When one is searching for new musical inspiration, one only has to take a trip to Dax Riggs's Myspace page and peruse through his large and eclectic list of influences. This resulted in me finding Julian Cope, probably the best musical discovery I have unearthed for myself so far this year.
I chose to buy the highly acclaimed double album, Peggy Suicide. Like the Rolling Stones classic Exile on Main Street, Cope's album has eighteen tracks, and also like the Stones album the record reads as a DNA for much that is great about rock music - from the swirling guitars in Safesurfer, the funky bass of East Easy Rider and the poetic crooning in Las Vegas Basement, there is so much to enjoy here. The depth and texture to the music is impressive too, as is the fact that Julian himself plays a great deal of the instruments.
The lyrics and vocals have flashes of the twisted eccentric nature of Nick Cave and Devin Townsend, and even though much of what the album is about alludes towards English politics and Margaret Thatcher's reign as Prime minster it hardly feels like a political record.
Trying to find a definitive Julian Cope track is like trying to give an alien an example of which country most represents typical life on earth, such is the versatility of the man. Even after listening to the entire record I clearly haven't got to the bottom of his music - after giving a listen to China Doll, an exquisite ballad off an earlier album, I found it hard to believe it was the same artist. I can't recommend the guy enough - to put it bluntly, if you like rock music, buy this album.
8.5/10
Highlights : Safesurfer, Promised Land, Las Vegas Basement
See also - Nick Cave, Syd Barrett, Iggy Pop, Devin Townsend.
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