Well, they're deinitely not better than Massive Attack...

Was that *meant* to be a joke?

They were funnier on the radio.

Perfect 'kinda groovy' cafe music.
Ambient pop such as Air and Morcheeba goes well with latte drinking. (Italian coffee, none of your weedy Cafe Au Lait French crap thank you). For espresso drinking you require something more jazz oriented.

(Sorry, but i need to know i'm agreeing with public opinion before i say i like something.)

'Who do you trust?' was by far their best album.

'Who can you trust?' rather.

Didn't they do the theme for the first series of 11OCS? I quite liked that (the song, that is)

Justin saw them the other day, he'll tell you all about it...

I really like the first two albums (Who Do You Trust? and Big Calm). No, they are not better than Massive Attack, although people do tend to blether on about them being marvellous as if it's received wisdom. MA's last album was not their best - they are slowly becoming more self-indulgent and self-important.

Yes, I did go and see Morcheeba on Thursday night - to my horror they have become M-People, and offered an evening of semi-karaoke, ironic winks to crap disco records, and barely believably, tirades at the sections of the audience who were aghast at what was going on. The new album is rubbish, utter crap, and full of sloppy playing by people who would love to have been in Weather Report, but would be lucky to pass muster in Shakatak.

But the first two albums - still fine. Don't laugh. I can't help the music I like.

By the by, Massive Attack's 'Mezzanine' is a real grower. I dug it out again recently and I think it holds up to the first two, if not quite as terrific.

Morcheeba's first album is cool. Just been lent 'Fragments of Freedom' - I'll let you know...

I have problems with Mezzanine - it jumps about from one side to another far too often for me to get a fix on it. There are some I'm about ready to sell my soulf in return for another couple of minutes, but others... well, I don't skip the track, but they blend into the background noise too easily.

Don't get me wrong - I like some of Mezzanine (esp. Black Milk and Teardrop with Liz Fraser, and Rising Son), but I just think it pales in comparison with Protection, and particularly Blue Lines.

Biggest problem with Morcheeba's new stuff, incidentally - it is just so cluttered and concerned with screechy sax solos and quasi-gospel backing that Skye's voice (surely the focal point) can barely be heard. And the lyrics are bollocks.

I'm only judging from Big Calm, of course. I don't know if I'll buy anything more - probably not, as it might be another Everclear experience - never again. Wonderful, my shiny metal ass.

I've been giving the new album a bit of time and it really doesn't seem to improve, unlike Mezzanine - I agree. Apparently they wanted to make this album more commercial so they could 'retire' at ease.

I must say I much prefer Portishead anyhow.

subbes,

I was sorry to hear about your shiny metal ass. You must have been in a terrible accident.

Anyway, who are Everclear and what's wrong with them?

>I was sorry to hear about your shiny metal ass. You must have been in a terrible accident.

I'm bionic.


>Anyway, who are Everclear and what's wrong with them?

Everclear are Jag-Stang's favourite musicale group - which is a pointer as to how insane-making they are. they're actually not bad, but believe far too much in their own hype. they're another cookie-cutter Third Eye Blind, really, with slightly edgier lyrics and fans that ask people to drink their blood.

Ane, er, who (or what) are Jag Stang and Third Eye Blind?

Someone told me you were a British person who lives in the USA. Sounds like you've been there too long.

Morcheeba supported Lambchop at the Royal Festival Hall recently. Those friends of mine who inexplicably left the bar to catch them thought it was dreadful.

Not very insightful, but I've only just noticed that this forum was up and running again and I had to post *something*...

>Ane, er, who (or what) are Jag Stang and Third Eye Blind?

Bands.
Jag-stang is that crazyperson who appeared here a couple of times?


>Someone told me you were a British person who lives in the USA. Sounds like you've been there too long.

I have. And it's only been a year, y'all.

As much as I *should* hate it as it represents all that I detest in music, I like that Third Eye Blind song 'Semi Charmed Life', only for the "doo doo doo/doo doo doo doo" bit (if you've heard the song you'll know what I mean).

I'm not a huge fan of Everclear, and their new album is awful by all accounts, but usually they are ten times better than Third Eye Blind.

Public announcement. I like Morcheeba. I'm listening to the current album, and while not the same standard as the previous one, I'm quite happy to give it a spin.
What can I say? I like pop. Whether it be indy pop or trashy pop, I'm there. (Note - this statement does not mean I like ALL pop or that this is the extent of my tastes - I used to have really cred indy tastes, now I can't be bothered)

Much to my delight, the band/musical project I'm in had its demo reviewed by Melody Maker as "worse than disposable". Allright!
Watch out for International Jewel Thieves, if you don't like Morcheeba, then you'll REALLY hate us..

Don't worry about it, Janet - Melody Maker these days is a piece of irrelevant crap that virtually no one reads except Blink 182 fans and smug MSP obsessives who reckon themselves 'intelligent' because they've read a book since they left school. It's their loss for not recognising you.

>Watch out for International Jewel Thieves, if you don't like Morcheeba, then you'll REALLY hate us..

How odd - where did you get the name from? Only, that's a (fictional - or so I thought) band name that has been knocking around my head for years.

Oh, and I can see you're entirely unconcerned with your MM review, as you should be. There was a time (late 80s/early 90s - Reynolds, Joy, Roberts, Arundel, Stubbs, Oldfield, even Kulkarni, Parkes, Paphides) when that paper was an inspiration. IPC and Mark Sutherland turned it into an indie-snob Smash Hits a while back, pushing out all the intelligent criticism and thinkpiece-writing, with - hey - *no* check on the sliding circulation figures. I don't know anyone - from 17 to 35 - who even looks at it thesedays.

I got it a week or two back to read the 11OCS article.

I'm surprised IPC still haven't switched off the life-support. Judging from that copy I got, I'd do it on compassionate grounds.

Aww, thanks guys, but MM could be right.
Luckily we like being disposable.
You should hear the version of World In Motion we did for a Canadian New Order covers compilation album. It's dodgey as. It even makes ME shudder.

Mike, the name came from our lead singer John. He likes espionage.

One day I'll work up the courage to give you the address of our website. Oh yeah, there's audio grabs in there.