FEATURE:
Second Spin
Menswear - Nuisance
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THIS will be a little bit shorter…
IN THIS PHOTO: Menswear in 1995/PHOTO CREDIT: Steve Double/Retna UK
than usual because, to be fair, there is not as much information online regarding Menswear’s Nuisance as there should be – considering it is a great album that has been making the news lately. There are a couple of reasons I want to put the album in Second Spin this week. The band just released a ‘lost’ single, Wait for the Sun, and a new 4CD boxset is out soon; a twenty-fifth anniversary edition of their debut album, Nuisance, is out soon, too – I will talk about that near the end. Also, though Nuisance got some good reviews when it was released in 1995, I feel it has been overlooked when we consider the best album of that time. It was definitely part of the Britpop cannon, but Menswear never got quite the same acclaim as their peers – maybe because the band would start to split and deteriorate after that first album. I have not listened to Nuisance for a little while, but I have been revisiting it and I love the tracks on it. There are a couple of filer tracks, but songs like Daydreamer and Sleeping In are classics of the '90s; terrific tracks that warrant greater airplay. For those that say Nuisance is not well know is because it has not sold well would do good to read this NME article from 2012:
“Defunct Britpop band Menswear‘s debut album ‘Nuisance’ has finally gone platinum.
The 1995 release from the Britpop stars reached Number 11 in the UK charts on its initial release, but has only just received this recognition from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). Guitarist Chris Gentry took to Twitter to express his delight. He wrote: “‘Nuisance’ by Menswe@r goes WW Platinum. Thx to everyone who made it possible”.
I think the 1995-released album is one that should be reinvestigated almost twenty-five years after its release (Nuisance arrived on 24th October, 1995). I remember the band breaking out and I was hooked on songs like I’ll Manage Somehow. Maybe Menswear did not feature as prominently in my school conversations as bands like Blur, Pulp and Manic Street Preachers, but I think Menswear are more than just a Britpop band. Nuisance peaked at number-eleven in the U.K. charts, and Daydreamer and Stardust climbed into the top-twenty single chart. I will bring in some articles, reviews and timely links but, before then, I would encourage people to have a listen to Nuisance, as it is a great album that is not given as much love as it deserves. Go and check it out on streaming services, as it is a brilliant listen, and I guarantee there are songs on there that will stick in the head and stay with you! I have seen some negative and mixed reviews for Nuisance, but this review from AllMusic is a lot fairer:
“Perhaps Menswear was always destined to be a footnote in pop history, a product of the heady good times of London in 1994 and 1995. Reportedly signed after only three shows, the band was never given the chance to fully develop before they recorded their debut album, Nuisance. At the time of their first single, they appropriated the sound of Blur and the style of Pulp; by the time Nuisance was released, they also incorporated the sound of Elastica and Oasis, making the band a virtual Cliff Notes of Brit-pop. Naturally, Menswear doesn't quite have the skills or panache of any of their idols, but that doesn't mean they are lacking in charm.
Like Oasis and Blur, Menswear appropriates sections of pop history, claiming them as their own. However, they aren't half the songwriters that Noel Gallagher and Damon Albarn are, which means many of their ideas are never developed. Nevertheless, when they assimilate them fully -- like the intoxicating rush of "Around You Again" or the sweeping ballad "Being Brave," which lifts the intro to Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" -- the band is an undeniable guilty pleasure. When pressed, the 'swear can come up with irresistably infectious pop gems, from the frazzled Monkees pop of "Sleeping In" to the flat-out great single "Daydreamer," which sounds more like Wire than Elastica, only funnier, even if it may be unintentional. Even funnier are Johnny Dean's lyrics, from the groupie saga of "125 West 3rd Street" to "Stardust," a silly attack on Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie. In all, Nuisance is the perfect product from a band that is better known for being seen than being heard”.
I think Nuisance is one of those classic ‘lost’ albums that people are starting to come back to you. I have been spinning it a bit lately, and I am not sure why I did not give it more time back in 1995. I saw Menswear on Top of the Pops, and I would have seen Nuisance in the record shops. I think 1995 was such a busy and phenomenal year, so maybe it was just a case of it being hard to be heard above all the other great artists of that year.
I located a fantastic article from Pop Junkie that throws praise the way of Menswear’s Nuisance and how the band might have influenced The Libertines:
“Yep, back in the mid ’90s, when Pete Doherty was still a record company marketing man’s (crack)pipe dream, these youthful Britpop socialites had it all – good looks, massive hype and, unlike The Libertines, fantastic tunes. Menswear appeared on Top of The Pops performing I’ll Manage Somehow before they had even released a single and signed a record contract after only five gigs.
Their debut album, 1995’s Nuisance serves as a great reminder of the heady days when freaky Japanese girls would visit Camden pub The Good Mixer in the hope of getting a glimpse of floppy-haired Menswear frontman Johnny Dean and his razor-sharp cheekbones. From the guitar and Hammond mod stomp of 125 West Third Street to the pounding piano and blaring horns of Stardust – rumoured to be a dig at Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie (“He’s a superficial fucker,”) – Nuisance is a fantastically cocky Britpop classic that has more hooks than a second hand clothes stall on Camden market.
Check out The One. If Pete Doherty didn’t nick that sound and that tune for a track or two on the first Libertines album, then my name is not Carl Barat.
Daydreamer, the first song the band ever wrote, is awesome – a menacing, robotic New Wave stutter that sounds more like Wire than Elastica ever did. PopJunkie’s favourite however is the lovely summery ballad Being Brave, which ushers in warm evenings with its sweeping strings and epic, sing-a-long chorus. We’re also partial to the groovy Monkees sound-a-like Sleeping In, which is basically Last Train To Clarksville diverted via the Northern Line, and the Blur-like Little Miss Pinpoint Eyes – a cautionary tale of a posh bird from Hampstead who ends up strung-out on heroin and disco tunes. It really deserves to sell for more than the pitiful £2 or so you can get it for now.
After Nuisance, Menswear returned with a new single, the Beach Boys influenced We Love You, but nobody seemed to care – all except those freaky Japanese girls, that is. The band’s second album, the Japanese-only release, Hey Tiempo, was a massive success in the Far East. Shortly afterwards, the group disbanded. Where are they now? Well, guitarist Chris Gentry was last seen modelling Fred Perry menswear. Ah, the sweet irony….”.
With Wait the Sun out in the ether and some great releases on the horizon, there is going to be a new appetite for the band; younger listeners will discover this excellent band of the 1990s. ¡Hay Tiempo!, the band’s second album, was released in Japan only, so I view Menswear as a one-album band; one can chart their birth, life and death in the record, and sort of wonder what could have been. Frontman Johnny Dean spoke with NME recently and talked about Menswear and regrets regarding the departure of Matt Everett (the band’s drummer left the band after the debut album; he now works on BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Radio 2 and is a successful journalist and writer):
“How do you feel about Britpop now?
“All Britpop was, was indie bands – and a lot of them had nothing in common with each other. Matt once accurately said ‘You’re not Britpop until you’ve denied being Britpop’. The term horrified us. Everyone looks at it as this laddish notion of having a beer on your head and watching the football, when one of the few common threads in the bands at the start was going to art school. That quickly mutated into this horrible laddism, where girls were only seen as cool if they behaved like boys – the ladette phenomenon. It was totally out of order, but people didn’t think twice about it then. It was a very white, male scene. Garage, trip-hop, dance music, they all sold far more singles than the guitar bands did. From the beginning, I sensed it was dodgy that the black music being made wasn’t being recognised. There were a lot of problems, but at the same time it was exciting for young kids outside of the major cities and I do get that.
When did it start to go wrong for Menswear?
“Not taking so many drugs would have helped. At 22, I was the oldest when Menswear started – Chris was just 17. I felt responsible for everybody, but I was off my tits most of the time and permanently confused. I was diagnosed with autism 12 years ago, and it didn’t help matters that nobody knew it then. That would have obviously made a massive difference to me then, but I don’t think it would have made any difference to Menswear.
Why not?
“One of my biggest regrets is that was Matt was forced out after ‘Nuisance’. The wheels fell off very quickly after he left. Matt was always the sensible one, and it was the first sign to the record company that we were beginning to lose it, which I agree with. Matt left due to differences in personality with other band members. ‘Being Brave’ had just gone Top 10 and, in the middle of that, you do whatever you can to keep it going. Looking back, it would have been funny if we’d split up then, as we’d have done what the Manics always said they’d do: make one record and piss off”.
There have been whispers whether the original line-up will reform and play any gigs – when we are able to see bands play – to commemorate their debut album turning twenty-five. It would be awesome seeing Menswear return to Camden and play a small gig in front of adoring fans. One other big reason for this feature was to sort of tie in with the upcoming anniversary release of Nuisance. If one visits the Rough Trade website, then they can find out some details regarding Nuisance’s twenty-fifth-anniversary release:
“On sale online from 18.00 hours August 29th.
This is a Record Store Day 2020 item. It will be available to purchase from our stores from 8am on either Aug 29th, Sept 26th or Oct 24th. Remaining stock will be available to purchase from this page at 18.00 on those respective dates..
Menswear were the 90s Britpop band who formed in Camden and signed a record deal after their fifth gig. The album reached no 11 in 1995 with three top 20 hits - the biggest single Being Brave at no 10 in 1996. Other singles include Daydreamer (UK14) Stardust (UK16), Sleeping In (UK24) and We Love You (UK22) and I’ll Manage Somehow which received good reviews in NME and Melody Maker. They had regular appearances on Top Of The Pops and were the first band to ever appear ahead of the first single being released. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the original release, this special edition RSD release is presented on Orange coloured 180 Gram vinyl, original artwork and additional single We Love You”.
I have brought in some articles and information, as it not only gives you more detail regarding Nuisance, but one can look ahead as the album celebrates twenty-five years in the world. I do think we will hear the rumours of reformation rumble as we approach the autumn, and I would not bet against Menswear getting back onto the stage. I would recommend people seek out Nuisance, as it is an interesting and satisfying listen – Nuisance has plenty of nuance! Nuisance got a lot of attention in 1995, but I have read some stuffy reviews and those writing off Menswear as a lesser version of other Britpop bands. In years since, Nuisance has not faded away, but I also think it has been under-listened-to and exposed. I think Nuisance is getting the sort of focus it deserves…
ALMOST twenty-five years after its release.