Review, Half Man Half Biscuit, 90 Bisodol (Crimond)

I've had a copy of the new Half Man Half Biscuit LP for a few weeks now, but I've had to keep schtum on pain of death. The nice chap who supplied me with this secret stash did so on condition that it didn't end up on the internet.

I've been bursting to tell everyone how good it is though and, seeing as how the album is now being dissected bit by bit by obsessives over at the Half Man Half Biscuit Lyric Project (some strange people on that message board if you ask me), I think I'm allowed to have my say on it now.

It's brilliant.

I suppose I could explain further. It's the best produced LP they've made, chiefly because they hired out Parr Street rather than recording it in someone's bedroom, so it sounds quite polished, for HMHB anyway.

I think I like a lot of the songs that other HMHB fans think are throwaways. For example, Joy Division Oven Gloves isn't that good if you ask me, but King of Hi Vis has me laughing out loud. I think that's the total opposite of everyone else.

And the same has happened on this LP. Those lot on the message boards don't seem to think much of RSVP, but I think it's ace and is one of the best of the new tracks. My other favourites include The Coroner's Footnote and Descent Of The Stiperstones, which is based on a real walking trip Nigel Blackwell enjoyed with Geoff Davies.

The real crowd pleaser at live shows will probably be Rock And Roll Is Full Of Bad Wools. It's spiteful and hilarious at the same time and will ring a chord with every football fan who has watched indie music kids who've never been to a real match but somehow wangle themselves a place next to Hells Bells Chamberlain on the Soccer AM couch.

Anyway, that's enough of that. If you want to hear more, go out and buy a copy and, if you want to hear some of the new songs live, the band have just announced a gig on at The Ritz on Saturday 17th December. It's an early start with the band on stage at 8pm so I can only presume Tranmere's most famous fan won't be making the trip away to Stevenage on the same day.