Band: Suede Album: Head Music Year: 1999

[Cheval Noir]

Invariably not the best effort they put out. This album is the most single-friendly of all. In other words, the singles were excellent and had b-sides of similar quality, but the album tracks themselves weren't up to snuff and sounded more like filler material. I'd have been a happy camper had this been a 5 or 6-track e.p.; it'd probably rate even higher with less songs. I don't have any actual knowledge of how a record is made, but this looked and sounded so slick at the time that the Peter Saville covers alone would make one rush to their nearest music shoppe to see if they had the imports in stock (I'm speaking from a North American reference point). It sort of reminded me of the time when I had to own every album and song by The Smiths and Morrissey.

Here's the list of the songs in order:

1 Electricity

2 Savoir Faire

3 Can't Get Enough

4 Everything Will Flow

5 Down

6 She's in Fashion

7 Asbestos

8 Head Music

9 Elephant Man

10 Hi-Fi

11 Indian Strings

12 He's Gone

13 Crack in the Union Jack

The boldened tracks are the better songs from the album. That's pretty much all the singles. Had they actually gone ahead and included/replaced some of the b-sides with the filler tracks, this album could easily be Suede's best - perhaps one of the best of the decade. If this was their last album, they would've ended on a really high note. You'd almost forget that they weren't working with Bernard Butler - almost. Songs like "Electricity" and "Everything Will Flow" harken back to that unashamed heroine Rock sound of their first two albums while those memorable b-sides, such as "Leaving" and "Seascape", will undoutedly make for repeat listenings on rainy days and cool afternoons; very sweet, very mellowdic: The best downbeat music can offer this side of Kent and Mazzy Star.

If you don't already own it, get it. Preferrably the singles, but, if not, then the album that includes "Leaving" as a bonus track.

Edited April 11, 2006 by Guest

[Batman]

The only Suede I own. It's very good.

[invisible_r]

takes me back , although i never actually bought it

[Earth-Angel]

She's in fashion, Everything will flow and Trash make me cry every time I hear them.

[Cheval Noir]

"Everything Will Flow" has a pretty good build-up with the orchestra at the end. It makes one feel like they're in the swell of emotions that the song is trying to emit. Good stuff. My favourite from that era has to be "Leaving", though.