"Enter the Vaselines" is good because all the reasons we already know from previous records, but that is tremendously rewarding. Everything is very short, very compacted, with 2-3 minutes songs. The Vaselines have only 2 EP's and one album but this small body of work was enough to put longer careers to shame.
First, because the chemistry between Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee is very strong and it clearly shows in each and every song. He brings the irony and simplicity and she, with a soft and fragile voice, brings the innocence. Second is because in these short 4 years, there was enough space for uncontrolled sonic rock 'n' roll, martial percussion, enlightened folk music and acoustic guitar. In this new record nothing is left behind either.
This new work brings back "The Way of The Vaselines", a 1992 compilation that groups all the material recorded by the band and adds one bonus CD with three demos and two live concerts. The first one in Bristol only with Eugene and Frances and another one in London already with a classic line-up of four elements.
The bonus CD brings nothing really exciting. The Bristol concert sounds like a DIY concert with bad voices, non-existing bonding and childish screams from Eugene. The London concert shows a notorious evolution as a band, but it never goes beyond the historic curiosity. It means that "Enter the Vaselines" its worth because of everything we already knew. But that I guarantee is more then enough.
"Son of a Gun" is a Byrds-Velvet Underground that we never expected and "You think you're a man" is a funny epic with sharp guitars and is a potential disco classic. The most well known of all Vaselines tunes is of course "Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam", a song covered by Nirvana. In fact the Vaselines was one of the most loved bands by Kurt Cobain. The charm and grace that oozes from this song is absolutely charming and we clearly understand why Cobain loved this song to the point of making his own version.
This is a perfect record to discover one of the most underrated bands around.
Complete track listing:
1. Son of a Gun2. Rory Rides Me Raw3. You Think You're a Man4. Dying For It5. Molly's Lips6. Teenage Superstars7. Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam8. Sex Sux (Amen)9. Slushy10. Monsterpussy11. Bitch12. No Hope13. Oliver Twisted14. The Day I was a Horse15. Dum Dum16. Hairy17. Lovecraft18. Dying For It (The Blues)19. Let's Get Ugly20. Son of a Gun (Demo)21. Rosary Job (Demo)22. Red Poppy (Demo)23. Son of a Gun (Live in Bristol)24. Rosary Job (Live in Bristol)25. Red Poppy (Live in Bristol)26. Rory Rides Me Raw (Live in Bristol)27. You Think You're a Man (Live in Bristol)28. Dying For It (Live in London)29. Monster Pussy (Live in London)30. Let's Get Ugly (Live in London)31. Molly's Lips (Live in London)32. The Day I Was a Horse (Live in London)33. The Day I Was a Horse (Again) (Live in London)34. Sex Sux (Amen) (Live in London)35. I Didn't Know I Love You Until I Saw You Rock'n'Roll (Live in London)36. Teenage Superstars (Live in London)
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