Customer Reviews

Babe Rainbow

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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This CD has every bit as much to offer as thier two earlier releases, but for some reason gets little or no credit. Perhaps it's the complete absence of Terry Bickers that causes people to dismiss this disc out of hand, but it's well worth purchasing, especially since you can get it for so ridiculously cheap through the Marketplace.

I'm not quite sure why this album quietly disappeared shortly after its release in 1992. Perhaps it was backlash due to guitarist Terry Bickers no longer being with the band, or maybe it got lost in the shuffle when grunge took over the charts. It's really pointless to speculate why it fizzled out so quickly, but despite all that, Babe Rainbow is a fantastic album by House of Love, one of my favorite Britpop bands from the late 80s-early 90s. Plenty of hooks, gorgeous melodies and strong songwriting here; matter of fact leadoff track "You Don't Understand" still gets airplay in Chicago on WXRT-FM. If you have their "Best Of" collection, you already have half of this album, so why not take a chance and check out the other five brilliant songs here? Take advantage of the sellers here offering this at a bargain and rediscover this forgotten gem for yourself... you won't be disappointed!

I followed HOL from the onset- still have the debut Creation casette from '88. Listened to them all through college in Austin and followed the band through Guy Chadwicks' pensive solo effort. Along with a few other favs of mine (Lloyd Cole, Shriekback) HOL are one of the most underrated/underappreciated bands here in the states. Other reviewers get into specifics better than I, but the shimmering guitars, driving and soft/hard tempo changes along side Chadwicks masterful lyrics and pop sensibilities made this band top notch and within the ranks of, say Jesus & Mary Chain, whom Chadwick sites as a major influence.

Those who dismiss this album or cite the first or second albums as the band's Zenith are, I believe, a bit off the mark in that a band has a trajectory and will/should mature over time. If maturity, money and fan appeal allow, the band will take its time to craft music that continues to evolve. This album was the fully evoloved version of the band and has a fabulous sense of its own time. Full, rich production, taut songwriting, hooks, experiments and what seems like a musical arc through the album make it one of those rare satisfactions: put the headphones on, listen through and dream. These guys are magical.

This is not to say that the debut or "Butterfly" are not great (nor to indicate Audience is any less satisfying, just darker; a good representation of a band on the outs), only that Babe is, for me, an indespensible classic. Kicking off with a Traffic-inspired (I'm a Man) riff in "You Don't Understand", one of the greatest pop/rock songs to never hit the chart, the album never lets up from there. If you are not familiar with the band, buy this record, you will not regret it. If you are a fan already, listen to it again. With headphones.

first of all who's the person that made Terry Bickers some kind of guitar god ? second of all this is The House Of Love masterpiece hands down. it's that simple.