Various Artists
Scared to Get Happy: A Story of Indie-Pop 1980-1989
Scared to Get Happy: A Story of Indie-Pop 1980-1989
UPC: 5013929101005
Format: CD (5 disc)
Release Date: Jun 24, 2013
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Personnel: Matt Ingham.
Audio Remasterer: Simon Murphy .
It's never an easy thing to release a set that attempts to tell the story of a sound, as invariably people will complain that there are worthy bands left off, bands included that shouldn't have been, avenues that are left unexplored, or compilers who just don't have a firm enough grip on said style. The five-disc set Scared to Get Happy, complied by John Reed of Cherry Red, does an admirable job of exploring the '80s U.K. indie pop scene. With 134 songs here, there aren't many tributaries left uncovered, with representative songs from almost every guitar pop style of the era -- beginning with jittery post-punk and smooth underground pop, then spending a long time with Smiths-y jangle pop and fuzzy post-Jesus & Mary Chain noise, before ending with some pre-shoegaze and proto-Brit-pop. Along the way an impressive amount of ground is covered with quite a few rarities, forgotten bands, and weirdo moments of greatness frequently popping up. The overall quality of the bands included is high throughout, and while a few choices could be argued by the faithful (We've Got a Fuzzbox or the Shamen, for example), this happens with any set as comprehensive as this. The chronological presentation is helpful too, giving the listener a chance to see how the Dolly Mixture influenced the female-fronted bands that came after them, or how the influence of Creation records grew and threatened to overtake the era (for better or worse.) It truly does tell a story in that respect. There are a couple of painful problems with the collection, however. Due to licensing issues or oversight, some of the most important names of indie pop like Felt, the Pastels, the Vaselines, My Bloody Valentine, Orange Juice, and the Smiths are missing. It's an understandable problem, and as Reed claims, it's maybe not a big deal that they're missing since their work is so well-known. Despite this issue, the good outweighs the bad, for the most part. There is enough jangling, noisy, melodic, and heartfelt songcraft here to make anyone who's ever fallen in love with indie pop happy. Certainly the story of '80s indie pop is one worth telling, and an effort as wide-reaching and open-armed as this has to be welcomed. ~ Tim Sendra
Audio Remasterer: Simon Murphy .
It's never an easy thing to release a set that attempts to tell the story of a sound, as invariably people will complain that there are worthy bands left off, bands included that shouldn't have been, avenues that are left unexplored, or compilers who just don't have a firm enough grip on said style. The five-disc set Scared to Get Happy, complied by John Reed of Cherry Red, does an admirable job of exploring the '80s U.K. indie pop scene. With 134 songs here, there aren't many tributaries left uncovered, with representative songs from almost every guitar pop style of the era -- beginning with jittery post-punk and smooth underground pop, then spending a long time with Smiths-y jangle pop and fuzzy post-Jesus & Mary Chain noise, before ending with some pre-shoegaze and proto-Brit-pop. Along the way an impressive amount of ground is covered with quite a few rarities, forgotten bands, and weirdo moments of greatness frequently popping up. The overall quality of the bands included is high throughout, and while a few choices could be argued by the faithful (We've Got a Fuzzbox or the Shamen, for example), this happens with any set as comprehensive as this. The chronological presentation is helpful too, giving the listener a chance to see how the Dolly Mixture influenced the female-fronted bands that came after them, or how the influence of Creation records grew and threatened to overtake the era (for better or worse.) It truly does tell a story in that respect. There are a couple of painful problems with the collection, however. Due to licensing issues or oversight, some of the most important names of indie pop like Felt, the Pastels, the Vaselines, My Bloody Valentine, Orange Juice, and the Smiths are missing. It's an understandable problem, and as Reed claims, it's maybe not a big deal that they're missing since their work is so well-known. Despite this issue, the good outweighs the bad, for the most part. There is enough jangling, noisy, melodic, and heartfelt songcraft here to make anyone who's ever fallen in love with indie pop happy. Certainly the story of '80s indie pop is one worth telling, and an effort as wide-reaching and open-armed as this has to be welcomed. ~ Tim Sendra
Tracks:
Disc 1:
1 - Revolutionary Spirit
2 - Getting Nowhere Fast
3 - Showing Off to Impress the Girls
4 - (There's Always) Something on My Mind
5 - Missionary
6 - Jet Set Junta
7 - Dumb Magician
8 - Don't Come Back
9 - Candy Skin
10 - Ambition
11 - Everything and More
12 - Paraffin Brain
13 - All About You
14 - It's a Fine Day
15 - I Think I Need Help
16 - Things Have Learnt to Walk That Ought to Crawl
17 - Summerdays
18 - Lions in My Own Garden (Exit Someone)
19 - Nerve Pylon
20 - Feeling Dizzy
21 - Lost and the Lonely
22 - Human Features
23 - Roll On Summertime
24 - Happy Birthday
25 - Norman and Narcissus
26 - Picture of Dorian Gray [Live]
Disc 2:
1 - Sun Shines Here
2 - If She Doesn't Smile (It'll Rain)
3 - Everybody's Problem
4 - Dark 7
5 - Stop the Rain
6 - I'm Used Now
7 - Sense Sickness
8 - Honey at the Core
9 - Oblivious
10 - Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken [Indie Version]
11 - Kardomah Café
12 - This Brilliant Evening
13 - Dolly
14 - Plenty
15 - Southern Mark Smith
16 - Where the Traffic Goes
17 - Forever
18 - Every Conversation
19 - In the Afternoon
20 - Hymn From a Village
21 - Just Like Honey [Demo Oct '84]
22 - Chocolate Elephant Man
23 - Temple of Convenience
24 - God Bless
25 - Debra
26 - Up the Hill and Down the Slope
Disc 3:
1 - Velocity Girl
2 - Go Out and Get 'Em, Boy!
3 - Thru the Flowers
4 - Sad?
5 - All Day Long
6 - Something Happens
7 - X X Sex [Demo]
8 - Is There Anyone Out There?
9 - Quite Content
10 - Red Sleeping Beauty
11 - Motorcity
12 - Completely & Utterly
13 - Cut the Cake
14 - Loggerheads
15 - Don't Worry [Demo]
16 - Sick Little Girl
17 - Big Pink Cake
18 - It's a Good Thing
19 - Almost Prayed
20 - Vote for Love
21 - Beatnik Boy
22 - She Dazzled Me with Basil
23 - Gentle Sound
24 - Baby Blue Marine [Alternative Version]
25 - Rain Fell Down
26 - (Whatever Happened To) Alice?
27 - Balloon Song
28 - Wonderful Day
Disc 4:
1 - Shine On
2 - Something About You
3 - Albums of Jack
4 - Albert Parker
5 - Love Is Blue
6 - Heaven Forbid
7 - Delilah Sands
8 - Shimmer
9 - Gruesome Castle
10 - Engine Failure
11 - If I Said
12 - Tidalwave
13 - She Looks Right Through Me
14 - Room in Your Heart
15 - Love Resistance
16 - Take Your Time Yeah!
17 - She's a Nurse But She's Alright
18 - Toy
19 - Tranquil
20 - You Make My Head Explode
21 - My Favourite Wet Wednesday Afternoon
22 - Tug-Boat Line
23 - World Is
24 - One of Those Things
25 - Be Small Again
26 - Lee Remick
27 - Son of a Gun [Demo]
Disc 5:
1 - Hardest Thing in the World
2 - Keep the Circle Around
3 - Indiepop Ain't Noise Pollution
4 - Solace
5 - Only (A Prawn in Whitby)
6 - Landslide
7 - All Aboard the Love-Mobile
8 - I'm in Love with a Girl Who Doesn't Know I Exist
9 - Strawberry Window
10 - Choirboys Gas (Hack the Cassock)
11 - Circle Line
12 - I've Got a Habit
13 - Skin Storm
14 - Are You Happy Now?
15 - Picking Up the Bitter Little Pieces
16 - Dreamabout
17 - Adam's Song (Pour Fenella)
18 - Jesse Man Rae
19 - Cecil Beaton's Scrapbook
20 - Speak to Me Rochelle
21 - Dry the Rain
22 - Forever Holiday
23 - Suburban Love Songs
24 - Roses
25 - Sun Is in the Sky
26 - Perfect Needle
27 - Catweazle
1 - Revolutionary Spirit
2 - Getting Nowhere Fast
3 - Showing Off to Impress the Girls
4 - (There's Always) Something on My Mind
5 - Missionary
6 - Jet Set Junta
7 - Dumb Magician
8 - Don't Come Back
9 - Candy Skin
10 - Ambition
11 - Everything and More
12 - Paraffin Brain
13 - All About You
14 - It's a Fine Day
15 - I Think I Need Help
16 - Things Have Learnt to Walk That Ought to Crawl
17 - Summerdays
18 - Lions in My Own Garden (Exit Someone)
19 - Nerve Pylon
20 - Feeling Dizzy
21 - Lost and the Lonely
22 - Human Features
23 - Roll On Summertime
24 - Happy Birthday
25 - Norman and Narcissus
26 - Picture of Dorian Gray [Live]
Disc 2:
1 - Sun Shines Here
2 - If She Doesn't Smile (It'll Rain)
3 - Everybody's Problem
4 - Dark 7
5 - Stop the Rain
6 - I'm Used Now
7 - Sense Sickness
8 - Honey at the Core
9 - Oblivious
10 - Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken [Indie Version]
11 - Kardomah Café
12 - This Brilliant Evening
13 - Dolly
14 - Plenty
15 - Southern Mark Smith
16 - Where the Traffic Goes
17 - Forever
18 - Every Conversation
19 - In the Afternoon
20 - Hymn From a Village
21 - Just Like Honey [Demo Oct '84]
22 - Chocolate Elephant Man
23 - Temple of Convenience
24 - God Bless
25 - Debra
26 - Up the Hill and Down the Slope
Disc 3:
1 - Velocity Girl
2 - Go Out and Get 'Em, Boy!
3 - Thru the Flowers
4 - Sad?
5 - All Day Long
6 - Something Happens
7 - X X Sex [Demo]
8 - Is There Anyone Out There?
9 - Quite Content
10 - Red Sleeping Beauty
11 - Motorcity
12 - Completely & Utterly
13 - Cut the Cake
14 - Loggerheads
15 - Don't Worry [Demo]
16 - Sick Little Girl
17 - Big Pink Cake
18 - It's a Good Thing
19 - Almost Prayed
20 - Vote for Love
21 - Beatnik Boy
22 - She Dazzled Me with Basil
23 - Gentle Sound
24 - Baby Blue Marine [Alternative Version]
25 - Rain Fell Down
26 - (Whatever Happened To) Alice?
27 - Balloon Song
28 - Wonderful Day
Disc 4:
1 - Shine On
2 - Something About You
3 - Albums of Jack
4 - Albert Parker
5 - Love Is Blue
6 - Heaven Forbid
7 - Delilah Sands
8 - Shimmer
9 - Gruesome Castle
10 - Engine Failure
11 - If I Said
12 - Tidalwave
13 - She Looks Right Through Me
14 - Room in Your Heart
15 - Love Resistance
16 - Take Your Time Yeah!
17 - She's a Nurse But She's Alright
18 - Toy
19 - Tranquil
20 - You Make My Head Explode
21 - My Favourite Wet Wednesday Afternoon
22 - Tug-Boat Line
23 - World Is
24 - One of Those Things
25 - Be Small Again
26 - Lee Remick
27 - Son of a Gun [Demo]
Disc 5:
1 - Hardest Thing in the World
2 - Keep the Circle Around
3 - Indiepop Ain't Noise Pollution
4 - Solace
5 - Only (A Prawn in Whitby)
6 - Landslide
7 - All Aboard the Love-Mobile
8 - I'm in Love with a Girl Who Doesn't Know I Exist
9 - Strawberry Window
10 - Choirboys Gas (Hack the Cassock)
11 - Circle Line
12 - I've Got a Habit
13 - Skin Storm
14 - Are You Happy Now?
15 - Picking Up the Bitter Little Pieces
16 - Dreamabout
17 - Adam's Song (Pour Fenella)
18 - Jesse Man Rae
19 - Cecil Beaton's Scrapbook
20 - Speak to Me Rochelle
21 - Dry the Rain
22 - Forever Holiday
23 - Suburban Love Songs
24 - Roses
25 - Sun Is in the Sky
26 - Perfect Needle
27 - Catweazle