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Underground > Radio & Music >

Julian Cope... or fucking WHAT!!!?

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12:16 / 12.02.05

I would just like to profess my love for Julian, who I disovered quite innocently when I was about 12 and "World Shut Your Mouth" was a mildly popular AOR single. A few years later I got the "My Nation Underground" album which, in hindsight wasn't that good, but blew my mind anyway. I was particularly taken by the poppy feel of the songs mixed with the creepy darkness of the lyrics, and I was probably "too young to understand."

Anyway. Only ever bought the "Best of" album in addition to "My Nation Underground" but that is truly one of the finest albums I've ever owned. I think the thing I love most about Monsieur Cope are the insane lyrics, my favorite being :
People I see
Just remind me of mooing like a cow on the grass.
And that's not to say
That there's anything wrong with being a cow anyway
But people are people
With the added advantage of the spoken word..."

Ah! Brilliance! Also love the big freakout during Reynard the Fox. And just love "Out of My Mind on Dope and Speed" just in general.

And I gotta say I'm kicking myself for not having gone to the JC concert here in London. There's no excuse - I'm IN LONDON!! *sigh*

08:04 / 14.02.05

nope, no sign yet. had to rapidly improvise valentine presents in the poundshop. have emailed them about it, no joy sofa.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

17:52 / 14.02.05

Oh, in case anyone's interested, I've just registered on the head heritage boards. Not posted anything yet, but I'm Stoatie.

CC just gets better and better.

--

23:25 / 27.02.05

Well, my Cope virginity is over. Yesterday during my break I popped into the CD store across the street to check out if they had any of his stuff. Now, this CD store kinda sucks: It caters to an alternative crowd but the most alternative thing they have is a few Merzbows and every now and then you'll maybe spot a Nurse With Wound CD or something, but generally the selection sucks. There's a better store in that same chain about 30 minutes from where I live, but getting there's a real chore. Still, I might trek out there tommorow to see if they have more Cope shit then the place near my job does.

I digress. This place had only one Cope CD, one I had heard of called "Autogeddon" (to be honest, I was actually looking for "Fried" or "World Shut Your Mouth" or "Rite 2" or "Jehovahkill"... Maybe even "Interpreter", cuz the idea of someone like Cope rapping appeals to me on a funny bone level). I got this CD for only $3. It was used, and though I don't often buy CDs used I figured I needed to start somewhere, so why not here?

Thoughts: It was a very strange listen. Kind of acoustic rock, space prog, and so on, so kind of what I expected in that regard. "I Gotta Walk" I liked a lot, though Cope sounded like he was trying to be Ian Curtis. "Paranormal in the West Country" was very good all around, though I liked the first segment best with Cope making weird rhytmic voice sounds. The last track, which was over ten minutes long, was approprietly spacey. I liked how a lot of the songs seemed to begin as fairly conventional guitar-based songs before getting strange: usually the arrival of some kind of lo-fi keyboard squall. All in all, it was an interesting listen and it's gotten me curious about listening to some more of his stuff.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

00:10 / 28.02.05

I love Autogeddon... it always seems to get overlooked, though...

"All night Barry Manilow, loud over the speaker system
Just tryin' to drive the fucker out..."

13:50 / 28.02.05

It's weird, I've never deliberately listened to a Julian Cope album, at least, not until very recently, but after reading Head On and Repossessed I feel like part of the man's family.

I'm finding myself, well, sort of worrying about them. Odd, huh?

18:22 / 28.02.05

I like it in "Ain't No Getting Round Getting Round" when he goes,

"Like a pig pullin' a cart load of sausages,
I'll draw my own conclusion"

That's one of my favourite ultimate classics in the world of classic amazing lyrics.

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21:49 / 02.03.05

17:14 / 09.03.05

I listen to World Shut Your Mouth more than any Teardrop's song. But that's only because some nudger scratched my disc and I'm too tight or lazy to replace it.

17:26 / 09.03.05

Oh, and Reward. I love Reward.

22:47 / 22.03.05

Did you know that Bill Drummond sang a song called "Julian Cope is dead"?

I've got an mp3 lying around somewhere... here you go.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

23:12 / 22.03.05

I did... but thanks for the link cos I don't have it!
It was recorded in response to Copey's track "Bill Drummond Said", if I recall correctly.

08:21 / 28.03.05

Hmmm, I never knew who Julian COpe was when I saw him play live. (I got a ticket because this girl was too sick to go to the concert and needed someone to go with her friend.)
My first impression while waiting before the man started was, "Jeeez there's a lot of old people here

And when the man came on in his fucking big platform boots I though, "this will be interesting," and man was it! Actually his presence and atitude won me over more than his songs (it was a solo concert.) He played justa guitar with some effects and alas his keyboard broke so he couldnt do some songs, but he told funny anecdotes (including the one about him underneath the turtle-he can't remember having that photo taken) and I left feeling very happy to have seen him live. Erm, I haven'T heard much of his cds, I wasn't that impressed (guitar music isnt my thing) but his intensity during the concert won me over, so I enjoy the songs I remember having heard in the concert.

12:28 / 04.05.05

Mmm...Mik mak mok is always guaranteed to make me laugh, and also feels appropriately silly when sung along to with an 11 year old in tow..

15:51 / 30.01.06

For those innarested, there's a very good interview with JC in this month's edition of that... that 'The Word' rag - the stuff about beer, Thor and Austria is especially worth the price of admission if you're bored and on a train, etc.

Thinking about it, and assuming it hasn't sold out yet, does anyone fancy going to see Cope at Koko in Camden in, I think, about ten days or so time?

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

08:39 / 31.01.06

Yes indeed... haven't got round to getting tickets yet- hopefully there're still some left.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

13:52 / 12.02.06

There are, and I'm cocking well going!

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

23:34 / 16.02.06

I just got back. I'm wankered. He was fucking brilliant.

Baobab Branches and Plastic

13:22 / 20.02.06

Awesome gig!

Neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeoooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwww

it goes away...

foolish fat finger

11:14 / 06.07.06

I just found a copy of 'head on/repossessed' in the charity shop, and I am re-reading it (first read it about 5 years ago)

one of the great things about Cope for me is that he lives by mythology, rather than logic... which inspires me to do the same... as best I can, anyways...

plus the third verse from 'elegant chaos' (quoted by cherielabombe above) I have decided, after 19 years since I heard it, is my favourite music lyric ever. better than Lennon, better than Dylan, better even than 'we built this city' by Starship...

oh, and the cover to Fried is the best album cover, I reckon...

it's funny actually, I was thinking about cope a lot, and those lyrics, and then the book just jumped up off the shelves at me... now I think I might buy 'fried' again, I haven't heard it for a few years now...

well, I'm off to 'get with the herd'...

(ps if anyone wants the book after me, gratis, PM me. it's ex-library, and a bit tatty, but emininently readable... no charge- I like sending books to people...)

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

12:52 / 17.08.07

Just got the new album, You Gotta Problem With Me... first listen, it's very good indeed. The now-to-be-expected anti-religious tirades are this time done to tunes that sound more like Jehovahkill than anything he's done since. COULD be his best album in fifteen years (though Dark Orgasm is fucking phenomenal), but I'll have to let the novelty wear off before I make the judgment.

22:25 / 17.08.07

God, he is so fucking hit-or-miss to me. I absolutely love some of his stuff, but I think the last thing I really enjoyed after Jehovakill was Skellington. But wait, that was before. Scratch that. I've not listened to 20 Mothers or Autogeddon enough to have a fair opinion, but most of what I've heard lately is a little too discordant, with his seemingly purposeful flat singing and noodly tunes. I'd love to hear that this new one has more meat to it; when he's good, he plugs into my head like those matrix jacks, but in a good way.

00:05 / 18.08.07

'Twenty Mothers' = High five.

'Autogeddon' (although it does have some good moments) = Low five.

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