from the 12” single, Situation Two Records, 1990There is something about the sound of a church organ, so urgent, so dramatic---it’s as if someone was screaming, only it sounded lovely; the Charlatans always employed its sound to great success. Sure, their vibe is a direct rip-off from the first wave of C86 bands like Inspiral Carpets or Primal Scream (shit, even the slip to this 12” was a near copy of the cover done for the Stone Roses’ Sally Cinnamon 12”), but they imitate the sounds wonderfully and, candidly, they outdo many of their influences. Seemingly about an obsession over some girl, the song whirls around in a haze of delay and wah-wah, emulating the visceral impact of being in love quite well. I first owned this on a cassette single, which I promptly bought after seeing the video on MTV’s revolutionary show 120 Minutes; speaking of which, MTV has sucked stale farts for so long now, playing music videos actually seems like a novel idea again!
