Customer Reviews

Tellin Stories

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

 

 

With "Tellin' Stories", The Charlatans have entered what may be called the "classic album" period or just matured period of their career. Their previous albums have all been average with a few stand out songs on each album (Such as "Weirdo" and "Here Comes A Soul Saver.") They have triumphed with "Tellin' Stories" creating an album where each song, stands on its own and different from the other songs. The Charlatans sound like a real mature band now, not trying to be a The Stone Roses wannabe band like the million other bands that exploded out of Manchester at the time. "Tellin' Stories" would also be a tragic chapter for The Charlatans as they had to deal with the death of Rob Collins but we don't get anything sappy or false but an album which sparkles and is a celebration of life. The opening "With No Shoes" shows The Charlatans mastering their famous organ and rock jam free-flowing style. "North Country Boy" may be their best single to date and is a crowd-pleaser. The album's title track, "Tellin' Stories" is in revival with "Get On It" for best song on the album. "You're A Big Girl Now" is a perfect acoustic melody that isn't spoiled by melodramatic singer-songwritter tendencies. "How High?" was the song that made me buy this album and it is a classic loud feel-good single.

I would also like to note the lyrics. The lyrics on "Tellin' Stories" are finally equal to standard good lyrics, very few throwaway lines and all create some kind of image or feeling. No stupid no brainier trying to be slick lyrics here. The lyrics fit the music perfectly. "Get On It" is the perfect example, blending a soulful harmonica and lyrics about going through life. "Get On It" is a favorite of mine to listen to in the morning before school/work.

"Tellin' Stories" is worth your money and will be an indispensable album in your collection if you like rock especially British. Enjoy

A simply superb offering from the 'real' Manchester band. This cd will blow your head off and will have you captivated from start to finish with its beautiful lyrics and full flowing acoustic and electric guitar and keyboard. The highlights on this album include 'North Country Boy', 'One to Another', 'How High' and one of my favourites the sur real 'Rob's theme' which is a tribute to band member Rob Collins who sadly died during the making of this record. However, all the tracks do support each other and you are left with an album which flows perfectly.

Do yourself a favour and stay a way from the mainstream indie (ie Blur and Cast) and instead buy an album which you will end up gluing to your cd system. Simply the best thing to come out of England since the early Stone Roses.

One of the best British bands, and criminally underrated. One to Another is one of the best rock/indie records you will ever hear in your life and demonstrates the class of this band. They have a fantastic, distinctive sound and are one of the few in the indie genre that I actually rate highly.

Tellin' Stories, the Charlatans' 5th album, continues on the greatness of their previous self-titled album, especially considering that midway through these recording sessions, keyboardist Rob Collins was killed in a car crash. The band soldiered on as a quarter, and produced another one of their best albums. From North Country Boy and With No Shoes to Title Fight, Get On It, How High and Two of Us, this is a fantastic album from beginning to end. This, along with the self-titled album, are high points from their mid-period and essential for fans or anyone who wants to get into this great band.

"Tellin Stories," which must have been a difficult album to complete after organist Rob Collins died in a car crash, contains two of the the Charlatans U.K.'s best songs: The lusciously textured, almost Moody Bluish, title track, and the rocking "One to Another," which contains an amazingly infectious riff. In fact, the first four songs ("With No Shoes," "Country Boy," "Tellin' Stories," and "One To Another") are so good, that at that point in the album, I would easily rate it five stars. As most fans I'm sure would agree, the remainder of the album isn't quite as remarkable, but still matches, for example, the band's prior self-titled album, to which I gave four stars, which is why I rated "Tellin' Stories" four and half stars, overall.

While perhaps one or two songs towards the end of "Tellin' Stories" might have been shorter, or even omitted, the album never loses steam, and is generally a pleasure to listen to. And, as I said, the songs "Tellin' Stories" and "One to Another" which conveniently appear consecutively on the album, are among the best work the band ever did, both musically and lyrically. I also appreciate the fact that the band dedicated much of the album to Collins, who was an integral component to the Charlatans general sound with his ever-present organ, which became more subtle after the band's first two albums.

"I could be alone with you, while all the pretty people watch the years go by..." In Charlies songs, there is always a line or a verse that gets to me and sticks in my head. This particular line comes from "You're a Big Girl Now" one of the superior tracks on this album.

The songs here are mature, vivid, hopeful, but a bit on the melancholy side (although the Charlatans have always had that cynical "sod off" edge). I particularly enjoy tracks 3 (the title track "Tellin'Stories"), 5 ("You're a Big Girl Now"), and then 8, 11, and 12.

While I don't feel that this album is as flawless as previous Charlatans albums the lapse is forgiveable in light of the tragedy the group suffered during the recording of this album. Of course, this is not to say that this album is anything less than brilliant. It is brilliant, entertaining, and full of new insight into the make-up and resilience of Charlatans, definitely one of the most underrated bands of the 1990s.

This band mixes the rockier feeling of the Stones with a modern sound and an earthier sensibility . The sound of the album is definitely modern . There are some gentler numbers to break things up .

There is a story behind the album - one of the band's long time members had just died , though that doesn't mean the songs are all about that . I don't think of that when listening to the album .

There are some strong grooves on this - a feature of all this band's records .
If that sounds like your cup of tea , then go for it .

Midway through the recording of the Charlatans' Tellin' Stories, their keyboard player was killed. Ironically, this seems to have helped the band to focus their album and properly graduate from a fun Madchester band to a wiser, major player of the Britrock scene. Melancholy lyrics and surprising chord progressions build up the mood of sadness, but this is channelled into a kind of hope through sadness rather than depression, and this is what makes Tellin' Stories The Charlatans' classic album and, most likely, the record they should be remembered for.

The Charlatans have never been the luckiest of bands. They have had one member briefly sent to jail and more importantly had to cope with the tragic death of their driving force Rob Collins. Despite all the problems, this album eclipsed everything they had written before it.

Straight away the album kicks into top gear with the cracking 'With No Shoes' reminiscent of The Stones in 1967. Then comes their American tribute 'North Country Boy' which entered the British top ten.

The Charlatans most beautiful song then follows -'Tellin stories', which has as much feeling as any single of the Brit-Pop era. This is then followed by many peoples top single of the decade 'One To Another' which reached (number 3 in Britain), and includes a cracking guitar riff and Liam Gallagheresque vocals.

Another great song then follows, - the Beatlesque 'You're A Big Girl Now' which is reminiscent of 'Strawberry Fields' and nicely adds to this stunning album in which the first five tracks on the album show why The Charlatans are generally regarded as the most underrated band of the 90's.

The album does tail off from here, which prevents it from going down as a classic. 'How Can You Leave Us' is a rousing enough and a fitting tribute to the death of their band member including a great psychedelic vocal performance to end it.

The pointless instrumental 'Area 51' is then followed by 'How High' which is a punk/grunge song that is not the strongest song on the album but does show their versatility (and love of The Rolling Stones).

'Only Teethin' has elements of The Beach Boys and The Stones in the chorus but this is not enough to make up for the weak verse. The next track is nothing special, and the album ends with another insrumental 'Rob's Theme' that he wrote prior to his death.

The Charlatans have always been under appreciated and though a little light-wieght in parts, this album puts them ever closer to the great British bands of the 90's - Oasis, Blur and Radiohead.

Tellin Stories is a good record (and North Country Boy and One to Another are DAMN GOOD!). I bought it after seeing the latter being voted best single of the 90's by some British magazine that voted Morning Glory best album (not the nme). The Charlatans are kind of like the Rolling Stones of the 90's to Oasis's Beatles o' the 90's. Thanks to the organ, the Charlies have a very Faces feel to them as well, and if you're an old timer who enjoys "Every Picture Tells a Story" or a newbie who is looking for a record that rocks like "Definitely Maybe", this is as good a place for you to end up at as any.