The Way Of The Vaselines: A Complete History

当時のスコットランド・インディ・シーンを定義する存在で、カート・コバーン等、多くの人から賞賛されてきたバンド、ヴァセリンズ。彼らの初期音源を収録するコンピレーション盤がリマスター/リフレッシュされリリース。【リマスター盤】

The Vaselinesは、ジャンルや国を超えて、ミュージシャンや音楽ファンから長い間賞賛されてきた。その中には、熱烈なファンであったKurt Cobainも含まれる。彼らは、80年代半ばに結成され、The PastelsのStephen McRobbieのレーベルからデビュー・シングルをリリース。当時のスコットランド・インディ・シーンの狡猾なウィットと抗いがたいポップ・フックを定義する存在となった。Sub Popからリリースされる『The Way of the Vaselines』のリマスター再発盤は、このスコットランドのバンドの短いキャリアをすでに知っている人にとっては、彼らの作品群をより深く掘り下げる機会となり、彼らの音楽を初めて聴く人にとっては、なぜ多くの人が彼らを高く評価するのかを肌で感じる機会となる。元々、カセットテープからマスタリング(その後、新世紀になってより良い機材でリマスタリング)されたこのアルバムは、バンドの2枚のEP(『Son of a Gun』と『Dying for It』)と唯一のLP『Dum-Dum』をコンパイルしたもので、1980年代から1990年代にかけての彼らの初期音源を収録する。1992年にCDのみでリリースされ、今回、初のヴァイナル化となる。

Kurt Cobain made a lot of mistakes in his life but loving the Vaselines was not one of them. Nirvana covered one of their songs for their MTV Unplugged session, two other covers show up on the Incesticide record and as Kurt might tell you if he were alive today, from 1986 to 1989 the Vaselines were the best pop band on the planet. Sub Pop was kind enough to cash in on the Nirvana connection and on The Way of the Vaselines: A Complete History, release everything the Vaselines recorded. From the stomping, singalong opener "Son of a Gun" to the distorted and nasty "Let's Get Ugly" 17 tracks later, this collection is the Holy Grail of indie pop music. It's unfailingly amateurish, almost completely silly, occasionally quite perverted, and always about sex. The music has the simplicity and ear-grabbing melodies of the best bubblegum, the loud and semi-competent guitars of punk, and some of the attitude and lo-fi sound of the noise rock scenesters like the Jesus & Mary Chain. Throw in a bunch of religion and add simplistic choruses that will have you singing along the first time you hear the songs (as well as the thousandth) and you've got just about all the bases covered. It's near impossible to pick any songs as standouts since they are all so first-rate. A few moments that stand out though are Frances McKee's sweet schoolgirl vocal on "Molly's Lips" (she and co-leader Eugene Kelly both have great voices with a fleeting acquaintance to pitch but filled with humor, attitude, and style), the amazing lyrics to "Sex Sux (Amen)" including the immortal line "Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost/I'm the Sacred Host with the most," the rare serious beauty of "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam," the meows on "Monsterpussy," the very rude bicycle horn on "Molly's Lips," and the loose vocal harmonies on "Lovecraft." The whole of their recorded output is lousy with one amazing moment after another. If by some strange kink of fate you are reading this and don't already own this CD, you have to get it. You've probably heard that a million times, but if you've never believed it before, please believe it now. You need the hilarious beauty of the Vaselines in your life and this CD gives it to you in its complete glory. ~ Tim Sendra