// //
Hall of Fame 6
There are not many bands who I feel deserve a moment of silence after saying their name. In my spectrum, 90’s indie is the best music that there ever was, and I think Suede had the whole package. Their lead singer was charismatic and enchanting- they had a great guitarist, a great drummer, a great bassist. They were so very perfect, it’s almost impossible to find the words to describe them.
Suede formed in London in 1989. The early line up consisted of lead singer Brett Anderson, guitarist Bernard Butler, bass player Mat Osman and drummer Simon Gilbert. In 1992, Suede were hailed as “the best band in Britain” and the British music press loved them. Their music was clearly glam-rock inspired, their debut album “Suede” (released 1993) was the fastest-selling debut album in almost 10 years, and won the band a Mercury Prize. This album also firmly ensconced them in the Brit-pop movement taking over British music. Their second album “Dog Man Star” released in 1994 distanced them from their Brit-pop peers. “Dog Man Star” is regarded as Suede’s masterpiece, and I agree. However, it was this album that caused friction between Anderson and Butler to reach an uncomfortable level, and Butler left the band.
The band continued without Butler and released “Head Music” in 1997 to commercial success. “A New Morning” released in 2002 was unsuccessful and resulted in the group finally breaking up. After much speculation, Suede reformed in 2010 for a series of concerts.
The bands early work was not without bumps in the road, as is common with most bands. Initially, the band involved Justine Frischmann (later of Elastica). When advertising for a drummer, Suede were surprised to find their advertisement answered by Mike Joyce, formerly of The Smiths. Joyce declined joining the band as he felt they were too similar to The Smiths, and that his presence would damage the bands potential success. A permanent drummer was eventually found, and the bands early work saw now famous comedian Ricky Gervais as their manager. Frischmann and Anderson, initially a couple, broke up and Frischmann began dating Damon Albarn of Blur. The whole situation broke down and Anderson asked Frischmann to leave the band. This tightened the band as a whole but their music was still out of step with the popular grunge of the early 1990’s. The band grew in notoriety and popularity, and even saw Morrissey attend a gig.
Their first single (and incidentally my favourite song) “The Drowners” (released May 1992) was a success and offered sharp countenance to the Madchester “love your sisters and brothers” attitude and grunge music. The Drowners is such a naked, stark song, and I really love the strange melody. Anderson has a memorising voice, high and brittle; it forms around you like a cloud, spellbinding. I have never, ever heard anyone sing the way he does. The lyrics to The Drowners are typical of Suede- bleak and honest. I particularly love the chorus “So slow down, slow down, you’re taking me over” and the lyrics from the verse “we kissed in his room to a popular tune. Oh, real Drowners.”
Anderson soon became famous for causing controversy, such as his famous quote that he was a “bisexual man who had never had a homosexual experience”. In February 1993, Suede moved from highly touted indie band to major chart contenders with their third single, “Animal Nitrate”. It is songs like this in particular that the band were popular and famous for- charged with a weird and inviting sexuality. Their lyrics such as “in your council home, he jumped on your bones, and now you’re taking it time after time. Oh, what turns you on” united as much as it divided fans and critics alike. As Pulp had cornered the market on “kitchen sink drama”, Suede inhabited something darker, something more macabre and weird. Makes you wonder what goes on behind closed doors.
Rather like Morrissey and Marr, the writing partnership of Anderson and Butler hovers with a permanent question mark as to how close they were. Personally, I think the best example of this is “Black or Blue” from “Dog Man Star”. I don’t know how you cannot love the lyrics “I don’t care if you’re black or blue, me and the stars stay up for you.” Anderson, as a solo writer, is responsible for some of the best lyrics I’ve ever heard- such as the 1997 single “Lazy”, which opens with “here they come with their make up on, as lovely as the clouds come and see them”. The bleakness never leaves Andersons lyrics, long after Butler had departed the band.
The first Suede song I ever heard, and fell in love with was, “The Beautiful Ones”. Released in 1996, the video is an artful mess of black and white, which I completely loved, and the lyrics as odd and stark as can be expected from Suede. “High on diesel and gasoline, psycho for drum machine, shaking their bits to the hits. Drag acts, drug acts, suicide, in your dark suits you hide, stating his name, again.” I don’t really see how you can top that in an opening.
In 2004, after a small series of gigs as a reformed Suede, Anderson and Butler mended their friendship and formed the band “The Tears”, but unfortunately failed to generate much interest beyond their hardcore Suede fan base.
Bernard Butler is now a producer, and has collaborated with artists such as Black Kids, Duffy and Kate Nash. Matt Osman and has toured with Brett Anderson and Simon Gilbert is now in the band Futon. Richard Oaks (Butler’s replacement when he left the band) is now working on a new album under the name “Artmagic”.
Brett Anderson has now released four solo albums to mixed reviews, although I personally think the song “Brittle Heart” is very beautiful and sounds very much like Suede. A friend of mine was lucky enough to see the tour of the third album, and when Anderson announced to the audience “and now we’re going to do something really old” the audience screamed and cheered to which he replied “yeah…not that old.” I think this is proof enough that Suede, and their magical first three albums, will never be forgotten.
