Various Artists: What a Concept! A Salute to Teenage Fanclub
Barney Hoskyns, Uncut, September 2004
HOW DO WE love Teenage Fanclub? Let us count the ways on this fine tribute album, which consists of 24 mainly Yank versions of Fannies classics. The names arent big ones: Redd Kross (with their sterling stab at Everything Flows) and Gigolo Aunts (with an acoustic Alcoholiday) stick out of the pile. But all 24 acts bring out the infectiously bittersweet Big Star nuances of songs both early (Flows) and late (Your Love is the Place I Come From). This is some of the best pop music written in the last 20 years. Some of the covers are bolder re-framings than others: Splitsvilles electro-pop Tears Are Cool and Chewy Marbles jaunty, Lovin Spoonful-ish Metal Baby, for examples. Pride of place, though, goes to the General Stores dreamily Smile-esque take on 120 Minutes. Its inspired. Join the Teenage Fanclub fanclub today!
Total word count of piece: 141