They were the peers of The Stone Roses, they were
partly responsible for the rise of Oasis, they had the
kind of chart success that only bands like Blur or
Suede could match. Their rock and roll behavior was the
stuff of (often tragic) legend, but their four albums
were merely good if not as wildly exceptional as those
other bands. Yet The Charlatans often found themselves written off as also-rans in the minds of music pundits.
And then came Tellin’ Stories, an album that, on its own, is an impressive work. With the sudden death of
founding member/keyboardist Rob Collins impacting its
release, it became all the more important and
evocative. Their ill-advised venture into Britpop on
their previous self-titled record overshadowed the
quality tracks on that album’s last half, but Tellin’
Stories was nothing short of a convincing and long
overdue victory.
Mining their Rolling Stones/Bob Dylan fixations
and turning them into unique creations, the songs that
fill Tellin’ Stories are so rapturously good, it makes you wonder what took them so long to make such a
landmark album in the first place. "Only Teethin’"
takes the Stones on with full gusto and emerges as a
winning treatment that even Mick and Keith would surely
tip their hats to. "Get On It," from its intro
harmonica to its wailing electric guitar, channel Dylan, circa 1969. In fact, Burgess’ sneer is
used to perfect effect throughout the record, similar
enough to Dylan without the feeling of parody or
blatant imitation. "North Country Boy" and "One To
Another," featuring a dead-cool Spiderman reference,
are lyrical windstorms that get entrancing musical
backup.
Even the tracks which aren’t referencing the past have
spirited execution. The Eastern-tinged sounds and
message of the title track and the Chemical Brothers-meets-rock/blues psychedelia instrumental,
"Area 51," are stellar recordings. "You’re A Big Girl
Now" rewrites the rules of ballads by weaving dense
instrumentation together with a sinister chorus.
Confirmation of Tellin’ Stories’ excellence comes in
the form of "How High," featuring rock-solid guitars, a supersonic delivery and hook that displays a
band who have finally found their musical freedom and
confidence.
From start to finish, they got it right. Every other
album The Charlatans make will be measured against
Tellin’ Stories.
If you like The Charlatans, check out:
The Charlatans Us & Us Only
The Rolling Stones Beggars Banquet
Bob Dylan Blonde On Blonde
The Stone Roses The Stone Roses
Mercury Rev Deserter's Songs
-- Pierre Stefanos
at a glance...
