As with the second The Mekons (did Fleetwood Mac's 'post-punk Celtic'?) Or cases like that of The Men They Could not Hang, The Band Of Holy Joy belongs to the fuzzy generation to recover from the tavern folk, feeling proud of the workers and the endless nights of drinking , brotherhood and broken dreams, anti-Thatcherite conveniently and without any intention but to continue a tradition as typically British as is the stick, not without reason, to the bar of the pub as a mother's lap.
As in all these cases, Johny Brown, the poet of disillusion and idealism of wet powder, sustained over the years a stubborn sense of survival, although few satisfactions trade, to the point of continuing active today committed to giving recitals sense and sensibility.
They had a curious beginning, already in full punishment 'Tory' in the mid-eighties, with a tape semi-official suggestively titled "More Favourite Fairytales" (1984) , that puzzles those who first discovered and rear discs has a very composed image and the Holy Joy. And that despite a first cut "First hour of the day" , nostalgic melody and instrumentation that simulates a bandoneon thin, we hereafter with a collection of dark electro dense parts, expressionist always dominated and, yes, by the voracious throat of Brown, a sort of John Lydon lyric or Mark E. Smith prepubertal. The cassette, between the amateur and the sound if proposed dense keyboards and hurtful and feral hammer - "I'd dream if i could sleep" - becomes a decadent experience close to what post-industrial very little to do with later productions. Completing this first stage, ten inches "Had A Mother Who Was Proud And Look At Me Now" repeats this line and becomes the first official recording of the group.
"More Tales From The City" (1987) is another matter. Preceded by the port mini-album "The Big Ships Sails", which retrieves his first classic, "First Hour" and the epic litany "Maybe one day" , "More Tales" marks the turning point between the origin and the way forward. And is clearly and traditional acoustic instrumentation, trumpets, accordion, drums and acoustic-style is going to pop strengthening, but still here after the bitterness and an atmosphere somewhat pale and rough flying over the entire disk. The soundtrack of a show that includes abandoned anthems like "Do stick knives in Babbie 'heads " or exciting-and symbolic- treated as" Leaves That Fall in Spring ", cut off by tropical electronic percussion, and a compilation titled after the group. A winning record in lyricism, with inspired and infectious keyboard riffs - "Fishwives" - and eventually became one of the favorites of his followers. It will be followed just months later, the wild and impossible to find direct-emblematic songs and unpublished, in its repertoire and renamed in some cases with the names of his heroines "When Stars Come Out To Play" (1987) , An exquisite cover.
A furious cry, a West Indian pace with synthetic recited included. This predisposes us to "Manic, Magic, Majestic" (1989) , for many their best album, which further mature TBOHJ expressiveness and great songs, and where they have definitely found their sound. Hard to keep something in particular of this work, which includes his famous "tactless" , half time in crescendo that could have been written without blinking, and now enter one of the great London-comparisons with Shane himself MacGowan. polished trumpets "Killy car thieves" , timeless ballads as "What the moon saw" , fast rhythms in "Blessed boy" or turgid and summer in the album's title track "MY FAVORITE. It's folk lens, unbiased and elegant, which is making subtle instrumental over the cuts, but that does not lose urgency and emotion bad grape in the syllables of Brown. A feast like no other.
seemed impossible to match or surpass a record like "Manic, Magic," but the reason why The Band Of Holy Joy are still releasing albums and claiming fully enjoyable may have to be found in absolute freedom and lack of pressure they have. In England are to some extent known, they are supposed to very endearing, but are not subject to the expectation of the media. That is why "Positivery Spooked" (1990) , my favorite album of them, restart further in search-and-find songs even more complete, commercial-yes-and shiny. With this album to come to come to Spain to present to the indifference of public then maybe overwhelmed with sounds of Manchester and shoegazer. The start of this record is staggering: the sequence they make "Real beauty" pass through " , "Evening World Holiday Show" and "Because It Was never resolved" encourage filled with joy and euphoria. The first to make a personal top in his repertoire, squeezing the most of your particular way of doing, which give strength and vibration of the hand and could vaguely remember Madness. The second to approach the modus operandi of Dexys Midnight Runners, ie soul in pristine power pop cover, a bit like what Kevin Rowland practiced mostly in "Too-Rye-Ay." The third because, even by many erroneously placing the line of Smiths, is a timeless pop gem where everything is in place, with a perfect stanzas, caressing a violin and a shimmering chorus. Pity those who do not recompose a song like that. Then there are "Unlikey girl" , "Shadows Fall" or "Freda Cunningham" , still in line Madness: Keyboards dominators in a dazzling production. Also "Here it comes" , silky and sophisticated pop magnetic.
Perhaps too much for the purists who demanded more acidity and kerosene is, however, a delicious hard and clear like pure water from beginning to end.
shorten and tighten the name to Holyjoy for their next assault, "Tracksuit Vendetta" (1992) , a record that contrary to expectations, does not decay with respect to its predecessors and contains such wonders as "Ragman" that opens the disc, hardened "Claudia dreams" and "Soultress" or absolute tribute to the figure of Marvin Gaye on the explicit "Marvin in Ostende" , satin infected the author of "Sexual Healing." Furthermore, echoes of Aztec Camera pieces like "Well you've met this boy" . It is wonderful music, surprisingly well-constructed, coherent and full of possibilities that should deserve a lot more luck, as-we-the case of The Bitter Springs and The Triffids, other illustrious outcast with so many good ideas.
A long silence and almost ten years to recover the full name and fresh ideas. "Love Never Fails" (2001) is perhaps the most anticipated album after having parked a four fabulous albums. Although it seems that time has passed and that energy is still intact just listen "Capture my soul" . But it could sink the ship before it sailed, because the journey there (more) magical moments, such as jazz "City trams "or push " The death of love ". But what is disconcerting is that licenses like "Hugh Grant" (a joke about the "fashion people" of the gossip magazines and the like), which looks like a Happy Mondays song or "Someone shares my dreams" , that is pure Pulp, are the most remarkable moments of a hard irregular especially when compared with what is already offered, but still a good album, maybe a little away from the freshness of the old days. Closes the album and so far his career "And then you eat real thing along" , a more than decent summary of what mean life has been these genuine seeds of good and evil, the orchestra formed by both angels and demons in a world heady times wrong.
PS: While waiting for this new album is "about to be published later this month of July," title "Paramour" and that is a new back another decade later, here I leave that "Love Never Fails" that, although not his most notable album, is one of the hardest to get there. You're welcome.
http://rapidshare.com/files/404783901/Love_Never_Fails.rar
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