Johnny Says Yeah! - Friends Gone By 1986 - 1989

  by Dixie Ernill

published: 20 / 8 / 2005

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Review

The Chesterfields, the Popguns, the Orchids, the Fat Tulips, tThe Strawberry Story, Heavenly, St Christopher, the Field Mice, the Brilliant Corners, Felt, the Pastels, the Wedding Present, the Desert Wolves, the Siddleys, the Flatmates, the Groove Farm, the Man From Delmonte. If any of the above bands mean anything to you, then you’ll probably love Johnny Says Yeah as they are from the same rich mid 80’s indie-pop stock. Having spent most of my formative teenage years in the mid 80’s and having been a big fan of the whole “C86” thing, I thought I had pretty much come across all of the bands from that era worth a listen. But I hadn’t reckoned upon the incredible skills of Berlin’s Firestation Records in unearthing nuggets such as this from the past. Firestation have already released 5 excellent compilation CDs highlighting a vast array of British indie-pop talent from the 1980’s and now are releasing individual retrospectives such as this one. Of the 13 tracks here, 'Better Off Dead' is easily the most instant with trademark peels of brass lighting up a superb bounce-along tune, but in truth there isn’t a duff moment elsewhere. Quite staggering considering most of the tracks never really made it beyond the demo stage. Singer Jason Wilson’s vocal style is very much of the time and the lyrics have a similar innocence, but that just lends to the charming appeal of the band and their above mentioned contemporaries.        We may be nearly 20 years on, but for 30-somethings, like me, who want to remember music from outside the mainstream, CDs like this are vital.

Track Listing:-

1 Waiting Here For Me
2 Bittersweet
3 Some Things Are More Simple
4 Better Off Dead
5 Suzie
6 Time Comes To A Standstill
7 Promises
8 I Won't Let You Go
9 But It's True
10 Everything Is Mine
11 In My Heart
12 Happiness Is Such A Thing
13 Now I'll Dream

Label Links:-

http://www.firestation-records.de/
https://www.facebook.com/firestationre
https://www.youtube.com/user/Firestati