In Praise of.....Olympian by Gene

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Gene. Yes, I know. GENE? Yes, Gene, goddammit! Britpop Also-rans? Maybe. Poor Man's Smiths? Arguably. Rich man's Menswe@ar? Maybe. Incontinent she-male's Ocean Colour Scene? Quite possibly. Whatever. All I know that I picked up this album on the strength of "Haunted By You" back in the balmy, carefree, single, childless days of 1995 (oh how life was so much easier then) and have loved it ever since. I paid little or no attention to subsequent albums (though I did pick up their odds'n'sodds collection, To See the Lights, for its live versions of Olympian tracks) and have no regrets. All I need from this stuffy, foppish coterie of nancyboys resides of this splendid album.

Yes, OF COURSE they're flagrant Smiths disciples, but hey...it ain't like the Smiths were doin' anything in 1995 (and Morrissey's solo work was steadily bearing diminishing returns....jury's still out on whether his new one will deliver the goods). Maybe Gene are the very antithesis of bands I normally enjoy (I'm sure Killing Joke, Cop Shoot Cop and the Misifts would shiver in their Doc Martens at being mentioned in the same sentence as Gene), but some of the tracks here are sparklingly well-crafted. Yes, Martin Rossiter is quite possibly mixed too high in the mix, but damn, these songs fuckin' work. If you can listen to "Truth, Rest Your Head" or "Haunted By You" and remain unmoved, then you've got formaldahyde in your veins. And don't get me started on "Sleep Well Tonight," or we may be here for fuckin' hours. Are you kidding? That CHORUS???? HOW CAN YOU DENY IT? And when the guitar coda the ushers the song out unfurls itself at exactly 1:09? If you can't recognize the simple brilliance of that, you're not fit to eat solid foods anymore.

Take a shot at it. Go ahead. You won't change my mind.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 22:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Incontinent she-male's Ocean Colour Scene: classic

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 22:09 (twenty-two years ago)

"Haunted By You" is nice. Haven't heard it in years though.

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 22:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Dig it out, Jody. You'll thank me later.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 22:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Also, who are Franz Ferdinand but Gene with a more Scottish aplomb and jerky guitar hooks?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 22:22 (twenty-two years ago)

One of my all time favourite albums, but I'm a total sucker for most things Britpop or Smithsy.

― bbc6 personality (bbc6 personality), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 22:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Olympian's a great album and they were pretty good live. Revelations wasn't bad either - and I'm surprised my NYC-dwelling chum managed to resist an album with a title like that!

If we're re-evaluating Smiths-influenced Britpop bands / albums can we do Echobelly's Everybody's Got One next (The Smiths meet Penetration)

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 22:50 (twenty-two years ago)

There can be only ONE Revelations, Stew!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 22:59 (twenty-two years ago)

You know Alex, all that crap you give to me about liking the Smashing Pumpkins? Reverse that and increase the bile and you have everything I could say to you about Rossiter's punchable-face inanities, so I'll leave it at that.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 23:02 (twenty-two years ago)

how did it take Ned eight posts to get here? you're gettin' soft, man

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 23:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Gene never recorded anything (to my knowledge) as ABJECTLY EMBARRASSING as, say, Adore and or MACHINA...albums that almost made me want to set fire to my stereo and puncture my eardrums with lit matches.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 23:11 (twenty-two years ago)

how did it take Ned eight posts to get here? you're gettin' soft, man

Dude, I had a meeting to attend and then I had to get home! Besides which, you and I know there is only ONE thread of true cosmic significance today and it's over on ILE.

albums that almost made me want to set fire to my stereo and puncture my eardrums with lit matches

Yup, Drawn to the Deep End right there.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 23:17 (twenty-two years ago)

C'mon, Nedrick, aren't you just even a little bit ashamed of what a utter, utter pencilnecked dweeby crybaby Billy Corgan is?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 23:25 (twenty-two years ago)

*shrug* I don't care about the person, I care about the music. He probably is all that and more!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 23:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Drawn to the Deep End is way way way way way way way way way way way better in my opinion. That album is so fucking righteous I'm going to listen to it right when I get home.

― fizzcaraldo (Justin M), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 23:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Dig it out, Jody. You'll thank me later.

have done so. i don't care what anyone says, this is a great interpol song!

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 23:52 (twenty-two years ago)

i really loved this album at the time, i should probably dig it out again. my fave was always "still can't find the phone". best track from their early stuff = "sick, sober and sorry".

― the surface noise (electricsound), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 23:59 (twenty-two years ago)

I got a free tape with Melody Maker back in 95 or something with a live version of Sleep Well Tonight on it, and was totally sold on the band. Though you never sought out any other albums Alex, I highly highly recommend Drawn To The Deep End (though I prefer Olympian).

Amazing live band, too.

― Jonathan (Jonathan), Wednesday, 14 April 2004 00:17 (twenty-two years ago)

*shrug* I don't care about the person, I care about the music. He probably is all that and more!

Well, I thought it went without saying that their music became basically unbearably overblown and pretentious after their second album.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 14 April 2004 02:21 (twenty-two years ago)

You mean like Killing Joke's? Oh wait. *hides and cackles*

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 14 April 2004 02:22 (twenty-two years ago)

"I don't care about the person, I care about the music."

Aaaaah! Gotcha Nedwood - if that's so then why launch your attack on Gene based mainly of the punchability of Martin Rossiter's face, eh?

I mean, it's not even as if his face was exceptionally punchable!

Well, at least not when compared with several of his contemporaries anyway.

Now if it had been Loz Hardy of Kingmaker whose face you'd described as punchable, then you'd have had my whole-hearted support.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Wednesday, 14 April 2004 07:35 (twenty-two years ago)

if that's so then why launch your attack on Gene based mainly of the punchability of Martin Rossiter's face, eh?

Oh that's easy -- he needs it because of his ridiculous music. ;-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 14 April 2004 12:33 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm actually kinda surprised Ned doesn't share my enthusiasm for Gene, as we usually have reasonably similar tastes (apart from our respective fanaticisms for the Joke and the Pumpkins)...oh, that reminds me, Ned, according to the latest chapter of "the Yard" (Joke bassist Paul Raven's sporadic online diary...read it here http://killing-joke.com/yard.html ), apparently Corgan stopped by the Joke's Chicago show to honor the fire. So, he sucks, but at least he can recognize greatness.

But, anyway, I still think Olympian is great. And I'd much rather listen to Olympian than Smashing Pumpkins, for whatever that's worth.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 14 April 2004 14:41 (twenty-two years ago)

seven months pass...

Gene have broken up

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 22:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Today, Martin Rossiter has confirmed that Gene's upcoming live show at the London Astoria will be their last, following over 10 years of writing and performing alongside Steve Mason, Kevin Miles and Matt James. No more live shows, and no more new material.
There are far, far more important things in life than bands and music, but so few things that touch so many in such a varied, personal way. For me, that'll be Gene's legacy, a sort of soundtrack to the best (and worst) bits of my life over the past decade, an 'always there' reminder of what I was doing with whomsoever at the time, a tune, a lyric, a memory for all moments. Nothing more, nothing less.
All of this will no doubt be evident at the Astoria gig in December, hopefully a triumphant display of a truly breathtaking back catalogue, and, because showbiz lives on kids, a hint of what could have been. If you leave them wanting more...

See you in London,

These will be the actual lyrics to the final song in the encore. It will be unusually meta for Gene.

― donut bitch (donut), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 22:56 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm still surprised that Alex in NYC digs this band. Pretty average overall, but "Sleep Well Tonight" is one of my favourite songs of the 90's. I had no idea they were even still together.

― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 05:18 (twenty-one years ago)

meh

― latetotheparty (latetotheparty), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 08:40 (twenty-one years ago)

I can't remember exactly which Gene song I really liked... there was at least one though. Sort of hard done by, I suppose.

Ah yes, that was it. 'Is It Over?' That was quite a good one. On the other hand, 'As Good As It Gets' was rather pish. I remain utterly unfamiliar with their earlier work.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 10:12 (twenty-one years ago)

They're releasing 'Let Me Move On' as a single next Monday, which is - I think - a bonus song taken from the American version of the band's 2001 'Libertine' album. It's good that they're bothering because it's probably the best Gene song I've heard since the beginning of Britpop.

Ever, in fact.

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 11:59 (twenty-one years ago)

I can't say I'm broken up about them...er...breaking up. Like I said, all I really need from the band is Olympian.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 12:16 (twenty-one years ago)

"Olympian" is a great album. They never got even remotely close to its qualities later on though, and breaking up may now not be such a bad idea after all.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 13:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Ned the only one OTM here. Wretchedness almost beyond compare.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 13:52 (twenty-one years ago)

This is still the funniest thread title ever.

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 14:21 (twenty-one years ago)

I found Rossiter infinitely sexier than Morrissey.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 14:34 (twenty-one years ago)

This is another one of those break-up announcements where I'm shocked to find out the band was still going in the first place.

― Leon the Fratboy (Ex Leon), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 14:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Your sister can light candles in mourning (cause nobody else will).

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 14:55 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't even know if she still cares about them. I should give her a call and find out...

― Leon the Fratboy (Ex Leon), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 15:00 (twenty-one years ago)

"Sister Leon - there's no non-comedic way of saying this..."

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 15:02 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't even know if she still cares about them.

Oh dear! The These Animal Men posters are the next to go!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 15:16 (twenty-one years ago)

How are they live, anyway?

― Mary (Mary), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 23:42 (twenty-one years ago)

like Linda McCartney.

(I actually don't know.. I just wanted to say that.)

― donut christ (donut), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 23:51 (twenty-one years ago)

I think Mary meant to type "How are they alive, anyway?"

― Alba (Alba), Thursday, 18 November 2004 00:39 (twenty-one years ago)

When they play live, Martin selects an audience member and sings a line of a song looking straight into his/her eyes. He will select another audience member and do the same thing a minute or so later. You end up spending the whole gig willing him to notice you. It's very strange.

― Madchen (Madchen), Thursday, 18 November 2004 10:03 (twenty-one years ago)

I think Madchen meant to type "You end up spending the whole gig willing him not to notice you."

― Alba (Alba), Thursday, 18 November 2004 10:09 (twenty-one years ago)

No, no, no. Ten-years-ago me lurved him.

― Madchen (Madchen), Thursday, 18 November 2004 12:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Wow, how... Hollywood Daddy-O crooner of... him.

*trying not to crack up with images of Martin in old 50s musicals*

― donut christ (donut), Thursday, 18 November 2004 20:04 (twenty-one years ago)

This thread's ongoing life-span astounds me.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 18 November 2004 23:06 (twenty-one years ago)

And so will the memories...

Alex Can You Wait?

― donut christ (donut), Thursday, 18 November 2004 23:40 (twenty-one years ago)

That said, had Gene moved to NYC and waited to release Olympian in 2004, they would have been huge.

― donut christ (donut), Friday, 19 November 2004 03:49 (twenty-one years ago)

You end up spending the whole gig willing him to notice you.

Ha ha, so it's like a Morrissey gig.

― Mary (Mary), Friday, 19 November 2004 13:35 (twenty-one years ago)

twenty-one years pass...

somehow I have never listened to this album until right now

― I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Tuesday, 14 April 2026 05:19 (one month ago)

ok so this album has one good song at the very beginning and a bunch of forgettable rubbish, got it

― I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Tuesday, 14 April 2026 05:33 (one month ago)

the b-side collection to see the lights is better, imo

― brimstead, Tuesday, 14 April 2026 06:15 (one month ago)

I would defend this whole album and listen to it again, if it weren't for the revelations about Rossiter.

― ledge, Tuesday, 14 April 2026 10:13 (one month ago)

I was going to say, why are we reviving any talk about them given that?

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 14 April 2026 10:18 (one month ago)

Ok just caught up on the allegations, yikes. Love the first album but looks like I won’t be going anywhere near the reunion tour :/

― pronounced with an ‘umpty’ (Willl), Tuesday, 14 April 2026 11:39 (one month ago)

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