RECOMMENDED REISSUE: the feelers; Supersystem (Warners)

 |   |  1 min read

the feelers: Honey God
RECOMMENDED REISSUE: the feelers; Supersystem (Warners)

New Zealand critics never much liked the feelers, but that hardly slowed them down. Knowing that living well is the best revenge they just kept making big selling albums and embarking on highly profitable tours when their massive audience came out to cheer them on.

This debut album from '98 -- here remastered and with four extra tracks -- topped the New Zealand charts, and was not their last to do that. It also scored them a bag on music awards.

I guess what most critics didn't like was that their sound was highly referential (Nirvana, pretty much any mainstream UK band which crossed over to an American audience) but you could hardly accuse many of New Zealand indie.rock bands of shining originality either.

Maybe their very success was galling in a country which only opens that particular portal to the select.

Whatever (as doubtless feelers fans were yawping at the time) . . .

Frankly, I never thought they were as awful as some would have us believe and it is always wise to set aside the personality of a musician when considering their art. Critics seemed to have real snitcher on about feelers' frontman James Reid.

Anyway, here for reconsideration is that debut album reissued and of course it sounds of its period, of its genre and so forth.

But if chest-baring guitar rock with a few dollops of teen angst is your thing (which immediately precludes most male critics over 25 perhaps) then this is right in the centre of the frame.

It sold 60,000 on its original release (outsold that year only by the Bee Gees' One Night Only) and arrived just as radio was looking for harder rock bands. And the promotion of the band was astute.

But in the end, people don't buy records they don't like (well, maybe hip indie kids do) and this sold and sold.

Yes, it is derivative but it also packs a powerful punch. Check it out.

As George Michael said, "listen without prejudice". 

Share It

Your Comments

post a comment

More from this section   Music at Elsewhere articles index

Mdou Moctar: Afrique Victime (Matador/digital outlets)

Mdou Moctar: Afrique Victime (Matador/digital outlets)

Remarkably, it has been more than 15 years since Elsewhere started to write about what has been called “desert blues” or “Sahara blues” out of the Tuareg (and beyond)... > Read more

Bowerbirds: Hymns for a Dark Horse (Rhythmethod)

Bowerbirds: Hymns for a Dark Horse (Rhythmethod)

This delightful alt.folk debut for this small ensemble lead by Phil Moore from North Carolina has already won massive praise from the likes of the Mountain Goats' John Darnelle ("only once... > Read more

Elsewhere at Elsewhere

Ziggy Marley: Wild and Free (Tuff Gong)

Ziggy Marley: Wild and Free (Tuff Gong)

After a faltering start with the Melody Makers, Ziggy (now 42) uncoupled his music from overly familiar reggae rhythms and incorporated African sounds, hooked up with rap artists, kept a... > Read more

Chet Baker: In New York (American Jazz Classics/Southbound)

Chet Baker: In New York (American Jazz Classics/Southbound)

Although you could hardly argue with a line-up which had tenor player Johnny Griffin, pianist Al Haig, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones alongside trumpeter Chet Baker, the result... > Read more