Tag Archives: life on other planets

#1173: Supergrass – Seen the Light

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My old TV, provided by Virgin Media, had this feature where you could go into its guide and select a variety of music videos if ever you wanted to watch them. It was pretty cool. Television hadn’t yet got to the point where you could easily hook up your laptop right up to the big CRT screen. And if it had, I couldn’t anyway because I didn’t have a laptop. But it was neat to be able to watch whatever music video that tickled your fancy, in very, good quality, and in full screen without a problem of adverts or buffering and all the like. And it was through that that I came to know ‘Seen the Light’, a track from Supergrass’s 2002 album Life on Other Planets, which was also released as a single in early 2003.

As you’ll see above, the video doesn’t feature a physical presence of the band in any way. They must have been out on tour promoting the album or something. But is instead a clip consisting of followers going crazy over their apparent leaders, whether it be the congregation in a church or rabid fans at what appears to be a Fabian show. The video’s also made so it looks like various characters within it are miming the lyrics to the song. It’s a weird one, but also quite funny. And I guess it all ties in with the song’s lyrical matter too, which concerns the moment of joy and rapture that has been felt among the people now that their eyes have ‘seen the light’. What that light is isn’t really specified. But what matters is that there’s a sense of happiness and freedom, now that it’s been found.

I’m sure I’ve made some statement in the past referring to how this specific album by Supergrass is where they really wore their glam-rock influences on their sleeves. It’s apparent throughout the whole record, and ‘Seen the Light’ is one prime example. The way Gaz Coombes enunciates his lyrics (“Now that our eyyyyes have seeeeen the liiight, uuuuuuh”) the general tone behind the music. It’s a clear Marc Bolan/T.Rex tribute. Not that I’m complaining though. The whole track is a feel-good affair filled with very humorous moments, like the freaky/weirded out guitar(?) solo, a ‘baa’ from a sheep that makes a random appearance and an Elvis Presley impersonation, again by Coombes, that caps the whole track off. Fair to say, I think the group were in very high spirits when they were recording this.

My iPod #467: Supergrass – Grace

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“Grace” was the second single released from Supergrass’ fourth album “Life on Other Planets”. “Never Done Nothing Like That Before” was the first though was only available on 7″ vinyl, whereas “Grace” was the first to be utilised on all major formats two weeks before the album’s official release.

The track came about due to some drunken playing on a piano by drummer Danny Goffey and the preachy “Save your money for the chiiiiildreeeen” lyric was taken from a message on a small money box that was carried around by kids that would usually visit the studio the band were recording in. Initially thought as nothing more than a B-Side, the four members worked over and over on the song resulting in one of their most playful and enjoyable tunes to date, just missing out in the top ten in the UK charts.

The song itself is about a girl named Grace who seemed like quite a fun person to be around if you listen to the lyrics in the verses. Musically, the positive vibes are reinforced by the light piano, upbeat tempo and swirling synthesizers that appear here and there giving the song a perky and spirited atmosphere. I also believe that the band sampled some vocals from “Caught by the Fuzz” in the instrumental break before the final chorus. That might just be me, but you may be able to understand when you hear it carefully. Just saying.

This song is fun. Liked it ever since I saw the video in 2008 or so. Was the first time that I’d heard a song of those after their prime in the 90s. Wasn’t disappointed. Still feel that way today.

My iPod #402: Supergrass – Funniest Thing

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“Funniest Thing” is an album track from Supergrass’ first release of the 21st century, “Life on Other Planets”. Of course, Britpop was well and truly over at this point, and Supergrass carried on exploring new sounds just as they had with “In It for the Money” in ’97.

On “LOOP”, some tracks are very guitar-heavy and give off a great hard-rock feel bordering on T-Rex territory at some points. But they still have that fun Supergrass attitude to them, and their then-recent acquisition as Rob Coombes as permanent member seemed to give the group an even bigger dynamic then they had before.

“Funniest Thing” begins with a mysterious keyboard line backed with sighing backing vocals and shimmering ride cymbals which give quite a psychedelic feel to it all. This all changes when the whole band kick into gear for the chorus; Gaz Coombes sings about seeing all these weird things happening around him, and even though this event is the ‘funniest thing [he sees]’… it is still a bit too hard to bear.

I’m thinking the lyrics are meant to be from the perspective of someone in a hospital after breaking a part of the body, who is then given morphine to relieve the pain and ends up having all these weird hallucinations because of it. That’s just from the lyrics though. Could be about something else completely. It probably is.

‘F’ section ends tomorrow.

My iPod #332: Supergrass – Evening of the Day

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While being a fantastic bass player, probably one of the most underrated during the Britpop era, Mick Quinn of Supergrass was also a decent singer. He did occasionally take on lead vocal duties on many Supergrass songs such as “You Can See Me” and “Sometimes I Make You Sad” from “In It for the Money“, “Beautiful People” and co-lead vocals on “Mary” from their self-titled album. But it is on the 2002 album “Life on Other Planets” where fans get to hear a lot more of his singing, as he takes on lead vocals on four of the twelve songs on there including today’s track “Evening of the Day”. I asked the man himself if he did take the lead on this one, thinking that he wouldn’t reply……. and to my surprise he did only a few hours later.

Positioned right in the middle of the album, “Evening” begins with some smooth bass and piano. Sounds really laidback, and cool. There’s a very lounge-y/jazzy tone about it all. Quinn enters with his lower register vocal (which is what got me confused about who was singing it in the first place) and goes on to sing about how, during the evening of the day, he waits somewhere (possibly a location of a high altitude) for a person who is very important to him. While he looks at the view, all he can think about is that person. The song’s chorus is a line from a Spinal Tap track “All the Way Home” which is as follows: “If she’s not on that 3:15, then I’m gonna know what sorrow means.”

It is at 3:15 of “Evening of the Day” when what I have described to you above finishes in a minor and rather messy fashion. I can’t tell whether it was supposed to be a different song altogether and the band decided combine it with the first three minutes or if it was all planned. But in this particular part, the band members sing about someone being stoned and not knowing what they’re talking about. Whether they’re referring to the ‘narrator’ of the first part of the song, I’m not sure, but it does bring a light and comedic end to a very good song.

My iPod #160: Supergrass – Can’t Get Up

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Sorry there was no post yesterday. I was out. But the place I went to was not very lively; there was no atmosphere. It was kind of a waste of time.

This is the first post out of two to make up for it.

My cousin bought me “Life on Other Planets” for my fourteenth birthday. I had been a fan of Supergrass for about three years at that time, and already owned “In It for the Money” and the self titled album. My new found liking for the song “Grace” also played a large role in me wanting the album.

When the chorus for “Can’t Get Up” started, I found myself humming along to the melody even though I’d never really heard the full thing before. I was pretty sure that it was in advert that was on the television a long time ago. I have no recollection of what that advert is, but somehow the song managed to stay in my head.

I was also left unsure as to who the lead vocalist of the song was. For a while I did think it was bassist Mick Quinn, who sings lead on “Sometimes I Make You Sad” and “Beautiful People”, but it is Gaz Coombes if you can tell the differences between their voices.

For me, this definitely could have been a single. But what do I know, I am not even a proper critic.

Jamie.