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Bobby Gilliespie autobiography review in Guardian

Started by maett, October 15, 2021, 10:40:24 AM

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kngen

I really missed living in tenements when I moved down to London, as the sound insulation in them is great as opposed to being made out of fucking paper, which seemed to be the case in every flat I lived in afterwards.

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

I've read this book. Gillespie, of course, comes across as an utter buffoon, but to my great surprise I found him quite endearing. He really does live and breathe music; when he waxes lyrical about the stuff he loves, I couldn't help liking him.

He's utterly lacking in self-awareness and musical talent - drippy vocals and shit lyrics aside, what exactly did he contribute to Primal Scream's best records? But he's not a bad person. A silly person, yes. A total chancer who doesn't realise he's a total chancer. But ultimately harmless.

The Culture Bunker

About the only Primal Scream song I'd care to hear these days is 'Imperial' - and even there Gillespie comes cross to ruining it with his weak vocals and nothing lyrics.

The title of this reminded me of 'My Childhood up a Close', the unpublished/unpublishable magnum opus of Willie Melvin from City Lights.

The Culture Bunker

Quote from: maett on October 15, 2021, 10:40:24 AM
If not for Andrew Weatherall the chancer would have a public profile no higher than that of David Gedge.
I'd say he has Alan McGee to thank even more - if not for the two being good friends, I doubt Primal Scream would have lasted past 1986 or so, let alone to the point they got to work with Weatherall. Surely McGee was the only one in the world who saw Gillespie and thought "yeah, I can see him leading a successful band".

And he was right, of course, which I suppose is an inspiring tale for everyone else limited by any kind of musical talent.

Quote from: kngen on October 16, 2021, 11:12:44 PM
It was in Springburn though, so it wasn't like he was poncing it up in Hyndland or Park Circus.

No it wasn't, it was Mount Florida. He stayed at the top of Stanmore Road and then he moved to flat above the funeral directors on Cathcart Road. The guitar player was from Kings Park Avenue.

kngen

Ah, I was just going by the review. Consider his mad skwad pass revoked then.

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Yep, it's all down to his friendship with McGee. That and the fact he happened to fall in with some people who could, y'know, sometimes make music worth listening to.

I think he's aware of that on some level, hence his posturing. He can talk the talk etc. That's all he has going for him as an artist.

Nevertheless, I still maintain that Primal Scream have made some great records. Accelerator, for example, fully lives up to all the shite Gillespie spouts on behalf of his band.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk_WypfyviU

That's as fun, fun, fun as the Stooges, albeit a Stooges fronted by Charles Hawtrey. A potent mix on that particular occasion.

The Culture Bunker

Quote from: Ballad of Ballard Berkley on October 18, 2021, 01:22:12 PM
Yep, it's all down to his friendship with McGee. That and the fact he happened to fall in with some people who could, y'know, sometimes make music worth listening to.
Wasn't it McGee who brought Andrew Innes into the Primal Scream fold (they'd been in bands together)? Might have been during the sessions for their first album.

I have an early(ish) Creation compilation LP - 'Doing It For the Kids' - which has Primal Scream's 'All Fall Down' on it, which may be the feyest song in my entire collection. Makes the Pastels seem like Whitesnake. I did wonder if Gillespie was fucked off that was being put back out into the market at the time his band were trying to restyle themselves as rockers on their second album.

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

According to Gillespie's account, there was no arranged introduction as such. They were just part of the same scene. Why Andrew Innes, who was clearly the musical brains and muscle behind Primal Scream, decided to hitch his wagon to a daft man who can't sing or dance, well that's something you'd have to ask him. But it all worked out in the end, more or less.

SteveDave

I saw them supporting Liam Gallagher at the O2 a few months ago and as great as they were (with only Innes on guitar, Barry Cardigan must've been washing his hairs?) it was quite amusing to see Bobby G trying to get some reaction from the crowd by constantly requesting we "make some noise motherfuckers" in a half-arsed way. His chant of "Here we! Here we! Here we fucking go!" in the middle of "Country Girl" was nice though.

gilbertharding

Quote from: OnlyRegisteredSoICanRead on October 16, 2021, 04:51:11 PM
Speaking as someone who once lived in a Tenement, for about 3 months, it's the like saying you were working class because you once lived in a terraced house.

Yeah - it's not the architecture* which made the Glaswegian tenements such awful places to live - but the fact that they were overcrowded with people who barely had enough money to keep themselves properly nourished.

Was it 10 families to an outside privy chez Gillespie?

Actually, this goes for most slums.



* the inadequacy of the plumbing isn't strictly architecture - and in any case, wouldn't have been an actual health hazard if it weren't for the overcrowding.


holyzombiejesus

Quote from: SteveDave on October 18, 2021, 02:29:57 PM
I saw them supporting Liam Gallagher at the O2 a few months ago and as great as they were (with only Innes on guitar, Barry Cardigan must've been washing his hairs?) it was quite amusing to see Bobby G trying to get some reaction from the crowd by constantly requesting we "make some noise motherfuckers" in a half-arsed way. His chant of "Here we! Here we! Here we fucking go!" in the middle of "Country Girl" was nice though.

Saw him do something similar at an ATP. "Woo! Hey!" So funny.

I saw Primal Scream on my 18th (?) birthday and Bobby was wearing a Felt 'Me and a Monkey on the Moon' t-shirt when we sneaked backstage after. I told him I liked Felt and he took the t-shirt off and gave it to me. Still think he's a bit of a fanny, mind. Think Serge thought he was a massive arsehole, IIRC.

markburgle

The only Primal Scream song I really like is Kill All Hippies - primarily for the bassline, which was written by someone who isn't a member of the band. Says it all


Hundhoon

 I love Velocity Girl but that was a different era unrecognizable band
I think they were the best band in Britain for about five years with that trilogy of Vanishing Point, Xtrmntr and Evil Heat.
Primal Scream was all about the producers moulding, experimenting and doing what they like with this dorky awkward Scottish Byrds rip off band.
Bobby was almost like the Bez of Primal Scream in the grand scheme of things. 

greenman

#47
Quote from: Ballad of Ballard Berkley on October 18, 2021, 01:46:56 PM
According to Gillespie's account, there was no arranged introduction as such. They were just part of the same scene. Why Andrew Innes, who was clearly the musical brains and muscle behind Primal Scream, decided to hitch his wagon to a daft man who can't sing or dance, well that's something you'd have to ask him. But it all worked out in the end, more or less.

Really the only direct talk about "who did what" I'v heard is that the shift between Stones sounding material and noiser material was a pull between Innes and Young respectively, exactly what Gillespie brought song wise very hard to know, was it just lyrics or was it melodies?

I guess fashionable to hate the purer Stones/soul sounding side of the band but that release of the original Give Out But Don't Give Up/Memphis sessions from a few years ago I thought was excellent, much less goofy sounding that the reworked album that was originally released and both Innes guitar work and Gillespies vocals I think are excellent, probably as genuine as Primal Scream have ever sounded.

Post Evil Heat I would say the two best releases would be More Light which is a little patchy but does have some ambition at points and Live In Japan which might be my favourite album of that Shields era, more energetic than the studio versions(and Pills vastly different with a buzz saw riff) with Man's playing having much mroe personality.


poodlefaker

#48
I'd say his skill is as a bandleader; he brings onboard more talented people who can realise his vision.  I'd imagine most of his input has been around getting them out of bed/hospital into the studio.

greenman

#49
Really that he can't play the self aware post punk "genuine artist" role very well I can't say I care about very much, I thought an over abundance of private schoolboys focused on that was one of the major downfalls of the landfill indie era.

Came out with Corbyn support as well didnt he? I remember the leaflet about Satpal Ram in XTRMNR to.

And paid tribute to the death of Rosa Parks while she was still alive.

SteveDave

The only song post-"XTRMNTR" that's any good (for me) is "2013" although the bit that goes "And it's the final, solution, to teenage revolution" always reminds me of something that I can't put my finger on

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdCraT9_wk4

EDITED to put the full length version in

Pauline Walnuts

Quote from: SteveDave on October 27, 2021, 12:06:26 PM
the bit that goes "And it's the final solution, to teenage revolution" always reminds me of something that I can't put my finger on

Mein Kampf?


The Culture Bunker

I remember yonks ago Gillespie writing a fantastic bit of nonsense for the Observer - just Googled it:

"I came across a burnt-out motorcycle in the street this morning, no wheels, no seat, just a charred metal skeleton. It had obviously been stolen and dumped by a gang of teenage wild boys. It was the most beautiful thing I've seen since last night's evening sky. You don't find 'art' in galleries, it's all around you. The city is alive and on fire. Long may it burn."

Some wag suggested the quote went on: "Hang on, that's MY bike! Little BASTARDS! Flogging is too good for them!"

SteveDave

Quote from: Wacky Homemade Badges on October 27, 2021, 01:10:33 PM
Do The Strand?

It's not the lyrics, it's the melody. It's bugging me again now. Fucking Bobby will swing for this.

Quote from: SteveDave on October 27, 2021, 12:06:26 PM
The only song post-"XTRMNTR" that's any good (for me) is "2013" although the bit that goes "And it's the final, solution, to teenage revolution" always reminds me of something that I can't put my finger on

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdCraT9_wk4

EDITED to put the full length version in

It's Kokomo, isn't it. Bloody Kokomo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJWmbLS2_ec


gmoney

I'd like to see DJ Qualls play him in a biopic.