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Album Review

The Charlatans, Forever - The Singles

The Charlatans are one of the few UK bands who have had a long successful career spanning at more than fifteen years and to celebrate their long history in the music business the band are releasing 'Forever - The Singles' on Island Records which is basically a singles collection of the band from 1990 up to present time and it covers the bands recordings from the three different record labels they have been signed to in the past. It seems like the perfect time to release it with the run up to Christmas.

They have had a fair share of shake ups in their long career from losing their original keyboard player, Rob Collins in a car crash ten years ago, being screwed over by accountants as well as having their last album flop. Hopefully the release of 'Forever - The Singles' will put the band back on a high.

The Singles collection starts off with 'Indian Rope' which was the bands debut single back in 1990 which never ever appeared on an album until now, the song itself is pretty funky with lots of disco beat sounds. The next song is 'The Only one I Know' which appeared on the bands debut album 'Some Friendly' and the song is a classic. The whole album is full of songs I remember and liked but could never put a name to such as 'Weirdo', 'Can't Get Out Of bed' etc.

Next up we have the four singles that were taken from the bands 'Telling Stories' album which was a point where the band were at there best and most popular and their songs had a more radio friendly, catchy, poppy and indie sound to them with big sing a long choruses. 'One To another' was the first song that took this new direction in music for the Charlatans and it sounds just as good now as I remember it when it was first released same with 'North Country Boy', 'How High' and 'Telling Stories'. They are all classic hits.

Now we are brought up to current times with songs like 'Up at the Lake', 'Try Again Today' and 'Blackened Blue Eyes' which are all good songs but I feel they are outshined by the bands previous material.

'Forever - The Singles' closes with a dance remix of 'You're So Pretty we're So Pretty' which is okay but does no justice to the band. This singles collection album shows you perfectly how the band has changed over the past sixteen years and reminds you how good they once were.

4/5

Review by Trigger

Band Members

Jon Brookes (Drums)
Tim Burgess (Vocals)
Tony Rogers (Guitars)
Mark Collins (Keyboards)
Martin Blunt (Bass)

Track Listing

1. Indian Rope
2. The Only One I Know
3. Weirdo
4. Can't Get out of Bed
5. Just When You're Thinking Things 6. Over
7. One to Another
8. North Country Boy
9. How High
10. Tellin Stories
11. Forever (Full Length Version)
12. My Beautiful Friend
13. Impossible
14. Love is the Key
15. A Man Needs to be Told
16. Up At The Lake (Original Version)
17. Try Again Today
18. Blackened Blue Eyes
19. You're So Pretty We're So Pretty (Youth 2006)

Band Related Links

The Charlatans Myspace
The Charlatans Official Website

Review Score Code

- Top Cheese

- Brilliant

- Pretty damn good

- Ok I guess

- What Was That?