Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Words cannot fully describe..., January 24, 2000
how good this CD is. However, I will try. Since "I Should Coco", their music has evolved over time from a happy-go-lucky, quirky, bouncy, teenage Brit-pop, to a thoughtful, self-introspective, more mature, finely-tuned, highly-melodic, clever Brit-pop. "Moving" is a prime example. Since my mind is blanking on superlatives, I'll leave it at this: it's an import CD worth owning!
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fresh grass, fresh music, August 13, 2001
Everything about Supergrass (the album and band) is fresh. Loud guitars, popping bass lines, loads of handclaps, and a lead singer that sounds a ton like Mick Jagger equates to fun intelligent brit-pop-rock. Avoiding the rainy, mellow moods of Travis and Coldplay and the pulsing ambient-rock of Radiohead's and Blur's last albums, Supergrass's sound echoes brit-rock of days passed: Rolling Stones, the rockier stuff of The Beatles, The Kinks. It has the same quality of those three bands; it's in-your-face while at the same time being melodic. Each song is great, but the highlights are "Moving" "What Went Wrong In Your Head" "Pumping on your Stereo" and "Mama and Papa." Moving is a pounding song about the need to stay in constant motion to avoid facing emotional pain. It is similar to their single, "Late in the Day" in that it starts off really simple with lead singer Gaz Coombes singing alongside an acoustic guitar, and then after a minute, the popping bass lines, loud guitars, and handclaps come in. It is probably the best song on the album. "What went wrong in your head" is very Rolling Stones-ish. It starts off with its catchy chorus: "what went wrong in your head, while we sat in our beds." and then a "la, la la" interlude follows that is very reminiscent of the Stones. "Pumping on your Stereo" is the song most people in America have heard, due to its inclusion in the Road Trip soundtrack and the groundbreaking music video that featured Supergrass in puppet outfits. It is such a brilliant mix of pop song-writing expertise that anyone with an ear will immediately respond to its rousing guitar riff. "Mama and Papa" is truly a beautiful song. Devoid of the loudness of the previous tracks and Gaz Coombes's brash, Jaggerish voice, it recalls more modern influences like Blur's "No Distance Left To Run" and Radiohead's "No Suprises" and tenderly recalls a childhood longing as they sing "I miss My Mommy and I miss my Daddy won't you please bring them back home." The other great thing about Supergrass, apart from the fact that their songs rock, is that their musical success is a collaborative effort. Although Gaz Coombes is clearly the lead singer, the other band members, bassist Mick, and drummer Danny sing "Beautiful People" and "Mama and Papa." Quite frankly, the band would not be what it is without the musicianship of these three guys (not to mention vital keyboard work from Gaz's brother). As a jazz-trained bass player, I know a good line when I hear one, and Mick Quinn's expert playing is so accompolished that it is just as much a focus of the song as the guitar. If you liked their previous stuff (like I Should Coco and In it For the Money) I would definitely check this album out, since it is more lyrically deep and more catchy than the work on the aforementioned two albums, which are also worth hearing too. For those who aren't very familiar with Supergrass, I highly recommend that you get caught up in the music of this highly talented British band. (note: I would give this 5 stars, but I feel that Supergrass are still capable of better things in the future, as great as this album is.)
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect Pop, May 8, 2000
Supergrass are one of the few British groups making pop music with no strings attached. That is not to say they are a better group than say Blur, but Supergrass have a kind of simplicity that lacks in even the best of Britpop groups.First single Pumping on Your Stereo is a fine example. A hook ridden, Stonesesque rocker with wonderfully throwaway lyrics. (Life is a cigarette/You Smoke to the end) At first the song comes across as simple but after several listens the chorus will be ingrained into your skull forver. Opener (and second single) "Moving" opens with Gaz Coombes singing gently over some middle of the road string section about how "the days all feel the same." Then the chorus kicks in with its funky bassline and vicious guitar hooks. This is one of those rock songs that makes you want to get up and go and smash things. The word "maturity" has been used a lot when describing this album. Sure, there is no Strange Ones, Mansize Rooster or Alright here, but personally I would never want the group stuck making punk records in 1994 a la "I Should Coco." "Shotover Hill" (a mature song) is a wonderful Kinksy ballad that is deeply affecting and What Went Wrong in Your Head? is hooky but not throwaway fluff either. Each of these songs is beautifully structured and are all memorable in their own way. "Mary", "Beautiful People," "Jesus Came From Outer Space" and especially the Lennon-like Mickey Quinn penned "Mamma and Pappa" are all classics. Supergrass are a rare breed of group. They make simple, perfect pop music that can be played anytime of day in any mood. (Like Canuck group Sloan.) There is no other British group that is this simple and enjoyable: Blur are great but arty, Oasis are too concerned with ressurecting the past, Radiohead can't do anything without a social comment, The Manics are too concerned with the big issue, Pulp love witty observational tunes, Travis and Embrace can't stop spilling their hearts out, Suede love the urban feel a little too much and Mansun are too far down the road to obscurity to come back. All of these groups are fantastic, Supergrass are not geniuses but they do know how to make timeless music that is charming because of its simplicity.
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Rob Coombes shares his favorite music with Amazon customers. See all artists' picks on our Music You Should Hear page.
by Supergrass 
