Continuing in my quest to bring overlooked bands to the fore, I return to the band thathave been not only the biggest inspiration to me over the years but also the most difficult to categorise. This was the follow up album to Waiting for Bonaparte (check out my review) for many the defining moment in the bands career, and as such would have to be something special to meet the standards previously set. Silvertown was a good attempt but falls slightly short of the benchmark, but a great album none the less.
The opening number, Rosettes has even after 15 years remained a live favourite, a mandolin intro leading into a boistrous rampage of guitars and gang vocals which carry you along kicking and screaming. There are some classic tracks to follow also, Rain, Steam and Speed, retains their love of Victorian themes and Place in the Sun is an amusing tale of working your way around France and eventually getting deported.
Its difficult to say what is missing from this album that causes it not to make the grade. The band sound the same and te album contains the usual energy and drive. It might be that what made the Men stand apart was that historical setting the songs were draped in. It could be that some of the songs just arnt as good as previous efforts. Its still a great album but there are a few fillers, where as before you were safe in the knowledge that a TMTCH album was wall to wall class. But I suppose you can expect every album to set the world on fire.
The music is still great, guitar based folk tinged rock enhanced where required by fiddle, trumpets, mandolins and even bazouki. They remain, however, a rock band acknowledging folk music and not the other way round. There is not an arran sweater in site, nor a pipe or beard, so dont worry that you may steeping down a dark and dangerous road that will leave you with a urge for turtleneck sweaters and a collection of Pete Seager albums.
As usual there is some great imagary,
"I went out one morning in the spring, to Blackfriars Bridge to watch the tide come in the tide came in and covered up the ruins and the mud beneath the sun it flowed like a vein of blood"
and a collection of working class heroes going about there business, miners, drifters and railway labourers in tales of struggle and determination, characters that would not be out of place on an early Big Country album.
To sum up I would say that buying this album would be a great enhancement to your record collection, but onle after you have bought Waiting For Bonaparte, and then go out a track down all of their other releases.
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