The Unheard Music (Volume XXXIX)

Remember The La's?  Maybe not the name, but the Liverpool band's big hit single "There She Goes" was ubiquitous in 1991.  There were alternate theories about the song's subject matter with a leading theory being that it was about heroin, a substance lead singer Lee Mavers may have had some troubles with during the band's existence.  This took on new meaning when Bible-thumpers Sixpence None The Richer covered "There She Goes".  The La's self-titled debut is damn close to absolute perfection and is among a small, elite group of bands/artists who released just one album that just so happened to be brilliant.  While Lee Mavers received the lion's share of attention, bassist John Power seethed as his songs were rejected by Mavers and Power grew tired of playing the same tired set of ten or so songs, some of which dated back a decade, so he quit.  Upon quitting, Power formed Cast, one of the great forgotten bands of the 90's Brtipop era.

While Power claims it's merely a coincedence, the word 'cast' does happen to be the final word sung on the one and only La's album.  And we all know how much fans of certain Liverpulian bands like to find such clever clues.  Whatever.  While their Britpop contemporaries (Blur, Oasis, Pulp) enjoyed successes beyond the Mid-90's, Cast seemed to flame out just as the new millenium was beginning, releasing two great albums, one not-so-great album and one I have not heard.  We'll take a look and listen to material from the two good ones, naturally. 

The debut All Change came out in 1995, while the memory of The La's was still relatively fresh in the minds of fans.  The first thing that struck me when I got the record was the running time of 1 hour, nearly twice the length of the one and only La's record. Then I figured out that if you subtract the 25 minute final track "Two of a Kind", it clocks in at precisely the same length as the La's album (35 min.), which is the perfect length for an album of this genre.  While solid throughout, the two standout cuts for me are "Finetime" and "Sandstorm".  Both songs charted in the U.K. but didn't even make a dent in the States, except on college and alternative radio, despite John Power's pedigree.

After the so-so Mother Nature Calls, the band released Magic Hour in 1999.  Fortunately for me, I avoided the hefty import markup price (the album never came out in the U.S.) and picked it up in London for the "Nice Price" of £6.99.  It was certainly a step above Mother Nature but not as good as All Change. The single I heard on the BBC was definitely the strongest of the lot "Compared To You" ,"Beat Mama" is also a keeper.  Once again, it failed to make any impression whatsoever in the U.S. except for at college radio, even the alternative stations stayed away. One more record--Beetroot (which I have not heard)--followed in 2001, and if this AMG Review is to be believed, perhaps I should track it down.

So, I assume you'd all heard of The La's before today--if not track their eponymous record down immediately--but I wonder if you'd ever heard Cast before, or even heard of them?  Have a great weekend, enjoy the music.

Comments

[Jeff]

Great tracks - really takes me back. I think There She Goes was the last 45 I ever bought (Eastern Bloc records, still there last I checked) and it's great to hear Cast again. Reminds me times when I enjoyed being in the UK...

[mattbarr]

I knew of both bands, but did not know the connection! Also, I have never heard anything beyond All Change (and haven't heard that one in a long time), so I am excited to get to these tracks. Thanks.

[Kent]

Love the La's and Cast. Never saw the La's live but saw Cast at Metro and they were great. Feels like a million years ago.