B-Sides That Bear Fruit

Leave it to JC at the (new) Vinyl Villain to help clear the cobwebs and bust me out of my malaise. Earlier today, the Blogfather put together a piece on one of my favorite unsung bands from the golden age of indie pop. He hit all of the brightest spots from the all-too-brief discography of the Man From Delmonte, and this followup is probably more for those who already have a soft spot for the Manchester janglers. I have pulled out a few pieces of vinyl tonight, and my recommendation for those of you who are interested in picking up some of their records to start with these two compilations shown above that Vinyl Japan released in 1999. Yep, as usual, it's the Japanese that have kept the spirit of yet another underrated '80s UK indie-pop band alive.

When both volumes of 'The Good Things in Life' are combined, you have all of the band's A-sides and B-sides, as well as several unreleased nuggets and a radio session. In fact, if you also have the 1989 live album 'Big Noise,' then these three artifacts are just about everything the Man From Delmonte ever recorded.

In '99, Mike West, the de facto leader, described the Man From Delmonte this way: "Some people hated our songs, some people loved them... I don't really understand either reaction. Nobody in the band could sing very well. That's why we decided everybody should sing at the same time, together, in harmony, or not exactly harmony but close enough. That way no one would notice we didn't have a singer." I listened to both of these volumes tonight, and I have come to the conclusion West was exercising a combination of humility and self deprecation. The vocals are, indeed, the very reason I love the band.

I'm hoping there are a couple of fans out there that might appreciate this deep dig for a couple of my favorite examples of their wonderful delivery. "M.I.C.H.A.E.L." answers the age-old question about what's in a name and can be found on the band's 1988 self-titled EP and debut for obscure label Bop Cassettes. "Lasha Me" has innumerable la-la-las and even a little Italian. This one was clearly meant as a throwaway and wasn't even properly released until it showed up on a comp after the band's demise in 1990, but it never fails to get my head bobbing.

M.I.C.H.A.E.L.
Lasha Me

One more post on the Man From Delmonte next time.