'Drinking Um Bongo', 'Hip Op', 'Selfish,Lazy & Greedy' - loads of reasons to buy the Go Kart Mozart LP. The single's a waste of money however.

Denim great as well, but 'Back In Denim' was the only decent album they did. 'Novelty Rock' is the worst record ever released. Fact.

Talk about Felt. Lawrence spoke the truth, even if it was disguised with comedy guitars in recent years.

I think "Mrs Back-To-Front & the Bull Ring Thing" is the stand-out track on the GKM album. I'd love to play it in the company of stoned people and cause mayhem.

"Denim On Ice" is good, I was listening to it this morning. What about "The Supermodels", "Shut Up Sidney", "It Fell Off The Back Of A Lorry", "Job Centre", "Jane Suck Died In '77", eh Bent? Brilliant, all of them.

Does anyone know if the quite brilliant 'Denim's Summer Smash' which bizarrely had its single release cancelled because of the Diana death crash(???), ever came out?

No, I think that's the reason why he's had to do GKM, because it's unreleasable (see also Edit News, 'Doon Your Way', about why DYW can't get an audio release).

I think Felt were overrated and Denim are much better.

Strange this. All Felt fans seem to hate Denim and vice versa. Probably a vast credit to Lawrence's reinvention. If you squint a bit.

Yes, of course you're right about 'Denim On Ice' having several stand out tracks, but it was overlong and uneven. That's why it isn't a decent ALBUM. 'Back In Denim' is completely focussed on it's main theme, in songs like 'The Osmonds', 'Middle Of The Road' and the title track. A concept album in all but name, making it a perfect study of Seventies style.

'Denim On Ice' does have the greatest lyric by Lawrence. OK, so it's all of 'Pub Rock Revival', but a choice line is "There's a rumour going round that the Rumour are about to reform". Brilliant.

True, loads of Felt albums had unforgivably glum patches but they always rewarded you straight afterwards with an absurdly beautiful pop dittys. Take 'Battle Of The Band', 'Penelope Tree', 'Space Blues', 'Day The Rain Came Down' and stacks more. At least they better Belle & Sebastian. No?

Dear Bent-

Odd this. I got 'Absolute Clasic Masterpieces' (both vols) because I'm a fan of B&S. Can't detect any similarity in sound or anything at all.

Yes, they did have a lot of good songs ('Sunlight Bathed The Golden Glow', 'The World Is As Soft As Lace', 'Grey Streets' as well as the ones you mentioned) but a lot of their stuff strikes me as just as bland and formulaic as any other 80s band you care to mention. Overall, an example of 'artiness' rather than artistry. Denim, despite using more commercial sounds, are more pointed and affecting, not least because they don't do vague sub-Adrian Mole lyrics about stagnant pools. Well, I think so.

B&S namecheck Felt until they run out of reasons to plug old Creation bands. I too can hear no similarity, but the ten years/ten singles/ten years rule is the same. See the sleevenotes to 'If You're Feeling Sinister'. If you don't have a copy, go to Virgin or wherever and push past all the students to check it.

I have every Lawrence release to date and happen to have been going through them again this week. Early Felt LPs are tiresome, as is the 'Novelty Rock' dog-end. Denim are an easier listen, and 'ACM2' is the most truthful reflection of Felt's work, flawed angst and all. Exactly why are they overrated? I haven't read a Mojo puff piece, or anything of the sort. Only what comes out of Stuart Murdoch's mouth. And that recent, PR-based NME feature on Lawrence.

Your comment about "artistry" is also fair enough, but wasn't that where Denim eventually went astray? Against the Lawrence norm, if anything. His whole purpose was to satirise the accepted rules of pop/rock, for better or worse. That's why Felt AND Denim have value.

Lawrence's only contribution to 'Train Above The City' were the song titles, 'Let The Snakes Crinkle Their Heads To Death' - apart from being the oddest LP title ever - was a deliberate anti-Felt sound to annoy Alan McGee. So far, so arty.

Denim began exactly the same, with very considered attacks on style, culture and particularly audience expectation. GKM return to this, but for a while Denim songs were way too long. And 'Back In Denim' is guilty too. Whatever you may feel about Felt, they had better economy. 'Denim On Ice' tracks tend to make their point quickly and repeat it until 4'00" have passed. Loads of reasons to love Denim (better tunes, bizarre arrangements, funny lyrics), but a nagging sense that he was overworking songs.
I don't love them any less for it, I just wonder what he was trying to do.

>Does anyone know if the quite brilliant 'Denim's Summer Smash' which bizarrely had its single release cancelled because of the Diana death crash(???), ever came out?

I think Lawrence explained this in that recent NME interview, but it's not to hand. I know that The Yummy Fur's 'Always Crashing In The Same Car'/'Stereo Girls' 7" was withdrawn for the same. Two weeks later it was available.

'Summer Smash' should have been gathered up for 'Novelty Rock' but it wasn't.

Nolvety Rock is great.An album that delivers everything it says on the box.DENIM ON iCE is fab too.Shut Up Sidney rocks.Havent heard GKM yet but on this threads reccomendation I shall by it forthwith.Does anyone of you like Momus?Hes another maverick in a similiar vein as Lawrence,but less guitary(except his early stuff)

I've got a vid of Momus interviewing Howard Devoto. He was at one point begging HD to record for his label, as a kind of collaboration. Shame it never happened.

Re:'Novelty Rock'. It was too much of a B-sides affair for my liking. Nice to have them all in one place but...

The Supermarket single was OK.

I like Momus as well. See 'The Poison Boyfriend' album for the great track 'Situation Comedy Blues', about a hack sitcom writer having a nervous breakdown.