Entertainment For Lively Minds
Ha Ha I'm Spending
In recent weeks, after digging out my copy of Kilimanjaro, I've found myself going Julian Cope crazy. Not, I hasten to add, by frying my brain, dressing up as a turtle and visiting neolithic sites the length and breadth of the country. No, I've merely been playing the aforementioned Teardrops album to death. As my interest has been duly piqued, I paid a slightly-more-than-I'm-comfortable-with-price for (an admittedly very good condition ex-library copy of) Head On/Repossessed. I've even ordered the new deluxe edition of Kilimanjaro for the extras.
The rest of his output, however, seems to be a bit of a minefield. I've got Wilder lined up next, but expect some disappointment following the glories of Kilimanjaro. Fried languishes somewhere amongst the boxes of CDs that surround me, purchased on the strength of 'Sunspots' but rarely listened to. In years gone by friends have pushed Jehovahkill and Peggy Suicide my way, though to my then-immature ears I just didn't get them. Are they worth the effort? Any other Copian delights to be found out there? Advice would be warmly welcomed.
As an aside, I'm a bit of a fan of that music the Germans might call 'Kosmische', and I've often tried & failed to obtain Cope's Krautrocksampler via that crusher of dreams we call eBay. Tonight I (whisper it) 'obtained' a PDF on the world wide web, which has only gone and made me want it even more. Does anyone here own a copy and are you willing to sell it for a reasonable price?
After all my ramblings, it's only fair to play you a song now.
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Wilder
is a wonderful album, if only for 'The Great Dominions' and 'Tiny Children', although possibly a slight disappointment after the majesty of Kilimanjaro.
Solo Cope is a bit of a minefield, but essential purchases are 'Fried', 'Jehovakill', Peggy Suicide' and the hard to find 'World Shut Your Mouth'. After that, imo, its a case of treading a bit carefully, although there will always be something interesting and of worth to be heard.
Recent Cope, such as 'Black Sheep', 'You Gotta Problem With Me' and my latter cope fave 'Citizen Cain'd' are all worth checking out, challenging at times, but worth the effort
Spot on
I would also add 20 Mothers and the "lost" Teardrops album Everybody wants to Shag ...
Also worth checking out the Floored Genius comps.
Minty old bean
did I not do you a copy of World Shut Your Mouth?
whoever it was on here, I never heard back from :I
I used to adore Cope but he never lived up to the majesty that is the original KIlimanjaro, Shag (released a long time after it should have been) is the only other thing he's done that comes close. Wilder does have its moments but at the time I was bitterly disappointed. The first two solos are good (which I have) but I avoided him till Peggy Suicide which I enjoy, then he kicked me in the nuts again with Jehovakill which apart from 'Upward at 45 Degrees' I hated. I think I tried 20 Mothers but I knew our love affair was definitely over. You might want to track down Piano which has all the early Zoo stuff on (apparently mastered from Bill Drummond's 7"ers as the master taped were MIA), The BBC Sessions is a must and still, the original vinyl version of Kilimanjaro with all Mick Finkler's guitar parts has not been rereleased
Essential solo Cope
Definitely "Peggy Suicide" and "Jehovahkill" and maybe "Floored Genius", them apart if he's still an acquired pleasure, random selections will always find gems amongst the baffling
Yes
Another vote for Peggy Suicide. Terrific album.
Saint Julian
The album, that is, not my opinion of the mock turtle... Ten songs, all of them pure genius.
Peggy Suicide, absolutely. I haven't heard all of his later albums, but Black Sheep has its moments.
Otherwise Floored Genius certainly is a good way to start.
The deluxe edition of Jehovahkill
Is one of the few reissues that justifies it's title. Everyone needs an extended version of Poet Is Priest in their life.
Autogeddon/Interpreter
Heartily agree with all the love for Peggy/Jehovahkill. Absolutely essential those two. As are Fried and World Shut Your Mouth. But don't forget these two which seem to have fallen through the cracks. Autogeddon felt underwhelming at the time after the twin glories of Peggy/Jehovahkill, but it's aged really well. Interpreter was his last album before he waved goodbye to the mainstream music business and it's a terrific skewed pop album. And in Spacerock With Me it has the oddest song of his career. Which makes it very odd indeed.
Great performance of Autogeddon track on TOTP...
I love this clip of Cope on Top of The Pops singing 'I Gotta Walk' from Autogeddon. Eccentric, a bit baffling and a great tune.
All hail The Cope!
A national treasure waiting to happen, it's so great to have a genuine maverick loony who's articulate and funny with it... I'm convinced he's one BBC4 documentary on megaliths away from Brian Cox-style stardom (probably just me, though.)
Very little he's done is truly worth avoiding, though the self-released "Skellington" & "Droolian" sets are probably not your best next step, and "My Nation Underground" would almost certainly get the fan vote (and Cope's) as his lowpoint, though even that has some good tracks.
"Wilder" is one of my favourite albums ever, by anyone, so don't be afraid to go there next!
All hail The Cope (Again!)
(As the old hippy at the Brighton secondhand vinyl store said after I bought "Younger Than Yesterday" by the Byrds):
- a wise choice, sir, if I may say so.
"Wilder" is brilliant as well, but a little more challenging. As has been hinted at above, "Tiny Children" is a classic, and "The Great Dominions" ain't far behind.
His first and second solos ("World Shut Your Mouth" and "Fried" are both wonderful. After that, I think he sailed slowly downhill - interestingly and amusingly downhill, but nonetheless...
"Jehovahkill" is a good bet later on, if only for "Upwards at 45 Degrees", one of his best ever songs, but in general, it's (fascinatingly) diminishing returns.
Still, we'd be a poorer species without him.
He went downhill
and then came up the other side again. Black Sheep and You got a problem are very good. Citizen Kane'd is patchy and a little too heavy on the rock guitar riffs.
As seems to be the common consensus above Peggy Suicide and Jehovahkill are Cope at his best although strangely the deluxe edition of Jehovahkill is a must whilst the deluxe edition of Peggy is dispensible since the bonus disc is filled up with poor remixes mostly.
The floored genius sets are great although beware the live version of Reynard the Fox as it is nowhere near as good as the studio version.