Carter USM - Classic Or Dud?

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erm, buy this :

http://www.iludicrous.co.uk/

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Monday, 8 September 2003 08:22 (twenty years ago) link

Ah, "A Pop Stars Dream". What a pile of shite. Was the rest any good?

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 8 September 2003 10:23 (twenty years ago) link

I, Ludicrous; exactly:

I read about a band in South East 23
I thought it was me I thought it was me
Riding around on a 68 bus
I thought it was us, I thought it was us
I phoned Steve Lamacq and said who do you mean
He said Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine

[...]

And if we came up with such tortuous rhymes
We'd be Carter the Unstoppable Sex Mashyne

― OleM (OleM), Monday, 8 September 2003 11:18 (twenty years ago) link

Yes.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Monday, 8 September 2003 11:38 (twenty years ago) link

one year passes...

hA, tHIS tHREAD iS kIND oF lIKE tHE mINI-vERSION oF tHE dAVE mATTHEWS h8 tHREAD, iS iS nOT?

― pASHMINA (Pashmina), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 12:05 (nineteen years ago) link

Their time will come.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 12:08 (nineteen years ago) link

Argh, Tom must be sending out psychic mindrays or something because this morning on my way to work "Lean on Me I Won't Fall Over" popped into my head. It was not a pleasant experience.

― Leon Jones Reynolds (Ex Leon), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 12:26 (nineteen years ago) link

hey!

naar-na-NAAR-na-na-na-naar-na-NAAR ... o god

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 13:50 (nineteen years ago) link

Leon can run but she can't hide.

"ONE TWO THREE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD..."

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 13:53 (nineteen years ago) link

"Lets Get Tattoos" still is up in my all time list.

― Nick H (Nick H), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 20:35 (nineteen years ago) link

their disgusting fans with long sleeve white shirts, with blue jeans jeans and doctor martin boots,

OH THE HORROR!!!

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 21:27 (nineteen years ago) link

They're called Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine, which automatically makes them the best band ever. Not that I've ever heard them, you understand, but with a name like that, who cares?

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 21:42 (nineteen years ago) link

Especially with my surname. People don't believe me when I tell them I saw Carter headline the Sunday night on the main stage at Glastonbury, oddly.

Classic, btw, especially when they got pissed-off, angry and righteous ('The Only Loony Left In Town', 'Commercial Fucking Suicide', 'Travis', 'The Music That Nobody Likes'). Splendid live - especially when they gained the drummer and bassist - and marvellous cover versions too. What else could you want?

― Si Carter (Si Carter), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 22:21 (nineteen years ago) link

as i've said elsewhere: i have a huge soft spot for them. "1992" especially.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 10:30 (nineteen years ago) link

three weeks pass...

http://www.gusandthegovernment.com/music/usm.htm

Very important development.

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:44 (eighteen years ago) link

also - in the next few months -

expect Akira the Don to use his Interscope budget to raise profile of Carter USM .. ..

the man loves em .. (new video has a carter reference hidden deep .. )

m.e

― mark e (mark e), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:55 (eighteen years ago) link

I loved "1992" when it came out, but I'm not sure if I wanna see if it's stood the test of time.

― The Emancipation of Baaderonixx (KERERU 4 LIFE!) (Fabfunk), Monday, 23 May 2005 13:20 (eighteen years ago) link

I saw them in '91, they was great -- silly but also noisy, and the best songs had monster hooks. I still like the first two records. There's duff stuff in there, but what's good is plenty good. (never actually cared for "Sheriff Fatman," tho; "After the Watershed" notwithstanding, they weren't exactly a singles band)

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Monday, 23 May 2005 13:40 (eighteen years ago) link

I still like "R.S.P.C.E" but oof have they aged not at all well.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 23 May 2005 13:43 (eighteen years ago) link

"After the Watershed" might actually be my fave song by them on balance, it's a crackerjack arrangement that just keeps getting bigger and bigger, honest to god drama.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 23 May 2005 13:44 (eighteen years ago) link

(i also liked their inspiral carpets cover better than the inspiral carpets' version)

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Monday, 23 May 2005 17:24 (eighteen years ago) link

There would be no Pop Will Eat Itself if it weren't for them.

― Ian Riese-Moraine is on toffuti break! (Eastern Mantra), Monday, 23 May 2005 17:36 (eighteen years ago) link

Uh...you might want to rethink that assertion.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 23 May 2005 17:37 (eighteen years ago) link

ned's right. i do thnk...

i did really love them for a bit when i was 14..even made myself a t-shirt (they were tough to find in upstate ny). i may have to drag out the cd if its still around...im thinking i never want to hear carter or pop will eat itself ever again.

― b b, Monday, 23 May 2005 17:51 (eighteen years ago) link

They were GROWN MEN. Named Fruitbat and Jim Bob. Just think about that.

― Leon Federline (Ex Leon), Monday, 23 May 2005 17:54 (eighteen years ago) link

You're forgetting Jon Fat Beast.

Except you're not any more, are you?

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 23 May 2005 17:56 (eighteen years ago) link

If only they had been named David Sylvian and Gavin Friday!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 23 May 2005 17:58 (eighteen years ago) link

leon yr damned right! i meant to say the same thing.

(granted i found this charming at the time)

― b b, Monday, 23 May 2005 18:01 (eighteen years ago) link

an ex-gf had a VHS tape of bad (or good, depending on your tastes) porn and in order to keep the rents from discovering the true contents of the tape she purposefully mislabeled it "Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine." the ploy worked. therefore: classic.

― andrew m. (andrewmorgan), Monday, 23 May 2005 18:31 (eighteen years ago) link

Uh...you might want to rethink that assertion.
No, I'm dead serious! PWEI got their name from an article on them back when they were under another name!

― Ian Riese-Moraine is on toffuti break! (Eastern Mantra), Monday, 23 May 2005 18:39 (eighteen years ago) link

That was a different band entirely, sweet lad.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 23 May 2005 18:41 (eighteen years ago) link

They were a great live band at the time.

Unfortunately the music has not aged at all well.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 23 May 2005 18:56 (eighteen years ago) link

I wanted to love them so badly and just couldn't. The music is just awful to me and sounds horribly now too. I say dud.

― Hutlock (Hutlock), Monday, 23 May 2005 19:17 (eighteen years ago) link

No, I'm dead serious! PWEI got their name from an article on them back when they were under another name!

David Quantick On-type NME piece on Jamie Wednesday.

― kit brash (kit brash), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 01:27 (eighteen years ago) link

six months pass...

Carter USM were the best band ever... sheer magic.

― Paul Davy, Wednesday, 14 December 2005 04:27 (eighteen years ago) link

The flame never dies.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 04:31 (eighteen years ago) link

i fully expect akira the don to use his influence @ interscope to get the carter usm name back out there .. they are his all time heros.

― mark e (mark e), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 10:23 (eighteen years ago) link

First time I ever saw these shits they were playing to, at least, 25 people at the Worcester Arts Workshop in 1990. Last time I saw them they were playing to at most 17 people in the Kidderminster Market Tavern in about '97. Somewhere in-between they headlined Glastonbury in front of every scraggy-haired student lameo in England. Bit of an embarrassing plummet from grace but then that's entirely their fault for being such a wretched, horrible band. Not missed.

― Merryweather (scarlet), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 12:07 (eighteen years ago) link

bollocks. they were awesome. shit image, great band. the bastard offspring of the buzzcocks and soft cell.

with puns.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 12:42 (eighteen years ago) link

One time, I was on the phone to a friend, when Amber (Three at the time) found the 'straw donkeys' singles compilation tape, and wanted me to play it. "But, umm, it's not really the stuff you'd like!" but to no avail. So I put it on, and basically Amber and Alice (12 months) basically moshed around the living room to "Young Offenders Mother", while my mate had hysterics on the line. "It's not always like this" I said.

But, on reflection, that would only be the first time that something like that happened.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 12:56 (eighteen years ago) link

Way Xpost: "Oh, I see. I thought Lammo was one of those genres that British weeklies like to invent out of thin air when they're bored, like grebo or something."

Makes this whole thread worthwhile.

I used to have a Carter USM album, with songs like The Only Living Boy in New Pulse or some shit on it. It was really blah, but no one would buy it. I think I gave it out as a party favor one year at Christmas...
Always liked the name of the band more than the music.

― js (honestengine), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 13:51 (eighteen years ago) link

at least the sultans of ping had the decency to disappear without any fuss.

Haha I'm going to see a Sultans gig on Saturday with support from Jimbob!

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 14:15 (eighteen years ago) link

WHERE, ANDREW???

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 14:16 (eighteen years ago) link

Frutibat supported them in Essex last month!

― kit brash (kit brash), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 21:25 (eighteen years ago) link

I keep thinking of them a lot just now due to that Honda advert with "The Impossible Dream", the "1992" version of which used to be sung along to at the end of many a drunken emotional night of my student years. I realise after reading this thread that this makes me, in DJ Martian's eyes, "the worst type of student twat". Really, I wasn't. Those were the people who lived for New Model Army and Back to the Planet, probably. Or Mega City Four. (OK, I like one of those three as well, but I'm over it now).

Carter, on the other hand...

Despite not having listened to them for years, I am convinced I could sing all of the first three albums, plus a fair bit of the rest of their material, word for word (and there are rather a lot of words).

I'm going for classic, by the way. They were a lot better than they ever looked like they should be.

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 15 December 2005 00:04 (eighteen years ago) link

(sorry, likeD, not like)

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 15 December 2005 00:08 (eighteen years ago) link

They were awesome. I headbanged onstage with them at King Tut's once.

They headlined Reading, but I don't think they ever headlined Glasto (xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-post).

― everything, Thursday, 15 December 2005 01:15 (eighteen years ago) link

Fucking classic. Listened to "A World Without Dave" today, and enjoyed every second.

― paulhw (paulhw), Thursday, 15 December 2005 01:44 (eighteen years ago) link

In Dublin, Charlie.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Thursday, 15 December 2005 09:55 (eighteen years ago) link

"The Impossible Dream", the "1992" version of which

... i would like played at my funeral. seriously. one of my favourite ever songs; and certainly my favourite ever version thereof.

and it would have the added bonus of pissing lots of my snobbish mates off, even after my death. 'rah.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Thursday, 15 December 2005 10:17 (eighteen years ago) link

Skipping 56 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

The summary of Reading 91 upthread makes me wish I could have been there :(

― PaulTMA, Saturday, 3 August 2013 12:20 (ten years ago) link

The first and only time I ever crowdsurfed was to Carter, at one of their reunion gigs. I was over 30 at the time. It was a beautiful moment.

― click here to start exploding (ledge), Saturday, 3 August 2013 12:45 (ten years ago) link

three months pass...

Falling back in love w/these dudes thx to video streaming service. The only living boy in new cross is really fucking great.

Yeah I'm on a YouTube binge tonight, haven't listened to them in forever. They sound really contemporary, at least if your reference points are M.I.A. and Sleigh Bells.

― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Monday, 18 November 2013 03:46 (ten years ago) link

eleven months pass...

Carter USM In Session with Steve Lamacq

On Friday 7 November 2014, Carter USM will be playing their final ever radio session before calling it a day, at the legendary Maida Vale Studios for the Steve Lamacq Show.

We have 108 pairs of tickets for this exclusive event.
You can register for tickets at any time until Friday 24 October at 7pm.
Anyone attending this show under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a responsible adult 18 years or older.

― Mark G, Tuesday, 21 October 2014 15:14 (nine years ago) link

Once the registration period has closed successful applicants will receive one of the final pairs of tickets to see Carter USM.

All other shows on Carter USM's final tour have sold out, so this really is the final opportunity to see the band. Anyone lucky enough to attend is invited and encouraged to wear their old band T-shirt to see the show!

Date: Friday 7 November
Venue: BBC Maida Vale Studios, London
Doors open: 5.30pm

To enter the random draw, visit : http://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows/carter_usm_7nov14

― Mark G, Tuesday, 21 October 2014 15:16 (nine years ago) link

five months pass...

These guys - such an early 90's anomaly

― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Friday, 17 April 2015 08:57 (nine years ago) link

Their best stuff can be pretty devastating for all its archness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7Lv0wAvCHM

― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Friday, 17 April 2015 12:59 (nine years ago) link

still shite

― Eric Burdon & War, On Drugs (Cosmic Slop), Friday, 17 April 2015 14:02 (nine years ago) link

eight years pass...

I still wonder why "all their songs are about politics" was a bad thing. was it because pretty much every cunt who used to slag them off for that is now a centrist dad at best?

― Colonel Poo, Saturday, 7 October 2023 03:22 (six months ago) link

one month passes...

stunned that they weren't a barenaked ladies side project

i mean, you chose that band name and now you're the kind of band that chose that name

― mookieproof, Sunday, 26 November 2023 04:51 (five months ago) link

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