So Old, So Gone...

[dotinthesky]

There are two types of Suede fans in my opinion. First, there's the kind who believe Dog Man Star to be their best album, who think everything went crap after Bernard Butler left, and who deep-down hoped for the band's return-to-form. Not everyone in this group necessarily expected the same things from Suede, or loved them for the same reasons. Nevertheless, just the idea of Brett Anderson and Bernard Butler playing together again was enough to make their bony legs quiver.

Then, there's the second type of Suede fans: a small minority who actually saw some sense when the band recruited a keyboard player, who enjoyed the faux-futuristic sound that the new band was trying to shape. They knew that Suede were on shaky ground but, despite some bad ideas like Positivity, they sensed that new blood and new ideas could push the band into unchartered territory. Although they enjoyed Suede's past, they had hopes for the future.

The reason why I fell in love with Suede in the first place was because of the hinted mystery, the tawdry glam scenarios, the surge of adrenaline that accompanied the guitar and Anderson's voice. Animal Nitrate, My Insatiable One, Introducing the Band, Killing of a Flash Boy were a few of the highlights of the Butler/Anderson collaboration. Critics compared Suede to The Smiths because both bands dwelt with the imagination and artistic cohesion. Suede's old incarnation ushered Britpop, while it's later album Head Music announced the arrival of the new electro pop, in much the same way that The Smiths created so many copies during the 80s up until now.

Last night, Type 1 Suede fans were in heaven. Butler and Anderson on stage, together again, performing brand new songs from their band The Tears. Songs that veered straight back into Suede's old pedestrian world, song titles that left no mistake about who had created them.

Type 2 Suede fans, like myself, were disappointed. Where were the new ideas? Where was the new sound? Where were the good songs? When Anderson introduced a song called Beautiful Pain, I wanted to thrown my Kronenberg can on his head. Hadn't we already had Beautiful Ones and Beautiful Losers in Suede? Aren't there other words in the dictionary? An unoriginal song title only served to highlight the lack of original songs. There was the expected piano ballad, the choruses with "la la la", the shake of a tambourine. Then Anderson flung his water bottle into the crowd and hit... me!

Things weren't all that bad. Because the songs were unfamiliar to me, I still hope that on hearing them on CD I might "get it". Also, Anderson and Butler were both visibly nervous and trying to impress - never a good combination. And maybe, in the studio, Butler's production values will override the tepidness of some of the songs and bring out something more interesting in them.

I went to see The Tears hoping to find artists engaged in new sounds, experimentation, or at least adventure. I wanted Butler to dazzle us with his guitar, for Anderson to show us he could move on from Suede's imagined world. What I found were two guys sharing the stage like middle-aged prima donnas, chasing the dragon from years ago. They left me unmoved, but maybe that's because in the last 13 years I have grown up too.

Comments

v

[blackhallgreen.livejournal.com]

I found them amazing live, tho had heard all the songs (bar 2) before hand on the net - it's v hard to listen to 12-13 new songs and love them all - they need to grow on you. Personally for me the Ednburgh gig was one of the best concerts i've been to in ages. I think if they loose a few of the weaker tracks the album is going to be a classic.

There are songs that resemble suede from both eras
Apollo 13, lovers and A love as strong as death are typical Anderson/Butler era

but Imperfection/Autograph/2 Creatures have a very post Bernard sound to them.

We're in a unique position that we are fans of a band with no records out yet - I rarely enjoy gigs where i don't know the bands material - wait til you hear the album and you'll be eating your words!

[thelma-viaduct.livejournal.com]

That'a an brilliant reveiew.

Me, I'm a type 2 fan :)

[ex-stanza602.livejournal.com]

Reunions like this never work on the first album. You'd probably need to see two albums before they find their sound (either again or anew).

[tonight-we-fly.livejournal.com]

I bet you made that up just to make me feel better, and really they were brilliant.

I did't realise it had been that long since The Drowners, I feel like I've grown up by about three years since then.

[combat-slasher.livejournal.com]

I think "Refugees" and "Fallen Idol" are very good songs.

[4q.livejournal.com]

I love the review and the way it was written, myself I have never been a fan of suede, perhaps if I gave them a listen now I might like them, but meh. I already listen to enough bands

[dilvalicious.livejournal.com]

Dog Man Star is my fave Suede album

[suede.livejournal.com]

I loved the gig, and the most I listen to their songs the more I like them.And I am not a butler type of fan :D

[gorecky22.livejournal.com]

Like you, I should be considered a Type 2 Suede fan... and what I've read about The Tears gig make me feel there's not gonna be new ideas. Don't now if there will be good songs... but you can be sure that they aren't trying to make "a new sound".

¿In it for the money? Maybe, but at least they could try to improve their sound... to make something interesting... if they still can.

[ataxi.livejournal.com]

About Suede in recent years virtually nothing has been more commented upon than Anderson's vocab problems. He doesn't move on from the same old images, the same old metaphors.

Type 1 fan here.

Sad to hear that the lyrics haven't taken a turn for the better. Will still dig the Tears though, in all likelihood.