Half Man Half Biscuit - 90 Bisodol (Crimond)

[Taylor]

New album, out today - anyone got it yet? I know there are a few fans here (imagine that, on a site full of lower-league football fans in their 30s and 40s).

I've got plenty to say on it, but unfortunately I've been up all night and as a result my head feels like sponge. Fortunately, this was because I was writing another absurdly long piece for The Quietus on this very album.

Self-promoting link: http://thequietus.com/articles/07060-half-man-half-biscuit-90-bisodol-crimond

Great record. You should get it.

[The Exploding Vole]

Half Man Half Biscuit - 90 Bisodol (Crimond)

"My head feels like sponge." Heh.

[Kowalski]

Half Man Half Biscuit - 90 Bisodol (Crimond)

Thanks for the reminder.

Bangor are playing on Sunday so I decided to that I was going to watch Tranmere on Saturday, before the match I was planning to go to Probe records.

I should have known there was a greater cosmic force behind all this.

[Alderman Barnes]

Half Man Half Biscuit - 90 Bisodol (Crimond)

Excellent piece, Taylor. Absolutely spot on.

[Tony C]

Half Man Half Biscuit - 90 Bisodol (Crimond)

Terrific article, Taylor, but I can't help but think both yourself and Blackwell give the suburban middle classes an unnecessarily hard time.

My personal demographic certainly puts me in such a category and I don't believe I'm any more or less "cosy" than I was years ago when I lived in urban Manchester. I cared about issues but usually did nothing about them, listened to rebellious music but got a mortgage when I was twenty-one and lived a life of quiet aspiration that still continues.

Seriously, what's really so wrong with B&Q? What is this prickish life I am meant to lead?

[Taylor]

Half Man Half Biscuit - 90 Bisodol (Crimond)

Well it's not class status, it's behaviour, as far as HMHB are concerned (and me too, for what it's worth). It's not some kind blanket hatred of anyone living in comfortable surroundings, it's just the fact that people who do live in comfortable surroundings and are also pricks are the most annoying people in the world, and they're also culturally and politically influential in their prickishness. I meant to make this really clear in the article (that the bourgeoisie-bashing wasn't knee-jerk), but what with the last minute overnight rewrite...

I mean, it's not that there's anything wrong with going to B&Q - the line in that song "they know where things are in B&Q" is a lovely cuss, but it's not supposed to be an insult in itself, it's just a detail of a particular lifestyle which also includes going to one-day cricket in fancy dress, treating the Mercury Music prize with awe and having nothing but total respect for Annie Lennox. Spending every weekend in B&Q is a characteristic of middle-class prickishness, not something that automatically makes someone a prick (well, if it was every weekend, I suppose).

[Antepli Ejderha]

Half Man Half Biscuit - 90 Bisodol (Crimond)

Great news, thanks for letting us in on it Taylor.

[Wyatt Earp]

Half Man Half Biscuit - 90 Bisodol (Crimond)

Brilliant article. Will get the album.

[Mumpo]

Half Man Half Biscuit - 90 Bisodol (Crimond)

Just out of interest, which HMHB lyric comes closest to being self-deprecating?

[MsD]

Half Man Half Biscuit - 90 Bisodol (Crimond)

May I say that where I've sort of defended Annie Lennox on here with regard to her head-nodding thing, that I am not actually in favour of the woman generally. Neutral at best.

[meregreen]

Half Man Half Biscuit - 90 Bisodol (Crimond)

That was really good.

I've never bought a HMHB record as I've always assumed they were a kind of novelty act, but after reading that review I'm really tempted.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Half Man Half Biscuit - 90 Bisodol (Crimond)

It's testament to their cast-iron refusal to publicise anything that I knew nothing of this new release until now.

One order placed via Probe.

[The Exploding Vole]

Half Man Half Biscuit - 90 Bisodol (Crimond)

I can't fathom the title. Can anyone help?

[I.Wright]

Half Man Half Biscuit - 90 Bisodol (Crimond)

Well, Bisodol is an indigestion relief medication. Crimond is the name of the tune of psalm 23, The Lord's my Shepherd. There are 118 words in psalm 23.

So no, I cant fathom it either.

[diabloinglés]

Half Man Half Biscuit - 90 Bisodol (Crimond)

The HMHB Home Page says this:

The title is from the lyrics to Tommy Walsh's Eco House. Crimond is the Jess(i)e Seymour Irvine tune, as featured in brackets after the title "The Lord Is My Shepherd" in almost every wedding order of service, ever. Just to let people know what tune it was going to be sung to on this occasion, as if anyone thought there was another tune. It's also a village in the north east of Scotland, near Peterhead, but that's irrelevant here.

Still no idea what it really means!

[Guest]

Half Man Half Biscuit - 90 Bisodol (Crimond)

Got the album and its more of the same, so good stuff. Like the last track, "Rock and Roll is full of bad wools" in particular.

Like all their stuff fans will enjoy it, non fans just wont get it.

[Etienne]

Half Man Half Biscuit - 90 Bisodol (Crimond)

Any album which contains a song about korfball is OK with me.

[Duncan Gardner]

Half Man Half Biscuit - 90 Bisodol (Crimond)

Heard it through last night (I'd already heard five of the new songs when I saw them in Bilston a year ago). 'Fix it' probably my favorite along with 'Eco house' and 'Left lyrics'.

They're back to entertain the Black Country in January.

Excellent review TP.

One small quibble, the korfball song is a rewrite of David Wainwright's feet.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Half Man Half Biscuit - 90 Bisodol (Crimond)

I've listened to virtually nothing else since I got round to sticking it on the pod.

"RSVP" and "Descending the Stiperstones" are highlights for me, with "L'Enfer C'est Les Autres" summing my attitude towards selfish pavement users up perfectly.

[Freestyling buck wilding Stijn Stijnen]

Half Man Half Biscuit - 90 Bisodol (Crimond)

That review sold it to me.

Just looking through the lyrics, liked song for Europe.

'Where there is no love, there will be no peace. But get to know love and you'll know peace.'

What a nice sentiment.

Just starting on downloading the first album now.

[Jon]

Half Man Half Biscuit - 90 Bisodol (Crimond)

"They're back to entertain the Black Country in January."

I may well be up for that, DG.

[Duncan Gardner]

Half Man Half Biscuit - 90 Bisodol (Crimond)

HMHB playing at the Robin 2, Bilston (near Wolverhampton) tonight. Tickets available on the door.

[Duncan Gardner]

Half Man Half Biscuit - 90 Bisodol (Crimond)

Excellent gig.

1 Joy in Leeuwarden
2 Bottleneck at Capel Curig
3 When the evening sun goes down
4 Turned up, clocked on, laid off
5 Left lyrics in the practice room
6 Lilac Harry Quinn
7 Excavating Rita
8 Lock up your mountain bikes
9 Improv workshop mimeshow gobshite
10 Dukla Prague away kit
11 L'Enfer c'est les autres
12 National shite day
13 Best things in life
14 We built this village
15 1966 and all that
16 Irk the purists
17 Floreat Inertia
18 Vatican broadside
19 Rock and roll is full of bad wools
20 24 hour garage people
21 Tommy Walsh's Eco-house
22 Light at the end of the tunnel
23 Joy Division oven gloves
24 For what is Chatteris

25 Petty sessions
26 I love you because
27 Fix it so she dreams of me
28 99% of gargoyles