Tag Archives: supergrass album

#1073: Supergrass – Pumping on Your Stereo

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Back in the old days, I’d find myself flicking through the music video channels as per usual. Some of those times, I’d come across the ending of the video for Supergrass’s 1999 tune ‘Pumping on Your Stereo’. I can’t remember ever seeing its video from front to back in one sitting. It’d always be on its way to finishing, and I’d change the channel to find it at the point where the band hit that huge ending chord followed by the studio chatter that comes afterwards. Then YouTube came around and that was quickly rectified. Supergrass videos were something of a regular occurrence on the TV. And after seeing them for myself and coming to the conclusion that this band were actually really great, their albums were a usual request in any Christmas/birthday list whenever those times came around.

‘Pumping…’ is found on the band’s self-titled album. It’s a bit of a party, good times rollin’, sing-along get together of a song. The band repeatedly ask the listener if we can hear them pumping on our stereos. They also don’t hide the fact that they’re clearly singing ‘humping on your stereo’ throughout the entire thing. Even in the music video, the word ‘humping’ is visibly mimed by the band members. Not that I’m complaining though. I don’t mean to be if it sounds like I am. The whole thing reminds me of how the Beatles got away with singing ‘tit’ in ‘Girl’. Someone probably questioned the band whether the band were singing ‘humping’, to which they said no and said they were singing ‘pumping’ instead. At least that’s the story I’ve come to in my head.

Really though, the song’s not really about anything of any great importance. There’s a bit of an allusion about feeling lost while touring and being on the road in the second verse. But everything sounds so groovy and cheery that it very much slips by. I don’t think it’s any secret that the lyrics are something of an afterthought in a lot of Supergrass songs. But what matters is that they all sound good in the context, and the main chorus does its job of getting stuck in your head in the melodic mantra-like way it’s delivered. The track I think is also the first in Supergrass’s discography in which they really wore their glam-rock, Bowie/Bolan, T-Rex influences on their sleeves. They would dive even deeper into them on the album that followed Supergrass. But the seeds were sewn right here.

#870: Supergrass – Moving

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Anyone remember hearing this song in a TV advert somewhere during the early 2000s? That question is mainly aimed to any British readers I may have. Because I’m sure that I’d heard ‘Moving’ somewhere before I properly listened to the song many, many years ago now. When it comes to a lot of Supergrass’ singles, I wouldn’t be able to exactly pinpoint when and where I was when I heard them for the first time. Their music videos occasionally popped up on various channels back in the day, and just through those I found that Supergrass were actually quite great. Seeing as singles receive the music video treatment, and ‘Moving’ was one of those from Supergrass’ self-titled album from 1999, the track falls into that category.

And what is ‘Moving’ about, you might ask? Why, it’s a good ol’ song about the strain of touring. Moving and moving until you barely know who you are anymore, and trying to keep your sanity by thinking of the people back home. Especially your loved ones. The band describe these feelings in two kind of sections. There are the wistful verses, led by acoustic guitars, what sounds like an organ and strings. Then there are the busier chugging choruses where the band come in together and lay down a bit of a funky rhythm. There’s a great dynamic between the two things. Makes for some attentive listening, when those verses are left lingering at their end, you can’t wait for those choruses to kick in.

When I recently read a YouTube comment somewhere saying that the track takes its intro from Pink Floyd’s ‘Dogs’, I have to say I did start listening to it just a bit differently. There is quite the similarity. And there’s another thing I’m starting to wonder. Is there a hint of– not Auto-Tune… well, maybe it is Auto-Tune… but I’ll say pitch correction on Gaz Coombes’ vocal? Because there are many live performances of Supergrass performing the track and he definitely doesn’t hit those notes as smoothly as he does on the album. Think there’s some studio trickery going on. Sounds so great though. Definitely one of those ones for a long train journey, watching the scenery pass you by. Always like a good travelling song.

#813: Supergrass – Mary

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‘Mary’ is a track on Supergrass’ self-titled album from 1999. The ‘X-Ray’ album as it’s usually referred to by fans. On it, guitarist Gaz Coombes and bassist Mick Quinn sing the vocal together, with Quinn taking the melody and Coombes on the lower harmony. The track evolved from a three chord piano riff created by then resident keyboardist Rob Coombes which pretty much repeats throughout the song’s entirety.

There is a threatening tone to this song. It has a very smooth groove to it, but Quinn and Coombes start singing about the things they’re going to do or meant to do to the listener, and how people have dark thoughts in their heads. The only thing revealed about Mary is that she has green teeth, and that she gets shocked/scared by the song’s narrator. It’s all from the perspective of someone that the listener is definitely not meant to like. And I think that’s what appeals to me the most about this song. It’s different in that way from many others by Supergrass.

Pre-YouTube days you really had to search for music videos online. I remember finding this one somewhere, and after reading that it was censored and was rarely shown during the day time… Well, it piqued my curiosity. And as you can see above, the video is quite creepy. The more scary scenes were hilariously replaced in the censored version with pictures of onions. I don’t know, either. They had to do something, I guess.

#798: Supergrass – Mama & Papa

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Quite surprising to me that this is the first song from this album that I’m to do a post on. I’ve shared my interest in Supergrass a lot of times before, I thought I surely must have covered at least one track. But I haven’t, so here it is for you today. Supergrass’ self-titled album, their third, often referred to as the ‘X-Ray album’ because of its cover was released in the autumn/fall of 1999. I got it as a gift in… 2006, I wanna say. I’m really big on Supergrass. I don’t think there’s one dud in the band’s discography. X-Ray’s probably the one that I enjoy the least. Not because it’s bad. It doesn’t have the immediacy and the hooks like I Should Coco or In It for the Money. It’s a slow burner. A bit more experimental too. Though it does have some great songs on there, ‘Mama & Papa’ being one that I only really started appreciating a few months ago.

The track is the final one on the album, bringing things to a calm and kind of sad ending. Quite funny that after using a variety of instruments apart from your usual rock ensemble throughout the album, they close it out with an short and sweet acoustic number. After two false starts, it gets under way with a twinkling arpeggiated guitar chord and a misty ‘ooh’ backing vocal. Bassist Mick Quinn takes the lead vocal on here, singing about being alone in the park, looking up at the sky and missing his mum and dad. We’ve all been there. Usual singer and guitarist Gaz Coombes provides the harmonies and that aforementioned ‘ooh’ in the breaks.

On a live listening party for the album last year, Quinn guided Supergrass fans through the tracklist with quips and anecdotes about how each song was made. He didn’t say much about this one. Coombes was playing the track’s riff in the practice room and Quinn sung over the top. I was also listening during that ‘event’, and it was there that ‘Mama’ got to me. Only took 14 years.