A Chronicle Of Music's Underrated
Back in the days when the music buying public were enjoying their first taste of rave music, before it acquired its now mandatory "Nu Rave" name tag, a group of friends were starting a band, a band that would go onto to encounter more personal crisis and problems than humanly imaginable, culminating in the tragic death of organist Rob Collins in 1996. And yet throughout this The Charlatans somehow soldiered on, becoming a band that would remain criminally underrated and ashamedly under appreciated for the next 17 years. Whilst the likes of Oasis swooped in and stole the Manchester crown and whilst Britpop dominated the airwaves, The Charlatans somehow avoided the limelight. Sure they drew a strong following, their singles earned them critical acclaim but somehow there's a niggling feeling that this is a group that were never truly appreciated, that seemed to get lost in the hustle and bustle of the Britpop 90s. With that in mind the DVD release of 'The Charlatans: Forever. The Singles' comes as a bit of a shock, after all this was a band not known for their outstanding videos. But the tracks speak for themselves and whilst the ultimate album may have alluded them, The Charlatans somehow always seemed equipped to make great singles.
For a band not big on the full blown, big budget video, the release of a DVD collection of their singles may seem a strange choice, one that is probably best appreciated by the lifelong fans who have been with them from the begining, through the ups and downs. That said this is still a collection to be enjoyed by the sometime Charlatan fan. Movie style videos may not have been to the Manchester band's liking but what comes across throughout the band's whole 18 video catalogue is their own style and personality. Starting off where it all began with 'Indian Rope', The Charlatan's minimalist stance boldly steps up to the forefront. Uncomplicatedly letting the music do the talking, 'Indian Rope' sees the band simply playing in the studio, invoking the whole 'Manchester' scene stance so reminiscent of the 90's wherein lead singer Tim Burgess merely seems to sway about, feet remaining firmly stationary to the same spot throughout. From this the videos steadily grow in complexity, encompassing the swagger fuelled jaunt in America for 'North Country Boy' and the highly emotive depiction of life from birth to death in 'My Beautiful Friend', chronicling how the band's music progressed and their videos likewise before bringing us up to date with 'Blackened Blue Eyes' and 'You're So Pretty, We're So Pretty' injecting a touch of psychedelic dance into the equation.
As well as the videos, 'The Charlatans: Forever. The Singles' also boasts a behind the scenes look at the making of the video for 'Love Is The Key' and performances on Top Of The Pops and Later With Jools Holland along with live footage from a gig at Brixton Academy, giving the band chance to demonstrate what they do best - perform live.
Although The Charlatans may not be a band you necessarily associate with high performance, exciting videos, 'Forever. The Singles' emphasis just how underrated this band has been throughout their careers and whilst this may still be a collection that would be best appreciated by the faithful followers, it serves to underpin the fact that The Charlatans are a band who everyone should at least delve into, perhaps making this singles collection an ideal starting point to casually dip into.