 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Heavy Changes |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Velvet Crush Listener's Guide |
|
|
|
|
|
Maybe you just heard one of the albums and wanted to know what the rest of them are like.� Or maybe you've got all the albums and want to know what else is out there that you haven't heard.� Or maybe I'm just wasting space because the band is eventually going to re-release all these tracks anyway.� In any event, I've created the Listener's Guide to be not so much a comprehensive discography nor a critique of the Velvet Crush canon, but rather a quick 'n' dirty guide to the albums and to the wealth of great tracks found on their B-sides and what not.� |
|
|
|
|
|
If you're wondering where you can get some of the releases mentioned below, you basically have 3 options: |
|
|
|
1) Visit the good folks at parasol.com, which is about as close to a one-stop Velvet Crush shop as you're going to find, |
|
|
|
2) Bid up a storm on ebay, or |
|
|
|
3) Sit tight and pray that sought-after Crush track you can't live without shows up on an Action Musik release soon (which it has, on the A Single Odessey album! -ed.). |
|
|
|
Happy hunting... |
|
|
|
If you haven't heard the very first Velvet Crush single, "If Not True/One Thing Two Believe" (1990), you owe it to yourself to check it out.� Featuring chiming, Byrdsy guitars and a chorus that just soars and soars, "If Not True" is probably the most crucial non-album track in the world of VC. �The B-side is also stellar.� Both tracks get an assist from Matthew Sweet. |
|
|
|
Intended at first as merely demos to get a record deal, In The Presence Of Greatness (1991) is one of the greatest indie-rock albums ever.� Featuring Matthew Sweet on guitar (and at the boards), the band rips through songs such as "Window To The World" and "Blind Faith", all the while maintaining their trademark tunefulness.� I like to call this album Velvet Crush with Crazy Horse. |
|
|
|
ITPOG spawned several singles.� The Soul Crusher EP (1991) is notable for covers of Teenage Fanclub's "Everything Flows" and Jonathan Richman's "She Cracked".� The "Drive Me Down" single (1992) was recorded at the BBC and includes a hushed, acoustic version of the title track, as well as early versions of "Atmosphere" and "(Don't You) Slip Away".� But the real gem from the Greatness-era singles is the Post-Greatness EP (1992), which contains yet another version of "Atmosphere", plus "Butterfly Position" and the first take on "Gentle Breeze".� Ric has said he was never really crazy about "Breeze" #1, but I prefer the ragged glory of this version to the one on Free Expression.� "Butterfly" is a glorious explosion of feedback.� Along with the "If Not True" single, the Post-Greatness EP should be a must on your list.� If you can find a Japanese copy of ITPOG, all 3 tracks I mentioned on the EP are included as bonus tracks. |
|
|
|
At last able to record with a budget (and Mitch Easter), Teenage Symphonies To God is where Velvet Crush makes its mark.� A lot of VC fans mention this one as their favorite, and it's not hard to see why.� Simply put, it's one of the best albums of the 90's.� You want great rockers?� You got 'em.� You want well-crafted pop masterpieces?� You got those too.� You want heart-wrenching country ballads?� You got it right here.� You want covers of great obscure songs?� You... get the idea.� If you don't have this album, stop reading and buy it.� Now. |
|
|
|
There were two singles culled from TSTG.� "Hold Me Up" (1994) was released in a plethora of formats. �The Parasol 7" includes a cover of the Byrds' "Mr. Spaceman" as a B-side, while the Creation 12"/CD single includes a different Byrds cover, "One Hundred Years From Now", as well as a country-fried version of 'Don't You Slip Away From Me".� More difficult to find is the "Why Not Your Baby" CD single, which has B-sides such as a slightly-different Mitch Easter remix of "Time Wraps Around You", a live version of "My Blank Pages" (which I assume is the same track that will appear on Rock Concert), and an unreleased "It's Been Too Long And It's Too Late Now" (an uptempo rocking number in a similar vein as "This Life Is Killing Me").� The Japanese version of Teenage Symphonies includes the latter, along with "One Hundred Years From Now" and "Don't You Slip Away From Me". |
|
|
|
Recorded during a period of turmoil for the band, Heavy Changes (1998) is referred to by Ric as Velvet Crush's 'blues album'.� Indeed, the band plays on the album as though hellhounds were on their trail.� The combination of record label apathy, writers block and personal difficulties resulted in Jeffrey leaving the group and very nearly caused the end of the band.� Ric has said that the group was influenced by 70's hard rock such as Slade and Mott the Hoople during recording, and it shows.� Again produced with Mitch Easter, this album rocks HARD, and although the songwriting may not be as consistent as previous efforts, Heavy Changes does not lack for great songs.� "Used To Believe" and "Play For Keeps" are fist-pumping, swaggering classics that really show off Ric's amazing drumming, and "Think It Over" matches up with any of their greatest songs.� As a bonus, one-time Crush member Pete Phillips solos like a mutha all over the record. |
|
|
|
Only one single was released in conjunction with Heavy Changes, the hard-to-find, Japanese-only "Be Someone Tonight" (1997).� The title track is classic Crush, an effortless pop song with a killer hook.� The CD single has 2 B-sides: "Leisure 40", which may in fact be one of the first country-rock instrumentals ever, and "That Thing You Do", which essentially rewrites an old Paul Revere & the Raiders raveup called "Just Like Me".� The rumors that the latter was submitted for use in the Tom Hanks film are as yet unconfirmed.� The Japanese version of HC includes "Be Someone Tonight" as a bonus track, while the US version includes "Seen Better Days", which for some reason reminds me of Lynyrd Skynyrd or the Allmans. |
|
|
|
Now pared down to a duo, Ric & Paul holed up with Matthew Sweet and released Free Expression (1999).� FE is a winner, a batch of great songs played and sung with a lot of TLC.� The album has a very laid-back feel; even the harder-rocking numbers sound relaxed.� Paul's singing really shines on this album, especially on "Melody #1" and 'Heaven Knows'.� As a bonus, the Japanese version of Free Expression contains the great "On My Side", two-and-a-half minutes of endless harmony from Paul. |
|
|
|
Click here to go to part deux of the Velvet Crush Listener's Guide |
|
|
Home |
|
|
|
|