Album: Dog Man Star
Artist: Suede
Born: Bloomsbury, London
Released: October 1994
Genre: Baroque
Britpop as a genre label is essentially vague and poorly understood, and Suede did more than many other groups to dissociate themselves from it. That said, Suede's 1992 single The Drowners, which paid homage to David Bowie, was hugely influential on the early sound of Britpop, and originated as a UK response to the dominant sound of grunge in the early 90s. Brett Anderson was clearly a disciple of Morrissey, in both his stage performances and his lyrical concerns, and this endeared Suede to the music press, especially Melody Maker, who called them the "best new band in Britain" in 1992. Suede's self-titled debut album, released in 1993, had a cover inspired by the sexual androgyny of Bowie and set the template for Oasis and other Britpop bands: guitar-heavy sound, tributes to glam rock (Animal Nitrate) and Anglocentric lyrics.
The omens for Suede's follow-up album were not good, given that chief songwriter and guitarist Bernard Butler was in a bitter dispute with Anderson and others. This marginalisation of Butler allowed Anderson the creative freedom he desired and, after holing himself up in a Victorian mansion in Highgate and consuming large doses of LSD, he set about writing his masterpiece. Butler still featured in many of Dog Man Star's recording sessions, before finally being kicked out of the band, and only one track (The Power) doesn't include the sound of his guitar playing. Butler's audacious arrangements matched Anderson's ambitious songwriting and the results are breathtaking. Right from the outset, the futuristic feel of Introducing the Band and the moody, melodic We Are The Pigs both sound a long way from Britpop, while the lyrics are full of the same self-loathing that dominated NIN's The Downward Spiral. The police state / Orwell's 1984 theme of the video to We Are The Pigs, which uses Woolwich foot tunnel to brilliant effect, was deemed too violent for MTV.
Scott Walker's influence looms large over the record, especially in Anderson's operatic croon. The album's dominant aesthetic, from the liberal use of strings to the front cover depicting a romantic poet, is baroque. Songs like The Wild Ones and Still Life have a majestic, orchestral atmosphere. The Wild Ones might very well be the best song that Suede ever wrote, with Butler providing the rich melody and picked acoustic sound and Anderson the dramatic lyrics ("And oh, if you stay, I'll chase the rainblown fields away / we'll shine like the morning and sin in the sun"), which are reminiscent of Jacques Brel and the desperation of Ne Me Quitte Pas.
Like many of the great albums, such as Kate Bush's Hounds Of Love, Anderson gave the record a narrative arc and Dog Man Star benefits from a thoughtful sequencing. I especially like the transition from Black Or Blue, a dreamy ode to love that knows no national borders, to the operatic Asphalt World, which at nearly 10mins long (Butler's original version was 25mins) owes its intricate composition to sonic pioneers such as Pink Floyd. Suede brought in a 72-piece orchestra for album closer, Still Life, which articulates the album's recurring themes of urban alienation, doomed relationships and the allure of meaningless sex and drugs. Dog Man Star definitely wasn't Britpop, it was far too ambitious.
Genre: Baroque
Britpop as a genre label is essentially vague and poorly understood, and Suede did more than many other groups to dissociate themselves from it. That said, Suede's 1992 single The Drowners, which paid homage to David Bowie, was hugely influential on the early sound of Britpop, and originated as a UK response to the dominant sound of grunge in the early 90s. Brett Anderson was clearly a disciple of Morrissey, in both his stage performances and his lyrical concerns, and this endeared Suede to the music press, especially Melody Maker, who called them the "best new band in Britain" in 1992. Suede's self-titled debut album, released in 1993, had a cover inspired by the sexual androgyny of Bowie and set the template for Oasis and other Britpop bands: guitar-heavy sound, tributes to glam rock (Animal Nitrate) and Anglocentric lyrics.
The omens for Suede's follow-up album were not good, given that chief songwriter and guitarist Bernard Butler was in a bitter dispute with Anderson and others. This marginalisation of Butler allowed Anderson the creative freedom he desired and, after holing himself up in a Victorian mansion in Highgate and consuming large doses of LSD, he set about writing his masterpiece. Butler still featured in many of Dog Man Star's recording sessions, before finally being kicked out of the band, and only one track (The Power) doesn't include the sound of his guitar playing. Butler's audacious arrangements matched Anderson's ambitious songwriting and the results are breathtaking. Right from the outset, the futuristic feel of Introducing the Band and the moody, melodic We Are The Pigs both sound a long way from Britpop, while the lyrics are full of the same self-loathing that dominated NIN's The Downward Spiral. The police state / Orwell's 1984 theme of the video to We Are The Pigs, which uses Woolwich foot tunnel to brilliant effect, was deemed too violent for MTV.
Scott Walker's influence looms large over the record, especially in Anderson's operatic croon. The album's dominant aesthetic, from the liberal use of strings to the front cover depicting a romantic poet, is baroque. Songs like The Wild Ones and Still Life have a majestic, orchestral atmosphere. The Wild Ones might very well be the best song that Suede ever wrote, with Butler providing the rich melody and picked acoustic sound and Anderson the dramatic lyrics ("And oh, if you stay, I'll chase the rainblown fields away / we'll shine like the morning and sin in the sun"), which are reminiscent of Jacques Brel and the desperation of Ne Me Quitte Pas.
Like many of the great albums, such as Kate Bush's Hounds Of Love, Anderson gave the record a narrative arc and Dog Man Star benefits from a thoughtful sequencing. I especially like the transition from Black Or Blue, a dreamy ode to love that knows no national borders, to the operatic Asphalt World, which at nearly 10mins long (Butler's original version was 25mins) owes its intricate composition to sonic pioneers such as Pink Floyd. Suede brought in a 72-piece orchestra for album closer, Still Life, which articulates the album's recurring themes of urban alienation, doomed relationships and the allure of meaningless sex and drugs. Dog Man Star definitely wasn't Britpop, it was far too ambitious.
Comments