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“Here they come with their Makeup on” By Jane Savidge

For Christmas, i finally was able to get my own copy of Jane’s book written about suede’s album “Coming Up”. At first, i didn’t know what to think about it but i heard about how great suede fans said were liking it. Also this album in particular was the reason why i got into suede in the first place a few years ago.

For anyone confused who Jane Savidge is and how she relates to suede, she was their PR person. She goes in detail first about her encounter with the band at the start of the book. Then she goes in to the transition of suede from Bernard Butler’s Departure in the band to adding Richard Oakes and Neil codling. Throughout the book, without going into too much details and spoiling it, she goes track by track of each song off the album, what the background about the song, then she goes on about her perspective of each song.

What i also love about this book is that when needed she also mentioned key important suede books such as both of Brett’s Memoirs “Coal Black Mornings” & “Afternoon’s with the blinds drawn”. She also mentioned “Love & Poison” Written by David Barnett.

Overall Rating : 9.5/10

Book started : December 26, 2022

Book ended : December 29, 2022

#the london suede #brett anderson #neil codling #simon gilbert #mat osman #richard oakes #bernard butler

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“The Hard Stuff” Wayne Kramer Memoir Review

Recently on my grand adventures of going to my local second hand bookstore shopping that i try to do as often as I can, I came across Wayne Kramer’s memoir. As an avid Punk rock and MC5 fan, I did not know that this existed and so I was Intrigued to pick it up and read it for myself. 

A Little background on Wayne Kramer for anyone not familiar with him or MC5, Wayne was the Guitarist of Motor City Five (MC5). The band formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1963. The band Consisted of Members Rob Tyner (Vocals), Wayne Kramer (Guitar) , Fred “Sonic” Smith (Guitar) , Michael Davis (Bass), and Dennis Thompson (Drums). MC5 Established their sound with anti-establishment lyrics which innovated them as Pioneers of the Punk Rock Movement. Their Most well known song is “Kick Out the Jams”. 

First Impressions: My first impressions reading Wayne’s Memoir, I was unsure of what to think. Many people were very Critical of the memoir as they felt like Wayne didn’t really talk about Much of what like most documentaries would talk about bands like the history of the bands. They felt like him talking about his life at parts were boring. To me however, the purpose of a memoir, particularly for a musician to talk about their experiences for a band it needs a background on how they got into that band. For Wayne in particular, it happened to be his environment he was in, growing up in Detroit at a town where a city where crime was at it’s peak, everyone was getting arrested for the littlest things. Racism was also very common in the 60′s and this made Wayne Frustrated by that. he couldn’t understand why everyone couldn’t be treated equally. being around this environment as a teen and in your 20′s is what is the particular background for the lyrics behind MC5 and the lifestyle they wanted to show in their music. They wanted to be raw and Original as Possible. 

My favorite parts: 

One of my favorite parts of the Memoir without spoiling it for anyone, is how much Wayne didn’t realize how much of a impact his band had on the Punk Movement until He Met Joe Strummer and Mick Jones of The Clash. Wayne had never considered himself a punk legend in his his own mind, as MC5 to him had crashed in and burned due to the fact that they couldn’t keep a steady band together, the band was very political and Labels were afraid to have them. Also the fact that Wayne also had a few drug charges and to his name. I also think the coolest thing about this is that the clash had a song called “Jail Guitar Doors” written about Wayne. 

throughout the years, Wayne talks about the many musicians he has played with for charity concerts some being musicians such as William Duvall, Jerry Cantrell, Tom Morello, Billy Bragg, etc. some of the performances have been playing for inmates. after concerts, he tries to talk with inmates and hearing their stories and telling them about how music can be as a coping mechanism and a source as an outlet for anyone to get them out of anyone out of trouble. 

Overall : 

If you want to learn more about the background of Wayne and who he is as a person, this is a good book to read. if you want to learn about the lyrical background of MC5, this isn’t the book. this book is particularly one member’s experience of a good and a bad experience of a band at their high and their lows. 

Book Start: July 30, 2022 

Book End: August 20, 2022 

Rating: 8.5/10    

This picture was in Wayne’s book. He was at the white panther’s headquarters, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1969. Photo: Leni Sinclair

#wayne kramer #mc5 #rob tyner #fred sonic smith #michael davis #dennis thompson

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“15 Again” Suede Song Review

Today on BBC radio 6 with Steve Lamacq, Suede released their new single “15 Again” the second single to be released for suede’s upcoming album Autofiction which is said to be released on September 16, 2022. 

Waiting for Steve Lamacq to play new the single, I was imagining what Suede had for this new single. was the lyrics going to remind of younger suede of days of Dog Man star? or was it going to remind me of coming up. to my surprise, it reminded me a mixture of both with something completely different from the style of suede. 

When the single was finally playing, i paid attention to each member carefully and had listened to each component of the song every time I replayed it. 

What I liked specifically about this newer suede stuff is each member of suede is in their own element. Mat’s Bass playing is at a level that you can follow it all throughout the song, but it doesn’t interfere with anyone else in the bands playing. Brett’s Vocals are at a range where he can carry his voice at an area where he isn’t straining his vocals. Simon’s Drums at times throughout the songs kept at a consistent pace, while also speeding at parts where it felt like it was necessary. Richard’s Guitar playing gives off a post punk and punk element to the song to add the element of the edge it was going for. Neil’s Piano/ Synthesizer playing really help blend and add to Richards guitar playing, both also really complimented each other really well. 

The lyrical aspect, the song is clearly written in the title is about being fifteen again. but the way the lyrics flow is clearly how (and possibly many others) felt at the time when they were fifteen. At that time in your life, you are in the element where you try to not let your emotions get you. like so many teenagers to pass the time and to escape the emotions, they resort to the comfort to the music as a form of comfort. The music is used as a safety blanket for teens and young adults to use when something doesn’t work out. Brett talks about this in the opening lines : 

 “ Nothing is as bad as the time we killed Searching in the bathroom and kitchen hills”  

However, the older we get, sometimes when things don’t go our way, or we are stressed out, grieving, etc. we want to feel like that fifteen year old self again, when our only care in the world was drowning the world out sitting in our bedrooms, being kids again and wasting time listening to music. 

“Afternoon's in bedrooms with TV bills “ 

“Fifteen again I wanna waste it, love “

So, we might get older. but somewhere deep inside our hearts, our mindset, and in our soul. We are 15 again. 

#the london suede #brett anderson #mat osman #richard oakes #neil codling #simon gilbert