I was at Manchester uni 1990 to 1994 and saw Bez out and about regularly. A couple of times I remember him sharing a spliff around the dance floor, and once he passed one to me at whatever that venue was that did the Space Funk nights. Anyway, it may have looked like a spliff, but whatever else was in it wasn’t cannabis and I spent the rest of the night absolutely banjaxxed.
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They did pen God’s Cop, sort a connection!
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Not seen that before. Amazing.
Paul Ryder was a brilliant bass player.
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Oh man, that is absolutely brilliant. I’ve never really explored the Mondays beyond the big hits. I was 9 in 1989 so they were nowhere near my radar.
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Another cracking version of Mad Cyril with Shaun looking 
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I love how a “i don’t get the happy mondays” post has lead to an outpouring of love for the band. In my opinion, they were the best of all the Madchester/baggy bands - so ramshackle and bonkers and proper. People herald the Stone Roses as being the pinnacle of that scene, but they only had one good album (and yes, it was a very good one) but the Mondays first 3 albums were all spectacular and unique. They evolved year to year and put out excellent EPs and 12"s with interesting choices of producers and remixers. Also, for a teen kid living on the other side of the world, their hijinx and excesses made for fun, funny, exciting press interviews that had a sense of anarchy and danger - all of which gave myself and a few mates endless fodder for shared entertainment. Sure, a lot of it was drug addled bullshit, but we lapped it up.
By the time I did get to see them live, it had all gone to shit, but despite that, I still had a moment when they played WFL - a track that captures everything thrilling about indulging in hedonistic naughtiness and being off yer tree.
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diabolical - Shaun coming in several bars too early is hilarious
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Fing hell 
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every so often a friend will be like “oh we should go see (someone) at this festival” - and performances like this are exactly why i decline.
everyone’s using backing tracks and 'playing live" in the least possible way in the greatest possible effort to sound like the original recording. nobody has the range, power or stamina to sing anymore, and it’s just shitty efforts at hyping a crowd. it’s barely live, at best it’s like musical hero karaoke.
99 times out of a hundred, i’d rather just hear the record.
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I would add about 80% of the music styled as Balearic that’s come out over the last 2 decades. Does nothing for me, but then I’ve never been to Ibiza in my puff.
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I think part of the problem is music trying too hard to sound dreamy and sunsetty but which is in truth a bit wallpaper. Dunno, maybe certain producers are angling for that lucrative advert spot or tv background fodder and think this is the way to do it? There’s always been muzak going back decades… but I think I really noticed its ubiquity from maybe 2008 onwards when Friendly Fires put out something which I think had an Aeroplane remix and you were supposed to like it, and yet it felt so bland and contrived. After that, there seemed to be a whole deluge of stuff passing itself off as ‘balearic’ but which completely missed the point imho. As ever though, it’s a wheat/chaff thing.
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Oh for sure. And some of it is made by people I respect as producers and DJ’s, which is very well made and I’m sure would sound amazing on a beach as the sun comes up. It has a similar effect on me as a lot of the nu-disco stuff that came out around the mid 2000’s.
As you said though, there was some great stuff amongst the many forgettable releases.
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I guess there’s a slightly separate debate to be had about what is inspired and what is derivative. I admit I have picked up a lot of very derivative music (LCD made a whole career out of it!) and sometimes it is so shamelessly derivative - or emotionally nostalgic - that you cannot resist eg Residentes Balearicos ‘cachondo’ is such a blatant bid to make a modern DFC tune, pilfering every single element from vintage Italian dream house - and yet it is instant feelgood earworm. But then of course, is this where innovation goes to die? on the eternal template of '89-92? Ibiza reduced to a Disney pastiche of former glories? Or was everything derivative from the start? (yes you too William Pitt). Rambling here and over analysing way too much as per usual…
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Don’t think it’s the derivative part for me tbh. I love plenty of music that’s derivative. Even the most innovative music is derivative to some extent, or at least building on what’s come before.
I think it’s more the style of a lot of newer Balearic music I find to be pretty bland. But I’m the wrong audience I guess.
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Anything trying to be balearic can never be in my book. But I’ve only been to Mallorca so what do I know.
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I look at it as the second coming of the 90s chill-by-numbers vapid ‘lounge’ music…watered-down trip-hop and downtempo.
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This stuff has been ongoing since the mid 90s - Buddha Bar and the latter Cafe Del Mar comps are full of it.
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I still remember people coming up when i was djing in bars late 90s early 00s asking if i played ‘chill out’. makes my skin crawl thinking about it.
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Here in Honolulu there’s a record store called Hungry Ear. Has a decent selection but the real joy is in the local Hawaiian records right up until you see the price tags. Every record is $250+! He also had multiple copies like the Catch A Wave record but all of the prices were $500. I asked him how long he’s had them on sale and he said, “Years, nobody buys it.” I think in his mind it was because nobody likes Hawaiian music but the truth is nobody can afford his prices. A proper vinyl museum.
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Sacrilege!
I love that Friendly Fires mix 
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Totally agree though.
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