Suede - Dog Man Star (1994) (1 Viewer)

Title: Dog Man Star
Artist: Suede
Genre: Alternative Rock
Released: 1994

Tracks:
1 - Introducing the Band - 2:38
2 - We Are the Pigs - 4:19 -
3 - Heroine - 3:22
4 - The Wild Ones - 4:50 -
5 - Daddy's Speeding - 5:22
6 - The Power - 4:31
7 - New Generation - 4:37 -
8 - This Hollywood Life - 3:50
9 - The 2 of Us - 5:45
10 - Black or Blue - 3:48
11 - The Asphalt World - 9:25
12 - Still Life - 5:23
13 - Modern Boys - 4:49

Overview:
Dog Man Star is the second album by English alternative rock band Suede, released in October 1994 on Nude Records. It was the last Suede album to feature guitarist Bernard Butler, due to growing tensions between Butler and singer Brett Anderson ending with Butler leaving the band before the album was completed. Dog Man Star is more downbeat than their debut and chronicles Suede as they parted from the "Britpop pack".
Although it did not sell on the same scale as their chart-topping debut Suede (1993), Dog Man Star reached number three on the UK Albums Chart. Released to an enthusiastic critical reception, it is considered by many to be Suede's masterpiece.
In early 1994, when Suede were about to release the standalone single "Stay Together"-their highest charting single, which reached number three on the UK Singles Chart-the morale within the group was at an all time low. Butler's father had died just as the band were about to begin their second American tour. The first week of the tour was cancelled, and Suede flew back to London from New York. When the tour did resume, Butler distanced himself from the rest of the band far more than before. Recently bereaved and engaged, according to Butler, "they got really resentful of the fact that they were on tour with someone who didn't want to party". He even travelled separately, either alone, by taxi, or on the tour bus of support act The Cranberries. Then in Atlanta, Suede suffered the ignominy of having to open for The Cranberries, who'd been given a friendlier reception than the headliners and received the support from MTV as well. By New York they'd had enough and the last few dates were cancelled. According to drummer Simon Gilbert, Butler was becoming unworkable and intolerable, and the band could not function together any longer.
To record Suede's next album Anderson moved to Highgate, and began to write lyrics influenced by heavy drugs while living in a secluded Victorian mansion. "I deliberately isolated myself, that was the idea," Anderson later explained. The album was later described by one journalist as "the most pompous, overblown British rock record of the decade", which Anderson puts down to his use of psychedelic drugs. "I was doing an awful lot of acid at the time, and I think it was this that gave us the confidence to push boundaries." Anderson has said that he thrived on the surreal environment he lived in at the time; next door were a sect known as the Mennonites, who would often sing hymns during Anderson's drug binges.
I don't know if they were trying to appeal the shoegazers. It was over by then.
Noel Gallagher was the new Margaret Thatcher. The NME have turned on the shoegaze bands for not being ambitious enough, not writing mass appeal pop anthems that the milkman could whistle & not wanting to sell truck loads of albums.
 
Would the production not just be the sound of band infighting? Brett wants to write sexy anthems about being from a council house, Bernard wants to write 20 minute long space rock epics and this is them splitting the difference?

1994 is definitely waaay post shoegaze though, the year of Parklife, and Definitely Maybe setting sales records. And i cant imagine Suede deciding to look backwards to 1991 the year after their debut.
 
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From Mickapedia

"Butler became progressively more dissatisfied with Ed Buller's production. In a 2005 interview, the guitarist maintained his position on the matter, stating that Buller "made a terrible shoddy job of it".[20] Butler wanted Buller dismissed, allowing him to produce the record by himself.

It was later revealed that Butler had recommended Chris Thomas as their producer. Thomas was more experienced and had previously worked with punk rock bands The Pretenders and the Sex Pistols; however, Suede's label Nude Records dismissed the idea, saying he was too expensive.[21] Nude's owner Saul Galpern claimed that the guitarist became impossible to reason with, and also made threats to him and Buller. Buller claims he received phone calls where he heard something akin to scratching knives.[22] Butler issued the band and their management an ultimatum: either they sacked Buller, or he would walk out.[18] The rest of the band refused to comply with Butler's demands, and decided to let him walk out before the record was finished. Butler insisted he was kicked out of the band, for he turned up to the studio one day to find he was not allowed in. He went back the next day to pick up his guitar, and was told through the intercom that his guitar would be left in the street for him.[23] Suede's manager Charlie Charlton made a final attempt to reach consensus between the two parties; however, during a tense phone conversation the final words Butler uttered to Anderson were along the lines of "you're a fucking cunt".[20][23]"
 
I think they were all happy with the production except Butler and they kept this producer for the next album and some future ones. I guess you just go with what seems good at the time and regret it later
 
I have no issues with the production myself. I'll need to listen again and, I guess, try and find fault?
 
The new remix suggestion was an interesting idea. Keep it for the 30th anniversary mega mega mega deluxe boxset.

I don't mind the production.
 
You should see the production discourse on the Prince boards. "Why is there a little bit of reverb on the drums on this unreleased track? Prince would NEVER use reverb there, it's UNLISTENABLE."
 
Had 4 cans and listening for the first time ever on YouTube. Up to New Generation which is a tune. One before it was a dud. Teenage wife loved these lads.
 
Would the production not just be the sound of band infighting? Brett wants to write sexy anthems about being from a council house, Bernard wants to write 20 minute long space rock epics and this is them splitting the difference?

1994 is definitely waaay post shoegaze though, the year of Parklife, and Definitely Maybe setting sales records. And i cant imagine Suede deciding to look backwards to 1991 the year after their debut.

Fair enough. I'll go with Anderson's council estate blues myself [Anyone read his book?]. Good assessment though. That tension does work well on occasion. Too many strong poets may just spoil the broth though...

As for the latter point, surely Anderson wouldn't have taken Blur terribly seriously? Suede have a lot of strong identifiable elements... they are quite aesthetic...Blur are much more of a patchwork affair. Who was that bloke in an old NME issue who described Blur as "clever thieves"? I think he was in Asian Dub Foundation. I can't see the likes of Cocker or Anderson giving two hoots what Blur were up to in 1994 or any other year. Pulp and Suede have a much more evolved aesthetic surely? But you're our man on Britpop... so what the hell do I know?


'The Two of Us' - quite lovely. Nice sound there actually.
 
I read Anderson's first book, Coal Black Mornings. I don't think he's all that great a lyricist or writer or anything but I liked it a lot, I want to read the second one. He takes the music and the band very seriously.
 
Fair enough. I'll go with Anderson's council estate blues myself [Anyone read his book?]. Good assessment though. That tension does work well on occasion. Too many strong poets may just spoil the broth though...

As for the latter point, surely Anderson wouldn't have taken Blur terribly seriously? Suede have a lot of strong identifiable elements... they are quite aesthetic...Blur are much more of a patchwork affair. Who was that bloke in an old NME issue who described Blur as "clever thieves"? I think he was in Asian Dub Foundation. I can't see the likes of Cocker or Anderson giving two hoots what Blur were up to in 1994 or any other year. Pulp and Suede have a much more evolved aesthetic surely? But you're our man on Britpop... so what the hell do I know?
Suede and Blur were arch rivals before Blur and Oasis! I know Brett was (quite rightly) very disparaging about the lyrics on Leisure,and Damon nicked his girlfriend and all that.

That'd be all 1992/1993 stuff though, by 1994, yeah you might be right in regards competition with each other but i just can't see anyone wanting to go backwards to shoegaze (pre-Nevermind music!) when the success and money is in some form of Britpop.
 
I read Anderson's first book, Coal Black Mornings. I don't think he's all that great a lyricist or writer or anything but I liked it a lot, I want to read the second one. He takes the music and the band very seriously.

The only suede book I've read is love & poison by David Barnett. It's very good. Worth reading.
For general britpop, the last party by John Harris..... excellent.
 
Suede and Blur were arch rivals before Blur and Oasis! I know Brett was (quite rightly) very disparaging about the lyrics on Leisure,and Damon nicked his girlfriend and all that.
Duh. How could I have forgotten that little soap opera nugget...



Listening again... I think the second half of the album works better.

Not particularly taken with Bernard Butler's guitar sound on this record... on another listen. I think it's a bit weak. Cliched or something. Overblown... in a way that adds a lot of empty dazzle. And it sounds a bit thin... it should be thicker in the mix. Maybe it's thin to fuck him over in a way...
 
There's a part in the last party book. When Damon hears that Bernard Butler has left suede, he does a little victory dance. With his foes mortally wounded he goes looking for a new enemy to focus on.
 

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