Tuesday 9 September 2008

RareOnes Vol3 - The Nivens - Sex, Lies & Gaffatape

The Nivens - Sex, Lies & Gaffatape - 1992

1.House Come Tumbling Down 2.Alright Now 3.Heart & Love 4.Mask 5. I Thought Love 6.Play Blue (remix) 7.Love Don't Live Here Anymore 8.Never Turn Away 9.Want it Now 10.B With U 11.Not Good Enuf 4 U


Another Norfolk based band from the early ninties and one that had a small and dedicated local following but very little national profile but were strangely very very popular on the continent. This is a lovely little jangle pop album that i have enjoyed re-visiting lately. There is a nice entry on thier website that explains it better than I can......


"There is a sense of freedom in the vastness of the fields of East Anglia and in the gentle cultured burbling of the city of Norwich that seems to inspire people to pick up guitars and do it right......THE NIVENS were inspired thus. The coming together in the mid '80's would allow them to hone their own brand of jangle-psychedelia over the next few years to the point where a more-or-less chance meeting with French indy label Danceteria lead to their first serious single and album releases in 1989 - "Shake it from the Top" and "Shake" the album peaking at No. 9 in France - and also achieving a playlist on Radio One, and getting into the top 3 in the French "Best" magazine readers poll(the French equivalent of the Melody Maker UK poll). Seven singles, two albums, a mini album, a double album singles/unreleased tracks compilation, A harder musical edge fusing acid grooves to the REM / Byrds / Smiths sensibilities. - And a standing joke that with some 25 former Nivens out there ( including several luminaries from past Norwich bands of legendary standing like the Farmer's Boys ) it is only a matter of time before the band do a gig where the guest list exceeds the venue's capacity! a splendid time is guaranteed for all..."


PS - Track one is a corker


3 comments:

Imposs1904 said...

Will you be featuring Half Time Oranges in this new series?

I like that track of their that you posted a while back.

Jimbop said...

I have Rotterdamnation so it may well be appearring! Cant possibly reveal my list of albums in advance.. ;-)

Satch2k said...

Its Passworded..??