Brain Dead

from the LP Bummed, Factory Records, 1988



Perhaps better remembered for their drug-fueled antics off the stage than for their music, the Happy Mondays’ catalogue holds up rather well, in my humble opinion, and both their genre-bending style & all-around journey are far more interesting than most other brit-pop groups. They were kingpins of what was dubbed the “Madchester” scene, basically a bunch of working class kids in the Midlands rolling on E and throwing house parties; their music had many influences, from Krautrock to the Balearic-beat records which were just becoming more popular at that time. Shaun Ryder, their “singer”, turned into a British-tabloid-whore as his addictions led to many unpredictable and bizarre public outbursts, often involving guns and/or a lack of clothing; just think of him as that era’s Amy Winehouse. The spectacle he became makes this song, seemingly a rant against a junkie, more than just a bit ironic, “…grass eyed, slash eyed, brain dead fucker, rips off town & steals from his brother; loathed by everyone, but loved by his mother…”