Surprisingly, the Set ended their first hiatus by signing with Vinyl Japan. Turned out, even to the surprise of the band, Bid and the boys were big in that faraway land. The band released 'Dante's Casino' in 1990 and hit the road... in Japan. Bid has described the experience as akin to 'A Hard Day's Night,' complete with girls chasing them. That never happened in the UK. There would be four more albums to follow between 1991 and 1995, the last three for their old mates at Cherry Red. Bid has said these were more or less for the Japanese market, but even there they had an expiration date. Britpop became the new flavor, and the Japanese economy started to take a dive too. The band broke up again, and this time the gap between albums would be 17 years.
That's when I re-entered the picture. I have been there for the six albums released since 2012, and there hasn't been a disappointing note in the bunch. I have been spending this time cooped up in the house getting acquainted with the '90s albums I missed, all with the help of the new Cherry Red box set 'Little Noises.' All five albums are in the set, 'Dante's Casino,' 'Jack,' 'Charade,' 'Misere' and 'Trinity Road.' There are only three bonus tracks, but that's not such a surprise since there were only two non-album B-sides during this era. Journalist Michael White spins a good story in the liner notes, and there are plenty of quotes from the band. The only tiny bone to pick is the box itself. I prefer the sturdy clam-shell design to this flimsy cardboard with an open end like you commonly find on the original album series boxes. I recently picked up the new boxes Cherry Red has put out of the Primitives and Shoes, and they have the clam-shell design for more or less the same price point as this one.
As for the music, the Monochrome Set means a lot to me, and I feel like a couple of listens to each of these albums isn't enough to compare fairly with their earlier and later eras. I can say I'm not hearing an 'Eligible Bachelors' in this box set, but that's setting the bar awfully high. The addition of Orson Presence on keyboards and guitar, as well as taking on some of the songwriting duties, did seem to change their sound a bit. Having said that, there is no doubt you're listening to the Monochrome Set, and there are songs I have taken an instant liking to and am playing over and over again. 'Dante's Casino' and the poppy 'Charade' are the two albums that seem to be rising to the top. As expected, this is probably not the place for the novice to start, but this is a great way for the true fan to fill the gap between the Monochrome Set's two wider known periods.
As if further evidence was needed that '90s era Monochrome Set is obscure, these are the only two clips I could find to give you a listen to songs from the box...
2 comments:
Really wonderful post Brian! I think between the two of us we generate as much positive energy for The Monochrome Set now as in any time in their career treading the stages of America. I agree that some of the music from this time seems like a false start in comparison to their Imperial Phase or their New Millennial period, but it has the DNA, it is TMS.
Yes, we have definitely done that through the years, Echorich, and it often felt like we were alone over here. That's why seeing them last year was so special. I discovered there are more of us out there. Here's to hoping I get to see them again in the fall when they return to the west coast for only the second time ever. They will be out east as well but not in your corner, I'm afraid. Could a trip to your hometown be in the works? They are playing Mercury Lounge. Just sayin'.
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