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reason they hadn‘t toured up until this point is because it just wasn't possible. financially or emotionally. ‘We wanted to.‘ explains Moore. ‘but the record company‘s attitude and approach were wrong at the time. We eventually went ahead and did it our way.‘ Moore says. Buchanan: ‘People ask us questions as though there's some real strategy and there just isn‘t. You don‘t play because there‘s only three of you. and you don‘t have any equipment or money and you don‘t know how to book a hotel room in Atlanta. That‘s why we don‘t play. It's not because we‘ve been reading
too many Herman Hesse novels. Life doesn‘t suspend itself because you happen to make songs as your living. [don't want that to happen. If I did. I‘d be m Kiss or Motley (‘rue. Doing this is not a pretentious exercise for us. That was another reason for playing: to get rid ofthis enigmatic label. It‘s ridiculous. People think we‘re like professors or something.‘
Because 'I he Blue Nile‘s albums are passionate. provocative and intelligent. one might think the boys themselves to be dreamy. intellectual, poetic types. Hardly. But it‘s not every hand that earns
N‘XNELKxQXkokaxm
unanimous critical plaudits and enchanted fans nowadays without chart success. videos. flares and promotion. And not every band has to cope with being taken quite this seriously.
Robert Bell: ‘1 think it's surprising for other people who have come to the shows who. when speaking about it later. said. “We never expected to see people whooping at a Blue Nile gig." And I thought. what the hell. why not‘."
The Blue Nile play (he Usher Hall. Edinburgh on 811122 and Glasgow
Royal ( '(meert I lull on Sun 23 and M ()n 24.
' V SINGLES
unable to cope with (whisper it) innovation. Well done. that gal. (CMcL)
~>«I+m;«..,
slim-e
..i(\ Q ‘ .‘ ‘3” A .‘s L'
I The Charlatans: Then (Dead Dead Good) Self-consciously brilliant, from day one. The Charlatans have brim'med with confidence and . exuded charisma aplenty. Now the rest ofthe universe has caught up in time to catapult this slice of latent inspiration to the ; dizzy heights it deserves. Brilliantly arrogant lyrics are infused with the easy nonchalancc ofTim's nasal vocal. guitar and bass glide and throb in unison. while Rob beefs (and hams) it upon the Hammond. As the label says: dead dead good. (F5) I Krispy 3: Coming Through Clear(l(3 Records) Over-busy but infectious debut from a group so concerned to fit the kitchen sink on tothis track that they obscure . v. A . their rap. and in so doing . completely ironize its title. Hardly a major blunder though. for a record aimed so squarely at your feet ratherthan your ears. I dare you to resist the dancefloor. (FS)
I Nick Robertson: Show Me a Sign (Circa) At last some output from the Edinburgh man who once
had a band but then
didn't. How mysterious.
Anyhow. not the most
inspired. immediate track
from Robertson‘s Van
collection. Plenty of
i texture moods. grunts.
i woohs. strident trumpets
etc. Now. once more with feeling. (CMcL)
ROCK 39 JAZZ 42 FOLK 43 CLASSICAL 44
; IJohn Moore: Meltdown ' '(Polydor)Disbandingthe Expressway. splittingto the States. findingthe groove. Moore is back with some brand new toys ~ a sitar and a mega rock sound that” have the leather boys quaking in their boots and trying desperately to find some rhythm. I think lhisis what you'd call a careering juggernaut of sound
MUSIC PREVIEW “sums
j violence.(('Mcl.)
The List 14 — 27 September 199033