Underwhelmed by The Bevis Frond

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So after hearing how great this fella is, I picked up "North Circular" on the cheap. It's allright, but not at all what I was expecting. I was expecting trippy psychedelic music and I got power pop with the occasional "bizarre" track. Furthermore, a lot of what's there isn't all that great. Maybe that comes from the release being so voluminous, or maybe it just comes from poor songwriting; trite and cliched lyrics, melodies that are fine and dandy but not exciting/unique, and nowhere near the amount of psychedelic freakout nonsense I was expecting.

Was this a bad album to pick up? I sort of picked it up blind; Since it was cheap and a double CD, I figured it would at least be a good introduction. And that's not to say the entire album of awful--perhaps four tracks per disc are really neat and catchy--usually when he does away with rhyming lyrics. He's also a phenomenal guitar player; I don't fault him his technical skillz, but I wish he'd do something more creative with them.

― Ian Johnson (elmo oxygen), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 16:21 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah, he never did much for me either.

― ddb, Tuesday, 22 July 2003 16:29 (twenty-two years ago)

This would make a great problem page letter headline.

― N. (nickdastoor), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 16:31 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm not a massive fan, but I find that record a little pop-oriented myself. I prefer some earlier records (especially "New River Head," which contains both some of his finest songwriting and some outstanding git-freakery.)

There's my two cents anyway

― M Specktor (M Specktor), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 16:32 (twenty-two years ago)

as A long-time Bevis Frond fan I can say that 'North Circular' was only a bad choice given your expectations, which were quite reasonable. For the trippy stuff you need to stick to the earliest releases: Miasma, Inner Marshland, Triptych, Bevis Through the Looking Glass, and the Auntie Winnie Album. Depending on what versions you buy, the latter two releases may be scattered across the former three as bonus tracks. More recent issues of Miasma & Marshland have a completely different set of bonus tracks, all of which are worthy. You also might want to try New River Head. It strikes a nice balance between the early freaky stuff & the later sound, and is probably my favorite Frond. On CD, New River Head is split up. THere's the New RIver Head disc and A Gathering of Fronds, which assembles the rest of NRH along with several early rarities & obscurities. Also, there is Scorched Earth, which is Nick Saloman's stoner rock side-project and he played bass on early Outskirts of Infinity recordings. These are Hendrixian monsters that manage to be both heavy & ethereal due to the masterful playing of Bari Watts, one of the world's most criminally under-rated guitarists.

Hope this helps.

JOhn

― John Bullabaugh (John Bullabaugh), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 16:40 (twenty-two years ago)

I think Nick and le Frond are sorta the Ramones of the Terrastock set (especially since they always seem to do the same songs at each Terrastock). But I do like the albums I have, he's a very nice guy and the sorta wounded singing he has is very distinctly and I'd argue uniquely his.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 16:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Ian -- there are a coupla other threads on Bevis Frond on ILM
but the search fankshn being the way it is lately,
it might be a bit tricky (though worth trying) finding them.

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 17:01 (twenty-two years ago)

there are a coupla other threads on Bevis Frond on ILM
but the search fankshn being the way it is lately,
it might be a bit tricky (though worth trying) finding them.

Yeah, what the hell is with the new search function? The old one may have been slow and flakey, but at least it worked when it worked. This one just doesn't.

― Ian Johnson (elmo oxygen), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 18:34 (twenty-two years ago)

three weeks pass...

I find myself singing along when I listen to some of this album now; I guess that means it's grown on me.

― Ian Johnson (elmo oxygen), Wednesday, 13 August 2003 20:26 (twenty-two years ago)

North Circular was actually my first Bevis Frond purchase as well, although I came in with no expectations whatsoever. It was 99-cents for a 2CD album and I'd heard the name before, so I thought "what the hell."

I still haven't heard many of the earliest records, but I've picked up every new thing he's put out since Vavona Burr.

― Andrew Frye (paul cox), Wednesday, 13 August 2003 22:18 (twenty-two years ago)

_North Circular_ is actually one of my favourites, but I'm more of a fan of his song-orientated stuff. It seems everyone heard about the earlier more psych type stuff & wrote the band off, & in the intervening years Nick has churned out some great *tunes*. I rebought the early records when the expanded versions came out, & they certainly appeal more than they used to, but _Any Gas Faster_ onwards is where it really picks up for me.

Like most fans _New River Head_ (which has just got a full 2CD reissue, plus bonus tracks) is probably my favourite.

― Wandering Boy Poet, Thursday, 14 August 2003 14:40 (twenty-two years ago)

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