sound of the suburbs

Maybe a little to simple this one, I chose today's band a) because I like them and b) because today being May 1st it is a public holiday in France, and the beginning of the great month of May when not only can we expect the weather to look up but we have 3 other public holidays (May 8, May 25 and June 5) to look forward to, and so for me that make today a Happy Monday!

Remember them? Of course you do, the Ryder brothers, Bez and some friends with those frentic baggy dance grooves from way back. They recorded two Peel sessions the first in April 1986 from which their signature tune 'Freaky Dancin' is taken and a second in February 1989 when 'Mad Cyril' was recorded, just listen to the way they craftily weave parts of 'Sympathy For The Devil into the fabric of their own song. I can remember the arrival of their seminal 'Pills thrills and Bellyaches' album and upon hearing the opening lines of 'Kinky Afro' ("Son I only went with your mother cos she's dirty"), realising that Sean Ryder might be an irresponsible lager lout drug lover but did he have a way with words. The said album was indeed the bands high point and everything was down hill after this until the they literally fell apart in the Bahamas while recording their final album 'Yes Please' which as far as the public were concerned was more a case of no thanks. When divorce settlements and drug dealers need to be pawed they have been known to get back together, but you should forget these come backs and dig out the original recordings and just close your eyes when listening to them and let the Happy Mondays fine music take you away.