Cast – All Change
In the mid-nineties there was a moment when 'Britpop' ruled the world. The Mancunian Gallagher brothers and their band Oasis were at the apex of their popularity (and in the midst of their long-standing public spat with Blur), and Liverpudlians Cast released their debut album 'All Change'.
Originally released in 1995 and recently re-issued as a deluxe 2 disc edition to celebrate the album's 15th anniversary, 'All Change' has coped well with the passing of fifteen years and it still sounds as well-crafted and fresh as it did upon its release. The fact that it has aged so well is not altogether surprising when you consider that Cast (as well as main man John Power's previous band 'The La's') owed a large debt to the 60's and were, by their very nature, a band whose sound was not defined by one musical era.
The first disc in this deluxe reissue contains the original 'All Change' album, including the rollicking 'Sandstorm' and the poignant 'Walk Away' (a track which deserves to be as well known as Oasis' 'Wonderwall'), bolstered by the addition of 8 B-Sides which serve to compliment the quality of the original album.
The second disc is mainly of interest to hardcore fans. Predominantly comprised of demos of variable audio quality, it also includes previously unreleased track 'All Of My Days', an alternative mix of 'Back Of My Mind' and also includes a live set recorded in Leeds in 1996. It's interesting to note that Noel Gallagher once said of seeing Cast live, that it was like a "religious experience", and the 6 tracks on offer here certainly highlight what a proficient live band Cast were.
If the second disc, with its work-in-progress demos, is an interesting insight into the band (though not interesting enough to warrant frequent listening), it's the consistently high quality of the tracks on the first disc that make this a worthwhile purchase; full of unceasingly catchy pop with an unashamedly retro flavour, 'All Change' perfectly encapsulates the age of Britpop circa 1995 and, 'Cool Britannia' may now, thankfully, be a distant memory, but 'All Change' still sounds as well-crafted 15 years on as it did back in '95.