Alan McGhee's greatest achievement is not discovering Oasis at
King Tuts in Glasgow but side 1 of Biff Bang Pow's second LP "the
Girl Who Runs the Beat Hotel"
"Biff Bang Pow can be as unweildly as a cat with hob
nailed bots on .. they seem to deliberately pull themselves down,
and I'm not sure why.
It's in their nature to be capricious, and perhaps the disappointment
of parts of the B sides of their LP's makes the other songs more
urgent and worthwhile.
The fragile cadences of "The Girl Who Runs the Beat Hotel"
made more apparent by the wayword blotches towards the end, or
the stridency of "Oblivion" made more rousing by the
directionless songs."
I agree with this assessment from Dan Williams. Undoublty is was
Creation Records that used up much of Alan McGhee's energies at
this time. Keeping his own band a hobby perhaps, some light relief
from the constant hyping of the next big thing, lo-key and personal,
playing guitar with his mates, written songs of his lost loves
and personal jokes and obsessions. A time before drugs and rock
and roll.
Biff Bang Pow grew from a very british early eighties interpretation
of power pop and garage bands. Like the early Jasmine Minks or
The Times or even The Dentists this interpretation of The Jam
and classic beat pop had been dragged through punk, post punk
and the 1979 UK mod revival, distilled into something different,
rough and ready, more attitude that eptitude. Times where hard
to be a mod original, a nice stripey T shirt was hard to come
by. Biff Bang Pow's debut LP ploughed that power chord The Jam
influence and tales of love and hate.
However as the second LP came along Biff Bang Pow came into their
own. The power pop is good but unremarkable. This new Biff Bang
Pow sound is remarkable in its delicate melodies just right for
the emotive songs. Biff Bang PoW come into their own when the
songs are personal, intimate, meloncholic, understated. This is
music made for oneself, for each other, not for the press, the
money or the limelight. "Someone Stole My Wheels", "Loves
Going Out of Fashion", "She Never Understood",
"He Dont Need that Girl", "She Shives Inside".
What a run of songs!
Subsequent LP's had their high points, songs like "Sad Eyed
Girl" and "She Shivers Inside". Maybe there was
gaps in studio time booked by Creation, For some reason Biff Bang
Pow made a lot of LP's, (and subsequently a lot of compilations)
sure there was a need to sort the weed from the shaft, there was
too many personal jokes and mock psychedelia indulgences, but
when it was quintesentail Biff Bang Pow it made for classic pop.
I think I seen Biff Bang Pow live about 3 times, in London at
some Creation Records night, big venue where they played down
the bill besides the latest next big thing. Horrible. I seem to
remember them sharing the bill with The Wolfhounds at some London
University gig, which was better. However the one I remember is
at 46 West George St, Glasgow a Sunday night with Phil Wilson
supporting. Friends had just falling out big time at a bar around
the corner. It seemed that the mellow songs of Phil Wilson and
his post June Brides pre-alt country country tinged songs just
fitted perfectly with the mood. Then Biff Bang PoW played a set,
lo-key, sunday night kinda vibe. Had Alan McGhee just recovered
from a fall out as well, as he delivered the songs as if he was
strumming along in his bedroom, bitter and twisted, remorseful
and sad. The uplighting power of pop.
- June 05
Recommended Listening
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The Girl Who Runs the Beat Hotel
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LP, (Creation Records)
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1987
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Oblivion
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LP, (Creation Records)
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1987
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Songs for the Sad Eyed Girl
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LP, (Creation Records)
|
1990
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Waterbomb
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CD Compilation (Rev-ola)
1. Waterbomb!
2. There Must Be A Better Life
3. Love And Hate
4. Wouldn't You
5. Someone Stole My Wheels
6. Love's Going Out Of Fashion
7. She Never Understood (Green/Mcgee)
8. A Girl Called Destruction
9. She's Got Diamonds In Her Hair
10. Fifty Years Of Fun
11. Then When I Scream
12. The Beat Hotel
13. The Girl From Well Lane
14. Baby, You Just Don't Care
15. She Paints
16. It Makes You Scared
17. Hug Me Honey
18. You Just Can't Buy Satisfaction
19. The Death Of England
20. The Whole World Is Turning Brouchard!
Like the other compilations "The Acid House Album",
"L'amour, Demure, Stenhousemuir", "Bertula
Pop" this doesnt do the back catalogue justice but
a good starting point.
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2004
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