edit: it’s 2022 now and maybe they actually are the future of music
They were tbf
Not here for the slander. First three or four albums are full of bangers, with the occasional great single afterwards. They still are absolutely massive in mainland Europe.
The warm response to this formerly 1 reply-estimated thread has inspired me to absolutely blast out Every You Every Me.
Oof. That’s a belter.
Guitar tones on Without You I’m Nothing are incredible and I’ll fight anyone who disagrees
General vibe of that album through and through. Mate, it’s sick
But yeah, got a bit sterile and stadium-y imo. Still some good songs but the production was just beige
Pure more nan
Thought they were pronounced “Place-bo”
There was someone at my school in 1998 with the surname Place and that was my nickname for him and nobody got what I was on aboot.
Also they were also one of the only big bands in the post-Britpop era that were very queer and unapologetic in all their imagery and visuals and style, and actively embraced an outsider fanbase that maybe felt sidelined by other bands at the time.
I can definitely see echoes of them in bands now like The 1975, Wolf Alice, Pale Waves, etc.
They were great. Probably no great albums but as strong a fifteen track best-of as any band from that era. Brian Moloko seems like a good sort (braces for inevitable reports of abuse and misconduct).
The time is now, to discuss him
Oof, this tracklisting. * chef’s kiss *
Didn’t even realise they had a best of
He was certainly a pure pleasure seeker, etc, etc
Absolutely, one of the most influential bands in that middle ground between queer punk and pop. Their influence is plain to see in so much music today if you look out for it.
It was sort of funny because they were a band I got into as a kid cause my dad is a big fan, so I had no idea that any of their lyrics or aesthetics had anything to do with queerness at all. They were one of the first bands I liked and I just assumed that was what yer meat and potatoes rock and roll lads sounded and looked like
I’d probably chalk the first three albums as classics, but that’s me being super subjective tbf
I’ll say it again, the guitar tones
The guitar toooonnneeesss
Yeah their sound quality edged on industrial because its all super compressed and there’s no room in the distortion at all, sounds all cold and metallic and COOL.
The likes of NME really sneered at them and always with an uncomfortable whiff of homophobia.
Regardless of what you think of the band this is just a fucking raging, amazing pop song.
Yeah remember hearing them in the car and going “who is this!?!” for the first time. Probably about seven years old, it just RESONATED