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◄ Takeoff is optional, landing is mandatory: Jimbo and the Jet-Set
I've been remiss in writing about music in general (around fifty posts on this blog, most being over ten years ago despite finding some enduring favourite music since) and particularly in giving attention to my de facto favourite band The Wildhearts. They should probably be referenced as the icon for a Music blog category here rather than fictional songsters Bill and Ted. They're not metal but usually the heavier end of music with rocks in, whilst still very often leaning into catchy riffs and melodies. Less conventional pop music.
When I left off writing in 2009 the Wildies were going through one of many difficult periods. Formed in 1989, I found them about ten years later circa college with p.h.u.q. (second album) era cassette singles then CDs in Stourbridge library. Everything released in the C20th was golden with amazing b-sides and I equally loved the noise of album Endless, Nameless that apparently put off many existing fans. The next ten years of reformations never quite hit the same heights for me. The ten years after that included a couple of particularly great live albums (Never Outdrunk, Never Outsung and 30 Year Itch) plus the excellent Renaissance Men, which out of all of the 'modern' era albums I listen to enough to have quickly picked up a separate copy for the car. Yes, physical media is still a thing. Those plastic discs are also known as 'backups' which are another thing a disturbing number of people don't have a concept of, YouTube is not a substitute, and get off my lawn, etc.
Whilst all of this has been going on, frontman Ginger has had more side-projects and solo albums than any of us have had hot dinners. Long-standing favourites are the comedy Clam Abuse duo with Alex Kane, Silver Ginger5, Super$hit666, and a recent favourite with staying power is the first Hey! Hello! album, pop rock that's up there with the best. A rotating cast of band members (and their family members too now) have had their share of collaborative and solo projects as well, a sprawling and expanding mass of connections.
The biggest part of what's changed is probably that I'm past that young adult phase of being disappointed when everything isn't unalloyed gold or to personal taste, and more appreciative when it is. That tallies with the frontman's own modern POV:
"I never do anything for the critics, ever. And often, I don’t even do things for the listeners, which is why I always issue a disclaimer before I release an album, “Okay, it might not be what you’re into, listen to it on Spotify first or check it out from a friend.” Because I do a lot of different albums in a lot of different styles. And I’m not sure I would trust anyone who likes all of those styles, because that’s a weirdo."
Ginger wrote an autobiography sequenced as notes around a chronological detailing of album tracks and b-sides some years back (Songs & Words, 2015) which got packed away during a move and I've only lightly read (but in the course of writing this I've just found a handy scanned PDF which will help, and hopefully it'll reappear at some point as a more available official ebook or POD smaller format book, because thick oversized paperbacks are fragile and awkward to read). It reminds me of early net zines and BBS text files, helped by the layouts mostly using a monospace typewriter font, and with the year of publishing goes up to the 555% triple album solo project. It's a relatively unvarnished look back over how badly things went for the band with record labels, the impact of drugs and depression, suicidal behaviour, and a reminder that certain periods when they broke up or changed lineups were to keep people alive.
It's also one person's side of the story. Ginger being the face of the band and a constant, the others don't get as much exposure, even the 'classic' line-up members CJ (who also uses Wildheart as a performing surname), Ritch Battersby and Danny McCormack. As of 2023 the band is on hiatus again, and it feels like things have well and truly run their course. If you like short burst punk songs you might like to check out the album Teeth on Ginger's Bandcamp ahead of a label release at the time of writing projected as being later in the year. p.h.u.q. has been slightly remastered and released with its Fishing For Luckies tracks reintegrated into a double album, although you could create the playlist yourself if you have the original releases. But a few quid for the digital release with some tidying up of the sound is a nice bargain. The restored sequencing feels entirely natural even if you've listened to the separate releases a lot.
Danny's written a book too and I want to give it a capsule review that isn't just the typical "it's warts-and-all" or claimed shock about the drug stories type overview, so I'll stick with: it's articulate, seems balanced and fairer towards other people than might reasonably be expected, definitely doesn't let himself off the hook, and is well worth a read. For more on other people's side of things, I'd suggest checking out originalrock.net for interviews including Ritch, CJ and Danny.
What's clear is that there are messy legal situations, financial disputes and fallings out. A Conservative government hanging live entertainers and a lot of other self-employed folk out to dry during some of the most difficult early stages of the covid pandemic (which, denial by governments, nutjobs and people desperate for normality aside, is still ongoing, and performers and audiences continue to contend with serious illness from sharing air) is part of it, but far from all. Asides from a bit of a Grand Theft Audio reformation Ritch is a builder and CJ is doing solo stuff including a range of family recipe hot sauces. Both are obviously fed up with the chaos of being around addictive personalities. Ginger seems to be forming a new Wildhearts line-up. Danny's taking things day by day. Everyone's trying to get by.
So off I went to see what the others have been up to musically. Back in the day I never really latched onto the Jellys, Honeycrack, GTA, etc. apart from occasional tracks that found their way onto magazine CDs and compilations. I'd like to think my tastes are a bit more encompassing now, but the truth is I listen to less music, have a sizeable collection already and prefer known good stuff to looking for new.
Danny - had a side project of The Main Grains who are convivial punk rock.
CJ Wildheart - has lots of albums on Bandcamp... I listened to Kicks (live recordings) and picked up the "best of" to dig more into. It's pleasant if not revolutionary, which is my first impression of most music these days.
Ritch - there's a new Grand Theft Audio one after 20 years, Pass the Conch, and I needed a refresher on the original Blame Everyone. Noisy chill out music, suits being spaced out and I'm listening to again whilst editing.
In the course of writing I also watched the 90s music videos for first time, including a relatively uncensored bootleg MPEG of the amusing Lovebank one. Thirty years on it feels like it belongs to a gentler era of phone box postcards and softcore VHS.
My top ten picks and interesting places to start with the Wildhearts?
Obviously it's just my opinion and these days you can find most things online, but most of this stuff was written and released as albums. There's also nothing wrong with checking out albums in order of release, or any other order for that matter.
1. The Best Of, which is disliked by the band because of the compromises involved and it being more of an early singles collection. However, it'll get you a decent selection of Earth Vs, Mondo Akimbo and p.h.u.q. album and EP tracks plus a few non album tracks for good measure.
2. Endless, Nameless which is another one other people might not endorse as a starting point... maybe come back to it if you prefer more melodic guitar music, but definitely do come back. It's a very cathartic listen.
3. Never Outdrunk, Never Outsung, which is p.h.u.q. with added oomph and a second disc of extra tracks.
4. Something with a selection of p.h.u.q. era b-sides... there are a few options here. There's an old re-issue of p.h.u.q. with the album tracks plus a disc of b-sides. Or there's the Japanese Best Of, or the licensed but unofficial The Works 3 CD collection which seems to have been a short print run and is quite hard to get hold of now, or you could easily score original CD singles on eBay for I Wanna Go Where The People Go, Just in Lust, Red light Green light and Sick of Drugs. Other singles from this era are also absolutely worth collecting.
5. Fishing For Luckies, which despite record label shit is a fantastic album.
6. Landmines and Pantomimes... another one not approved of by the band. The first six tracks are previously unreleased unfinished stolen demos. Which are still great songs and an interesting insight into process.
7. 30 Year Itch, a more varied excellent live album.
8. Renaissance Men, a solid whole album listen including the stand out Let 'Em Go and other earworms. I'd sort of consider follow-up 21st Century Love Songs the b-sides to this album, it's more chilled out by Wildhearts standards.
9. Anthem: The Singles Tracks, or as I like to think of it the second half of Endless, Nameless. It might be easier to find various singles, as this was a Japanese release, except if you don't do vinyl you'll miss some good tracks. Getting the other notable recording from this era, a cover of Pump It Up, is most easily done by tracking down a Melody Maker cover CD titled Independent and Still Taking Liberties. Both albums plus the non-album track fit neatly onto an 80 minute CD-R.
10. Grievous Acoustic Behaviour, or any live acoustic set recording Ginger's done that contains Wildhearts songs, really, for a sense of the music stripped down and minus studio stuff.
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