The production on the early Suede albums

The demo of The Power was called Banana Youth. The session guy obviously followed some of the guitar parts note for note, but BY doesn't sound anything like a finished song. Brett's just trying stuff out, high in the mix and full of reverb, on top of a very very rough guitar track. If Bernard had still been about, this would have ended up very different.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBXqIbGLe0Q

I like The Power btw. At the time, it seemed like one of the weaker tracks, but now it's cool. I remember them talking it up in an interview at the time (in Select I think), saying how its lighter sound reflected their relief from the tension of BB being around.

The Power = Shed 7 on an off day.

I rate Bloodsports up there with the first three Suede albums, but my god is the mastering horrible.

― Welcome To (Turrican)

Completely agree with this.

The Power is a really good song but compared to some of the B-sides they had around then it seems like a strange choice to have on the album. I'm not sure what would have been the best replacement. Killing of a Flashboy is my favourite but not sure that would work in its place.

Whipsnade would've worked instead of The Power. Similar lyrical themes and kind of light touch compared to surrounding songs. But I like The Power. Would rather have got rid of Black or Blue.

The Power = Shed 7 on an off day.

This is really crazy talk though. Just about the only Suede song I can think of that is Shed 7 level is One Love:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbxopjx02DE

I finally got to listen to the BBC program "follow up albums" for DMS.
It's very interesting and quite heartbreaking the part with BB and BA admitting they were stupid and are still wounded and full of regrets to this day.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01j6srs

Also BA saying he should have changed the name of the band when BB left... so that they could have reunited later.

Meh, I think Suede did very well without Bernard. People are attracted to the Butler-era though, because that line-up didn't stick around long enough to make some out and out crap, which they probably would have done at some point had they continued. Post-Butler Suede made Coming Up and Bloodsports, so both line-ups have made two very good records, IMO. Not to mention B-sides such as 'Together', 'Europe Is Our Playground' amongst others.

Suede did lots of great stuff after Butler left, it's true, but it was within a quite specific 90s/00s alt-rock/indie template. They turned into a superior version of Placebo/Mansun, I reckon, which was fine but frustrating, because Dog Man Star suggested they were heading towards something more. Dog Man Star isn't indie at all - it's kind of pure classic/experimental rock, Bowie/Neil Young/Pink Floyd, not that original really - but even if they'd never have transcended the obvious influences I would've liked to have heard their equivalents of Station to Station or Low. On the other hand, there's nothing that Bernard's done since - in his solo stuff, with McAlmont, The Tears, or producing Libertines/Duffy etc - that comes anywhere close to the wildness of Dog Man Star. Maybe that record finished this part of him off? But there's this rock'n'roll fantasy of band members who hate each other making madder and madder music, and that's the thing that inspires regret.

well, I don't think it's possible to imagine what they would have done after DMS had they stayed together. and "coming up" and the mcalmont & butler stuff are certainly no indications since they would have evolved differently if they had kept working together, I suppose.
the BBC documentary is interesting when BB says 1/ he's never been as creative as during DMS ever since 2/ he's been traumatized for years and until now by having been left behind and not being able to finish his "baby".
I guess something was broken in him (and BA) at that key moment.