Blue Aeroplanes Bop Art Rar

A GUEST POSTING FROM MIKE MELVILLEJC writes:-I’ve known Mike a long time – way longer than either of us have been doing this blogging nonsense. He’s both an talented writer and photographer and the fruits of his labours can be enjoyed over at the consistently excellent. This coming Sunday, he’s asked me to join him at the Glasgow gig by The Blue Aeroplanes. I had no hesitation in saying yes but did mention that outwith a handful of mp3s I knew little or nothing about the band. He decided that a quick education in the form of an ICA would be worthwhile. So over to Mike.With a career stretching back almost 36 years, Bristol’s The Blue Aeroplanes have just released their twelfth studio album Welcome!

1. Blue Aeroplanes Bop Art Rarity
2. Blue Aeroplanes Bop Art Rare

Stranger.Formed in the early 1980s, the band have had a rotating cast of members over the years (reaching 48 at the last count) with the only constants being Gerard Langley (vocals) and Wojtek Dmochowski (dance). Long before Bez was shaking his thing for the Happy Mondays, Wojtek was enlivening the ‘planes live show.Initially almost as much an art collective a band the Aeroplanes put out Bop Art on their own Party Records before signing for Fire for whom they delivered two further albums Tolerance and Spitting Out Miracles. By the time of the latter the band were becoming firm critical favourites and the record brought them to the attention of both the major labels and, the ultimate critics band, R.E.M.First off they supported the Athens, Georgia outfit on their Green tour in the U.K. Indeed my first exposure to the ‘planes was on that tour but it must constitute the briefest ever performance I’ve witnessed. We literally saw the last chord of the last song which was followed by what seemed to be dozens of folk (including some members of R.E.M.) leaving the stage. We definitely got the feeling that we’d missed something!Which was unfortunate since we had wanted to see the Blue Aeroplanes but they must have been on stage much earlier than supports normally were at the Playhouse. That’s my excuse, anyhow.The band’s fourth album (and major label debut) Swagger is widely regarded as their masterpiece and arrived on new label Ensign early in 1990.

Connection continued when Michael Stipe provided backing vocals on What It Is on the album. (BTW the influence wasn’t all one way – listen to Departure and even E-Bow The Letter off New Adventures in Hi-Fi and join the dots!)With the clout of a major behind them and uniformly positive support from the press the BAs genuinely appeared to be on the brink of a commercial breakthrough. Lead single Jacket Hangs reached 72 in the charts and follow-up And Stones (with several dance remixes) got as high as 63.Although ‘Swagger’ failed to provide the breakthrough, Ensign still had high hopes for the follow-up. The band were persuaded to include a cover of Paul Simon’s The Boy In The Bubble on the new LP but even that failed to hit the charts.

Parent album Beatsong did enter the charts at 33.At this stage the Aeroplanes still seemed one great song away from making a breakthrough and they were prioritised by their American company. Terrific to see the Blue Aeroplanes get the ICA treatment. Though for me, no such compilation could be complete without World View Blue – take the version from Swagger if you like but I prefer the acoustic version to be found as the last track on the Loved E.P. In fact, I would argue that the Loved E.P. Is the perfect BA release, with the title track as featured in this ICA, the excellent You’re Going To Need Somebody, a fine cover of Sweet Jane and then the acoustic World View Blue.I’d also make the case for Streamers, from Beatsongs, with Rodney Allen on vocals, especially if looking for tracks that are an accessible intro to the band. Terrific guitar thereon, too.Am going to see the band at the end of the month, for the first time since March 1995 when I saw them at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire, supported by Boo Hewerdine. Am a tad excited.

Thanks for the comments, folks. I could probably have put half of ‘Swagger’ on because it’s one of my favourite LPs ever, but wanted to give some sort of spread from the LPs and limited myself to one track from any given LP. Think that Gerard’s “I know what it is!” is one of my favourite moments in rock ever – yet really couldn’t leave ‘Jacket Hangs’ off this.Particularly fond of both versions of ‘World View Blue’, Martin, and as for the covers? ‘Bad Mon Rising’ certainly but their version of the Smithereens ‘Top of the Pops’ (on the 2nd disc of ‘Cavaliers’) knocks the original into the middle of next week. And ‘Sweet Like Chocolate’ from the new record is superb too – NOTHING like the original. Add in Wire, St Vincent, Deep Purple, and I think therobster71 has a point!Going to see them twice this weekend – as excited about these gigs as by any in a while.

Blue Aeroplanes Bop Art Rarity

Blue Aeroplanes Bop Art Rare

May even take the camera. The great series of ICAs has now pretty much covered all my favourite bands and introduced/reminded me of many more. Mike, you have done a great job at covering a hard to describe band with such a long & ever changing history.I last saw The Blue Aeroplanes in July 1996 when I was almost half my current age. Last week I felt young again by seeing them play twice (Oxford & Exeter). They were even better than expected (and I knew they would be good). Wojtek had endless energy, the 3 guitars were fierce in places and the new album songs (all played) are at least as good as the classics.Everyone should experience the epic final encore of “Breakin’ in My Heart’, on Sunday we were even treated to an extra guitar played by Rodney Allen! (who is now a truck driver!).