Soup Dragons - 20 Golden Greats

by Anthony Strutt

published: 27 / 2 / 2013

Label: Cherry Red Records
Format: CD

Repetitive retrospective from briefly popular late 80's/early 90's Scottish indie pop act, the Soup Dragons

Review

The Soup Dragons formed in 1985 in Bellshill, the same town and year as BMX Bandits and featured some of the same members. The original line-up of the group broke up in in 1988, but Sean Dickson (vocals, guitar) and Jim McCulloch (guitar) remained members, and were joined by Paul Quinn on drums. Originally signed to Subway Records, whom were Bristol based, the band like many acts of the time spent years playing toilet venues before developing more of a unique sound. Sadly none of the early years material is collected on this album, so while it is a retrospective it features just the more popular songs that the band wants us to know them for, rather than painting the whole picture of their career before they finally broke up in 1995. The Soup Dragons were for a very short while a very popular band. Prior to them signing to major label Sire Records for their 1988 first album 'This Is Our Art', all of their indie single releases went to the top four in the national indie chart. A lot of bands of that time spent their infant years on an indie, then signed to a major where everybody loved them and they could do no wrong. Sadly that was not the case with the Soupies, as they were known by their fans. After leaving the bedsit-like indie circuit, they joined the big boys, had one big hit album with 1990's 'Lovegod'. one massive single in the same year with 'I'm Free', and adopted a style of music in baggy that was in vogue for a small time before it was killed by the the grunge scene. This, however, didn't stop the Soupies from partying on. Baggy was a great scene, but the music here, mostly from the years 1988-1994, does grate a bit if swallowed in one lump. If you just listen to a track here, a track there, or on shuffle maybe, it might be more exciting. Only 'Lovegod'was a major sucescs, and their 1994 fourth and last LP 'Hydrophonic' barely sold at all. The Soup Dragons over the twenty tracks here mix up baggy by adding some rap and some acoustic music. Mostly, however, it is lots of tracks of the same thing which is a good reflection of where we were back then. Unless you were a fan back in the day this will not covert you. 'I'm Free', was a Rolling Stones 1965 American B-side and the final track from 'Out of Our Heads'. The band do breathe new life into this, but everything after is trying to repeat that success which the band didn't achieve. This is still a decent enough compilation for the baggy groovers to remember this fine band by, but a compilation of the Subway tracks would have been far more interesting.

Track Listing:-

1 Divine Thing
2 I'm Free
3 Pleasure
4 What You Want
5 Forever Yesterday
6 Mother Universe
7 4 Way Brain
8 Cruel Lust
9 Contact High
10 Rest In Peace
11 Motherfunker Meets The Innersphere
12 Driving
13 Electric Blues
14 Unearthed
15 Drive The Pain
16 Backwards Dog
17 Getting Down
18 Softly
19 Dream E Forever
20 Mindless