#{title}

#{text}

10 of the best Suede Songs

By MisterCharlie
3 April 2012

So we’re pretty chuffed that Suede are playing at this years Hop Farm Festival. Their influence is often underplayed in the story of Britpop, overshadowed by the tabloid fodder of the Blur/ Oasis wars, but in many ways they redefined England’s music scene and made it feasible for young British bands to draw on the countries musical heritage, and sing about their lives, in their accents. Before they broke through the Top 40 was almost entirely made up of lyrically woeful Euro pop dance and saccharine American RnB slowjams, whilst the indie chart was filled with interchangable American grunge of varying quality. No one who came from, say, Basildon, was going to sing about Basildon, (OK, ok I know that maybe that's a good thing..) and -for better or worse- Suede changed all that, with Brett Anderson’s lyrics acidic with sharp put downs, sordid sex and suburban banality. By the time their debut album was released they had become the most written about band in Britain, selling 100,000 copies of Suede in its release week.

Whilst surviving ine up changes, personal break downs, severe drug addiction and a shifting musical landscape, Suede released hit after hit of erudite, resolutely British indie pop. They famously never cracked America, and it’s to their credit that they didn’t mess with their sound in an attempt to do so. Instead they injected some much needed glamour into England’s often dour rock scene, and made parables of the grey lives lived on our small island. Here are 10 of their finest moments, here’s hoping we hear some of them played live this summer—

The Drowners

Where else to start? The bands first proper single, still sounds as vital today as ever before

Asphalt World

Never shy of a weighty epic, Aspalt World weighs in at just under 10 minutes of bedsit misery. A fan favourite from the Dog Man Star album.

Trash

Their biggest hit, and the inspiration behind the legendary indie club night of the same name

My Insatiable One

Suede singles were always characterised by b sides that most other bands would have raffled their mums to have as a sides. This dark and charged number from the flip of The Drowners is no exception.

The Big Time

And while we're on B sides, here's another classic, this time from Animal Nitrate, and featuring the bands first foray into orchestration, with the beautiful cornet played outro. Obviously we could have easily stuck Animal Nitrate on this list as well...

Everything Will Flow

The band split fans with their change of direction on Head Music- out went the boisterous guiitars, and in came a more synthetic sound. Now this single from the album is seen as one of their finest moments..

Stay Together (Long version)

The rarer full version of this is 8 minutes plus of swirling, heart tugging melody peppered with classic Anderson references to 'concrete skylines' and the 'nuclear night'. A high point.

The Chemistry Between Us

Taken in context of Anderson's spiralling crack addiction, the chorus line of "Class A// Class B// is that the only chemistry// Between us" - takes on a whole new world of significance on this Coming Up album track.

The Wild Ones

Great song, thought the video is a bit rum-- watch the quivering effort with which the band and models try to stay perfectly still for that 'Matrix' effect....