Customer Reviews

My Nation Underground

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Possibly not in the Top3 Cope albums(that would be Peggy Suicide,Saint Julian and World Shut your Mouth)but still quite a good record by one of England's top songwriters of the 80's,90's.First track 5o'clock World is a good opener ,containing one of Cope's best known lines "I know a place where we can hide from the human race".Vegetation is a cool sounding,smooth tune but Charlotte Anne is THE track on this album with Cope's voice at its prettiest making a compelling connection with Julian's usual instrument embelishments.My Nation Underground,the song,never struck me as brilliant but gels ok with the rest of the album.China Doll is yet another highlight with its sweet melody an enchanting pace.Someone like Me is faster and leads to the one track that still resounds the Teardrop Explodes'sound-Easter Everywhere.The pretty medieval tinged I'm not losing Sleep is followed by last track The Great White Hoax which ends the album in a nice way.A classic pop album worth checking out.

This deserves 4.5 stars really, but doesn,t earn a 5 star rating due to the drop off in quality toward the end. Although having said that, there's not many (any?) CD's that I can think of which could possibly carry on the standard of genius of "Charlotte Anne", "China Doll" and the like. Probably Julians most commercial work, it has been unfairly maligned for that very reason. I guess people need to consider the fact that commercial doesn't have to mean inferior (although it usually seems to), and I have fond memories of Julian and band on TV around the time of this. It is for this reason that I started to investigate Copey, and what a wealth of musical enjoyment that one clip opened up. Definitely out there, definitely worth investigating in any way shape or form, his music and/or writings will change the way you view the world and others.
You may not agree with his views, but you will certainly enjoy hearing and deciphering them. Plus, it also rocks rather well. A good place to start for the uninitiated, but Floored Genius Volume 1 offers better value.

Songs Include :

1. 5 O'Clock World
2. Vegetation
3. Charlotte Anne
4. My Nation Underground
5. China Doll
6. Someone Like Me
7. Easter Everywhere
8. I'n Not Losing Sleep
9. Great White Hoax

The songs on this album sound very pop and almost lightweight and whimsical compared to those on Peggy Suicide but the music on My Nation Underground is remarkably well crafted and likeable. The title track has never really grown on me and it goes on way too long, sometimes I skip it, but the rest of the tunes on this short CD are all gems to me. I bought this album in 1992 with Peggy Suicide right after it came out and I was just discovering Julian Cope. The fact that I am still listening to both of those CD's after all these years is a testament to how good they are.

this cd is one of my favorites,at par with "Saint Julian"

I bought this as a gift for my son who wanted it, but I have been fortunate enough to hear it because we commute together and play it in the car. I love Julian Cope and I'm 65-years old!

His voice, his music, his band make me happy and bring me out of a funky mood from the office on my way home from work every evening. Thank God for Julian Cope!