The House of Love - second album

[tvanveen]

No idea, just wanted to chime in and say thats a great album.

[logiclust]

Originally Posted by tvanveen

No idea, just wanted to chime in and say thats a great album.

likewise

[Jules]

Has that got that track "she she she shine on" on it?

Glossy, gliding, west coast -are adgectives that sping to mind..

Bit like blue oystercults 'dont fear the reaper'... I bet that track was a benchmark for them

[Santiago]

Great band!

When I lived in the London neighbourhood of Camberwell, my next door neighbour was Simon, the guitar player who plays on that record. He now plays jazz (you can see him play live at the crypt of St Giles in Camberwell from time to time) and gives guitar lessons.

I wished I had asked him about his time with HoL

Santiago

[TEMAS]

Its the album with Christine on, yes? I was a big fan; saw them lots of times. Bands like them and Ride, who also had a passion for detailed guitar textures, paved the way for bands like Radiohead IMO. Haven't listened to it for ages though - it was one of the many records somebody forgot to return when I was at uni, so its on my list to re-buy.

I just bought The Primitive's Anthology album - man, some of their old stuff was really badly recorded. But there's a few tunes of theirs I still dig.

[TEMAS]

I just looked it up; Christine is on the first album. Its gets confusing cause there was actually an earlier 8-track e.p which I count as their first album (which had the original version of Shine On).

[C/G]

Originally Posted by Jules

Has that got that track "she she she shine on" on it?

Glossy, gliding, west coast -are adgectives that sping to mind..

Bit like blue oystercults 'dont fear the reaper'... I bet that track was a benchmark for them

Yup, that's the album. The one with the butterfly on the cover. Other song titles off that album are "Hedonist", "Beatles and the Stones", "I don't know why I love you" ect. Almost all of their albums are self titled so it makes things difficult to pinpoint one, but that is it. The track I have been playing over and over the past day or two is "Shake and Crawl". The guitar tones of what I assume is a hollowbody is freaking me out because it sounds soooo good. Same with the percussion on that album. The tambourines and shakers sit perfectly in the mix and sound so organic and smooth. I think this is one of my all time favourite albums. I wish there was some more info about the recording process ect. out there. Any more of you Brits have some info?? If not at least we can turn this into a House of Love appreciation thread.

[krisstoff]

The House of Love Played at my school when I was about 14. We had a teacher who had a few contacts in the industry and she managed to convince them to play. A few of us hung around for the day watching them sound check which took them around 1hr to get guy chadwicks guitar sound right. When they played later that evening they were absolutely amazing ! Dynamic, lush and with killer melodies. there were around 500 school kids wigging out big time in our school hall. As i recall it was around that time that shine on had just been released and was in the singles chart

I felt very different after that night ,music was something that could turn a small village in Yorkshire upside down for the better and i knew it was something I wanted
to be involved in. There were many bands who played at the school after that ,we wrote them letters and with a bit of encouragement from a few bigwigs in the industry most of them came, people like the lemonheads, wonderstuff ,wedding present , levellers all played. But the house of love gig was the one that left it's mark

[logiclust]

or was it the other self titled album, the one with "marble"... Still one of my favorite tracks of all time. It teases and taunts you. Did anyone else ever get that feeling with this track. The guitars during the verses seem to hold back a bit and it drives me fracking nuts.

[C/G]

That one was dubbed "A Spy in the House of Love". Marble probably is one of my favourite HOL tunes. That record came out right after the album this thread is referring to. I believe it was B-sides, unreleased trcaks and a few singles. Good album. I sure wish those guys would have used album titles cuz it would have made this thread easier.

[logiclust]

Originally Posted by Colin Gaucher

That one was dubbed "A Spy in the House of Love". Marble probably is one of my favourite HOL tunes. That record came out right after the album this thread is referring to. I believe it was B-sides, unreleased trcaks and a few singles. Good album. I sure wish those guys would have used album titles cuz it would have made this thread easier.

oh right, i forgot that they actually named some of them. I still waiting for them to make it state side for their latest release. I saw them play with catherine wheel in the early 90s and thought the show was awsome, but short

[Ruairi]

Another shout for that record - I have had it on vinyl since I was a kid and recently re bought it on cd. As music just gets louder/cheaper/more obvious/safe records like these are like a sonic holiday.

I don't have a decent hi-fi at the mo which means I listen to music on my S-3As but lately I find I have more fun listening for pleasure on the auratones turned down low. It allows me to switch off the engineer and become a music fan again,

cheers,
Ruairi

[Jules]

I bet Hugh Jones had a hand in the production somewhere, he was always doing the albums and I was just doing demos..... VERY hard working studio cat... back in the 80's & 90's..But I might have that wrong...

By the way.. at the time of that HOL album, the record co head Alan McGee was slap bang in the middle of a legendary 'off the rails" period on drugs.. I think it was sometime round about then that he was being wheeled around in a wheelchair - a dribbling wreck.. but a solid job of A&R all the same

[CZ101]

Guy Chadwick is one of the only songwriters I would unabashedly call a genious of our modern times. "Audience with the Mind" is my favorite House of Love tune, however his solo stuff contains some truly amazing work also - particularly the record "Lazy, Soft and Slow"...

[logiclust]

Originally Posted by CZ101

... his solo stuff contains some truly amazing work also - particularly the record "Lazy, Soft and Slow"...

i never thought that i'd like songs with acordians and slide guitars... I guess it just took the right artist.

[C/G]

I have been a huge HOL fan for years but I have never checked out Guy's solo material. I finally ordered the latest (probably at least a year old now) HOL release and I am eager to see if it holds up to their old stuff.

[jomo1234]

That was really at the high point of Creation Records when they practically ruled the indie charts. Alan had actually moved up to Manchester for a bit, as it really was the epicenter of UK drug/music scene. You could basically walk into The Hacienda and get any drug you wanted...it was totally crazy. The nick name of 'Madchester' was very apt.

Creation was spending money like mad and they actually sold off the HoL contract to Fontana/Polygram to keep the label afloat....crazy crazy times. The old Creation office on Clerkenwell St. was a complete zoo.

Originally Posted by Jules

I bet Hugh Jones had a hand in the production somewhere, he was always doing the albums and I was just doing demos..... VERY hard working studio cat... back in the 80's & 90's..But I might have that wrong...

By the way.. at the time of that HOL album, the record co head Alan McGee was slap bang in the middle of a legendary 'off the rails" period on drugs.. I think it was sometime round about then that he was being wheeled around in a wheelchair - a dribbling wreck.. but a solid job of A&R all the same

[C/G]

I think some of that Creation BS is what led to problems with Swervedriver as well.

[jomo1234]

By the early 90's things were definitely on a downward spiral there. Alan wasn't really doing much and the label suffered under it's own weight as the leading UK indie. A lot of their seminal artists (Boo Radleys, Ride, MBV, Slowdive) had all seen better days. Lots of mis-management, too many bands, and not enough support. I think all of the bands felt the pinch. I remember being in their office in '94 when they had won the bidding war for Oasis....that certainly pumped up the coughers, but by then Sony had acquired half of the company and it was only a matter of time before Creation was more of a name than an actual label.

And then came Poptones.....ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Originally Posted by Colin Gaucher

I think some of that Creation BS is what led to problems with Swervedriver as well.

[WTMNMF]

[QUOTE=Jules]I bet Hugh Jones had a hand in the production somewhere, he was always doing the albums and I was just doing demos..... VERY hard working studio cat... back in the 80's & 90's..But I might have that wrong...QUOTE]

I'm just now listening to Echo's 'Heaven up there' on my new MM12s and it sounds so f'ing good!

Can you tell me more about Hugh?