Customer Reviews

So Far Away

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

 

 

20 years later and this album still stands the test of time. If you're a fan of the Jam and the Mod Renewal (remember it wasn't a revival!!!), you owe it to yourself to pick this up. Full of angst and teenage frustration at life in 80's Britain, The Chords stood head & shoulders above the likes of the Purple Hearts, Merton Parkas etc. Billy Hasset's a great singer and the playing of Chris Pope and the lads is tight. This is a real classic and sadly the all-too-shortly lived Mod scene that propelled The Chords to the big league was also their downfall.

Having Been a Part Of the Second Mod Revival In England, I remember every track On this album. The Phoenix Society, The Mod Runs to Brighton, Dancing at the all dayers and Nighters, These are classic songs by a group who never got the credit they deserved.
If you dont Own It, do It now, Billy Hasset, Chris Pope, Martin Mason and Brett "Buddy" Ascott In all the Glory, the Classic Line up, after all this is what Revival was all about.

Overall, this is really a pretty good album. It's high-energy power pop that's sure to get your adrenaline pumpin'. One high point is a guest appearance by keyboardist Mick Talbot, who would later join forces with Paul Weller as the second half of The Style Council. There is also a decent re-make of the Beatles' "She Said, She Said", which stays pretty true to the original, only a faster tempo. On the other end of the spectrum though is a ridiculous cover of Sam and Dave's "Hold On, I'm Coming", which doesn't do the original classic any justice. But that's about the only real dud track here. Upon listening to this CD though, I find that a little bit goes a long way for me. The original LP format of this record contained 12 tracks. This re-issue CD version also includes an additional 11 bonus tracks. In most circumstances this would be a good thing, but it seemed that after the first 14 songs the music began to sound a little repetitive and monotonous. "Less is More" would have been a good rule to apply in this case. I thought 23 tracks was a little overkill. Don't let this deter you, though. If you are interested in the Mod genre, this album is definitely worth exploring. Other bands worth checking are The Time U.K., Sharp, and Squire.

The Chords were one of the best of the Mod Revival bands of the late 70's/early 80's. With a sound not unlike The Jam, this disc is loaded with high-energy, guitar- driven tunes with intelligent lyrics and musical hooks that still resonate thirty years after the disc's release.

Some of the songs contain the usual youth themes of love and lost love, some are covers, including a great version of The Beatles, "She Said" and others are politically-tinged observations of England in the Thatcher-era, such as "Maybe Tomorrow", "The British Way of Life", and "In My Street". The band unfortunately was unable to stay together due to poor management, internal conflict, an inability to shake the "mod" tag and a host of other issues beyond their control but had they been able to weather the storm, who knows what might have been. They showed such great potential that they might have rivaled The Jam had they stayed together.

Guitarist and primary song-writer Chris Pope and drummer Brett "Buddy"Ascott still play together in a band named "Pope" and have released new material and are currently playing the club circuit in the UK to very positive reviews.

If you want an excellent example of "Mod Revival", this is it.

The "mod" movement of the late 70's in England was bound to die as are all fads. Most of the "mod" music that came out of that period stunk (secret affair, lambrettas, etc). The Chords were different. Even though they wore the mod uniform, musically they held a lot in common with some of the more punk bands. I think that they are the closest I've heard to the Damned. Anyway, the album is fantastic. It's full of teenage anthems that carry with you all day long. For those of you just beginning to explore the mod scene, this is a must to your collection.

Well, if you were around in 1979 then 'the Chords' must mean something to you.I recently bought this album (after years of trying to find it in dusty record shops).Tracks like 'Maybe Tomorrow' blast me right back to those mod times with a burning nostalgia.Being in England ,only two bands mattered..the kings of em all,The Jam and the Chords.Their version of Sam and Dave's 'Hold on I'm coming',has a raw edge and a certain uniqueness.I'm not too sure about 'she said,she said' though!A lot of these songs hold a real insight into the minds of 19 year old British youth culture,all love and angst.Keep listening...it grows on you!