents? Franz Ferdinand, they say.
posted by liam at 8:31 AM on January 22, 2004

I second Liam - Franz Ferdinand are the absolute dogs bollocks, not heard a bad track of theirs yet, and I'm off to see 'em a week on Tuesday. Belle and Sebastian's latest is pretty great, and what about Camera Obscura?
posted by boneybaloney at 2:09 PM on January 22, 2004