Emerging out of semi-nowhere -- well, Northwich -- the Charlatans UK were saddled with a name that lent itself to jibes about their quality, perceived bandwagon jumping and the burden of being a one-hit wonder with "The Only One I Know." Then Some Friendly, the group's debut, planted itself at the top of the UK charts; while the rest of the '90s were up-and-down for the band, this album set the band on its way.
Drawing on Blunt's background in mod and psych outfits, Collins' outrageously funky keyboards and Burgess' unexpected star quality -- even if his voice wasn't the strongest -- Some Friendly is just that, a friendly and fun vibe.
Some of the lyrics betray Burgess' sharp-tongued punk background -- "You're Not Very Well," the opener, expresses anything but sunny sentiments -- but otherwise Some Friendly delivers everything from '60s beat groove to Madchester bagginess with verve.
True, the group was still following in the Roses/Mondays slipstream -- "Fool's Gold" was the blueprint for much of the album -- but the individual delights of the slow trance "Opportunity," "Polar Bear"'s upfront rhythms and "Flower"'s slightly ominous funk all show the band's abilities well.
"The Only One I Know" remains the best-known cut, Blunt's crisp bass and Collins' Deep Purple-inspired keyboards providing its charge.
But Some Friendly's hidden masterpiece comes at the very end -- "Sproston Green," a monster jam based on Collins' supreme keyboard work, with Burgess' soaring lyric matching the massive surge of the music.
It remains the concluding number of the band's sets to this day for good reason.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | You're Not Very WellJon Baker, Martin Blunt, Jon Brookes, Tim Burgess, Rob Collins | The Charlatans UK | Play | 03:30 | 8 MB | 24 MB |
| 2 | White ShirtMartin Blunt, Tim Burgess, Rob Collins | The Charlatans UK | Play | 03:25 | 7 MB | 23 MB |
| 3 | The Only One I KnowJon Baker, Martin Blunt, Jon Brookes, Tim Burgess, Rob Collins | The Charlatans UK | Play | 03:58 | 9 MB | 28 MB |
| 4 | OpportunityMartin Blunt, Jon Brookes, Tim Burgess | The Charlatans UK | Play | 06:41 | 15 MB | 42 MB |
| 5 | ThenMartin Blunt, Jon Brookes, Tim Burgess, Rob Collins | The Charlatans UK | Play | 04:11 | 9 MB | 26 MB |
| 6 | 109, Pt. 2Martin Blunt, Jon Brookes, Tim Burgess, Rob Collins | The Charlatans UK | Play | 03:18 | 7 MB | 17 MB |
| 7 | Polar BearJon Baker, Martin Blunt, Jon Brookes, Tim Burgess, Rob Collins | The Charlatans UK | Play | 04:56 | 11 MB | 33 MB |
| 8 | Believe You MeJon Baker, Martin Blunt, Jon Brookes, Tim Burgess, Rob Collins | The Charlatans UK | Play | 03:41 | 8 MB | 24 MB |
| 9 | FlowerJon Baker, Martin Blunt, Tim Burgess, Rob Collins | The Charlatans UK | Play | 05:27 | 12 MB | 35 MB |
| 10 | SonicJon Brookes, Tim Burgess, Rob Collins | The Charlatans UK | Play | 03:32 | 8 MB | 22 MB |
| 11 | Sproston GreenJon Baker, Martin Blunt, Tim Burgess, Rob Collins | The Charlatans UK | Play | 05:09 | 11 MB | 32 MB |
| 47 mins | 109 MB | |||||
| 47 mins | 311 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Baker | Guitar |
| 2 | Jon Baker | Composer |
| 3 | Martin Blunt | Bass, Composer |
| 4 | Jon Brookes | Composer, Drums |
| 5 | Tim Burgess | Composer, Vocals |
| 6 | The Charlatans UK | Primary Artist |
| 7 | Peter Coleman | Engineer |
| 8 | Rob Collins | Composer, Keyboards |
| 9 | Chris Nagle | Producer |
| 10 | Pee Wee C. | Engineer |
| 11 | Polar Bear | Performer |
The Charlatans (UK band)
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |
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